Shia Strength: [MahdiUniteMuslims] The New Hypocrisy: What does the Haiti aftermath show about Muslims?

The New Hypocrisy: What does the Haiti aftermath show about Muslims?

Has the effort to be good citizens taken away our sincerity? In the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, an email circulated around Muslim communities called "Are the Muslims doing enough for Haiti?" It related some un-Islamic attitudes about Haitians, then compared the aid statistics of Muslims and disbelievers. Then it encouraged Muslims to do more. The email reflects a growing trend of Muslims who are trying to gain disbelievers' approval and acceptance with good deeds and community service. Ironically, such a shallow reason is more than enough to show that we are anything but good. Such efforts are unlikely to succeed, and they are insincere and un-Islamic.

To do a good deed for show is hypocrisy and shirk. According to theOxford Wordpower dictionary, 'hypocrisy' means

pretending to feel, believe, etc. something that is different from what you really feel, etc.; saying one thing and doing another

Nifaq, commonly translated as 'hypocrisy', has a wider and more detailed definition. One of its branches is to do something which is supposed to be for Allah to show off to others. Allah says:

The Munafiqoon (hypocrites) seek to deceive Allah, Allah deceives them. When they stand to pray, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah except a little. [Surat un-Nisaa (Chapter 4 "The Women"): 142]

We know that prayer is the first act after faith, and that it stands between a believer and disbelief. But even something as important as this can earn Allah's wrath if we do it for others alongside him. In fact, it earns us his severest wrath. Allah says:

The Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the (hell)fire… [Surat un-Nisaa (Chapter 4 "The Women"): 145]

If this would happen if we pray to show off, what can we expect from showing off with other deeds?

Very few of us think of ourselves as hypocrites, but Allah helps us not to fall into this dangerous sin by saying:

…Therefore do not ascribe purity to yourselves: He (Allah) Knows best who it is that guards against evil. [Surat un-Najm (Chapter 53 "The Star"): 32]

We should always check our hearts for nifaq, to make sure our deeds earn Allah's Mercy instead of his wrath.

Even the Companions of the Prophet- sall-Allahu alahi wa sallam- were very careful about this. Once a companion named Hanthalah ran into the street shouting "Nafaqa Hanthalah! Hanthalah has become a hypocrite!" Abu Bakr heard him and asked what he meant. He explained that his faith was not the same when he was with his family as it was when he was with Rasul-Allah. Abu Bakr said his case was the same, so they both went to Rasul-Allah, who assured that this was not nifaq.

When Umar was khalifah and leader of the faithful, he asked another companion a very strange question. That companion had been told by Rasul-Allah the names of all the munafiqeen. Umar's love and fear of Allah was so great that he wanted to check if his faith was pure. So he asked if he was on that list, which he was not.

Abu Bakr and Umar were men who had received numerous glad tidings of Paradise, yet even then, they remained on guard against hypocrisy. How safe should we feel?

Even worse than mere nifaq (hypocrisy), showing off with our good deeds is disbelief. Indeed, riyaa', showing off, is a form of shirk, or associating partners with Allah, and shirk is itself a form of kufr, of disbelief. This is the one sin that He promises to never forgive.

"Verily Allah does not forgive that partners should be set up with Him in worship, but He forgives except that to whom He pleases. And whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin." [Surat un-Nisaa (Chapter 4 "The Women"): 48]

Imagine having a Muslim identity, doing good deeds, and still being a disbeliever. Remember, out of every 1,000 people, only 1 will enter Heaven. It's not that easy. Shaitaan, who whispers into your heart, as if you are hearing your own inner voice, then disappears, won't make it that easy.

To help us avoid the dangers of nifaq and shirk, we should understand why we do them. The plain truth is that Muslims have an inferiority complex. In recent history, we have been surpassed as a civilization, colonized, enslaved and indoctrinated by disbelievers. We suffer from embarrassing rates of illiteracy, underdevelopment, poverty and starvation, and we have not developed a solution to these conditions yet. At the same time, we are receiving messages from without and within that Islam is to blame for all of these things.

To make up for this inferior feeling, we have become "wannabes". We wanna be like disbelievers. And what do wannabes do? They show off to try to fit in. Isn't that what we're doing now with this Haiti thing? We want to show the disbelievers that we are as good and humane as them. We believe their accusations about Islam's inhumanity more than we believe in the Qur-an. We certainly read their words more than we read the Qur-an. We go over those same old stories of when Muslims led humanity, hoping they'll throw us a smile. We describe, often by bending the truth, how Islam is "100% Democracy-compliant" without studying the demerits of democracy and the merits of the Sunna and Shari'ah. Whenever there is a Muslim or part of Islam that disbelievers do not like, we sweep them under the rug with a sheepish, foolish grin, and say that that's not Islam anyway. We forget to investigate just how low and hypocritical disbelieving standards of humanity are. We forget that Muslims, i.e. we, should be leading humanity now, not catching up to it. We forget that to falsely accuse another Muslim of kufr, or to reject Allah's commands or law is itself disbelief. We want to be like "them"- and let's be honest, "they" are white people. We want them to like us and say they like us, and say we belong. Because they're better than us, right? Be honest enough, Brother or Sister, to admit that. Honesty will help us move on.

Are we foolish enough to believe that secularism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Communism, and nationalism are just as prone to the extremism that Islam and Muslims are accused of?

Have the disbelievers' economic systems proven successful recently, that we should adopt them?

Should we admire their technological development even as it destroys human lives and the earth we live on?

Are the atrocities committed during the secularization of Turkey proof of the openness and enlightenment of such a system?

Have you ever researched to what extent Adolph Hitler's rise to power was democratic?

Have you examined the social statistics of suicide, divorce, rape, disease, murder and homelessness and broken families in these supposedly developed civilizations?

What do we really stand to gain from being accepted into disbelieving societies? Impregnated daughters? Promiscuous sons? Ungrateful children? Personal bankruptcy? Date rape?

Where is our pride?

Where is our shame?

Without either there is neither.

Some say that acceptance of Muslim minorities by disbelieving majorities is necessary for their survival, and a platform for inviting them to Islam. These claims are true. But think: if we do good deeds solely for Allah, wouldn't they still be impressed, without us being shameless performers? Do we really expect to gain respect when we follow every good deed by begging for good press and approval? Could anything be more openly shameless and undignified? In the end, we are selling our dignity for nothing. Indeed, Allah says:

Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with you until you follow their form of religion. [Surat ul-Baqara (Chapter 2 "The Heifer"): 120]

Think, for all the good Muslims are doing worldwide, how much coverage does it get in the media? Are those token stories even a drop in the ocean compared to the slanders and accusations? Have the token speeches and gestures of the disbelievers' war-monging leaders been backed by anything real? Has the profiling and harassment of Muslims decreased? Whether or not there is a "War against Islam", is there any question that Muslims are being ideologically, physically, and sexually assaulted worldwide? Are these the people we idolize and worship next to the Most Merciful? Should we keep selling His pleasure for theirs, which we will never get, and which is no good for us? How foolish of a bargain!

"Say (O Muhammad): 'Verily the Guidance of Allah is the (only true) Guidance.' And if you were to follow their desires after what has reached you of knowledge, then you would find against Allah neither protector nor helper." [Surat ul-Baqara (Chapter 2 "The Hiefer"): 120]

Be careful, Muslim or Muslimah, of letting a battered and mis-educated psyche lead you into disbelief. Islam is the perfect standard, and Allah's is the highest company. If we do good deeds in Haiti and elsewhere to impress and gain favor with disbelievers, we would sell ourselves eternally short. If we only see others' suffering as a chance for us to gain, we are indeed worthy of scorn, not only of humanity, but of the jinn and angels, and Allah Himself. But if we work righteousness for the sake and pleasure of Allah, and he accepts it, then we will never be in need of anyone else.

"So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord." [Surat ul-Kahf (Chapter 18 "The Cave"): 110]

If one Muslim falsely calls another a munafiq, then the guilt goes to the accused. What you have read is not an accusation, but a warning and invitation. May Allah Guide us to the faith and deeds that will lead us to Firdaus; Ameen.

Daniel Oliver is a Muslim, sociologist, and historian. He can be reached at danyal.abdullah@gmail.com

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