One of the great gems of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) is his saying: “He who does not know Jahiliya - the path of ignorance - cannot truly understand Islam”. In fact, not knowing the scope of the crookedness of the environment one is living in, one will not be able to understand and appreciate the message of the truth, nor be able to avoid slipping away from the path of the guidance. Not knowing in depth, the structure of the ideology upon which the present reality of society is based, one will end up mixing concepts, inventing new perspective of the Deen and be confused in the way he/she observes the faith. Take the example of the reality of today’s society, dominated by materialistic context, its impact on Tadayun (the practice of the Deen) is quite obvious as one can see the over spread practice of the secularized Tadayun. One of its manifestations is the creation of concepts which shape how individuals think, behave, and interact. These concepts are not rooted in the Islamic faith nor in its jurisprudence, rather they are derived from the social context. An example is of the concept of “American Muslims”. This concept has nothing to do with faith; it is in fact a social construct referring to a minority of Muslims living in America, adhering to a variety of cultures, and following the same faith. It is constructed as any other social construct and perceived in the same context, such as the social construct of gender issues. They are perceived and interacted with in the same way. Therefore, this concept falls short in preserving the Muslim integrity and identity; to the contrary, it alters, spoils, and corrupts them. This new concept is causing the emergence of a new identity with its basis is secularism. Its objective is to emulate the materialistic lifestyle while limiting the practice of the faith to the prescribed acts of worship such as prayer and fasting in Ramadan. This new secular identity is characterized by cultural features rather than faith and morals. Furthermore, it revokes the bond of brotherhood/sisterhood in Islam as it makes “American Muslims” separate from Muslims of the rest of the world, which further deepens the division among the Muslims and diverts them from the true high objectives of the faith. Take the example of Hijab with the above social construct concept - it became a cultural figure instead of being the symbol of modesty and high moral standard. Does not one see the presence of Hijab in many ads, not as symbol of modesty but as a way to fulfill the requirement of diversity?!
Also from the manifestation of the secularization of the Tadayun is the absence of Akhlaq in the worldview of the secularized faith. They view mass destruction, caused in Gaza for example, from a materialistic view, as being the reflection of a manifest defeat and the true perpetrators are those who caused it, meaning the resistance. This view, devoid of Akhlaq (morals), makes one more on the side of the transgressors. In fact, the moral and virtue of honor, the love of freedom and the love of the land, the longing to end injustice and to break the chain of bondage and live in dignity, make the sincere striving - despite the destruction caused by the oppressors - a triumph. This triumph is defined by endurance on the path of the truth and on holding on to the “Izza” honor and power from Allah.
“Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment - who choose disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek honor and power through that company? Surely all honor and power belongs to Allah, entirely” (4:138-139).
Indeed, the endurance and the firmness on the path of the truth leads to a tremendous reward, which is, the companionship of Allah - “Allah is truly with those who are patient.” (2:153) - the love of Allah - “Allah loves those who persevere.” (3:146), and the glad tidings of great blessings - “Give good news to those who patiently endure (2:155). “They are the ones who will receive Allah’s blessings and mercy. And it is they who are ˹rightly˺ guided.” (2:157).
Is this not a great triumph?
Should one not be seeking to be granted such reward, focus on striving to not fall in the dark abyss of the secularized Tadayun?
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