Muslims resident in North America need to devote careful attention
to this subject since the overwhelming majority of them are collectively
organized as Islamic Associations and Islamic Center, etc. These organizations
have been established on the basis of Articles of Incorporation and
Constitutions which provide for the creation of Management Committees,
Executive Committees, Boards of Directors, Boards of Trustees, etc., which
control and direct the affairs of the associations. These committees and boards
are invariably established through elections in which only financial members
may participate. Individuals have their names nominated for a particular post
and then they "run" for that post. It is not unusual that there is
active campaigning for an election. The campaign and elections, more often than
not, create factions and divisions, and election day can sometimes take on the
appearance of a fish market. The divisions created can sometimes lead to court
battles. That is the reality in North America and elsewhere in the world.
The constitutions place no obligation on the President or the
Management Committee to apply and enforce the Islamic way of life on the
members, individually or collectively, nor do the constitutions require of the
members that they listen to and obey the President as a religious obligation.
And so, disobedience of the President does not constitute a sin.
One day We shall call together all human beings with their
respective leaders; those who are given their record in their right hand will
read it (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.
But those who were blind in this world (and, as a consequence, neglected to
follow the Sunnah of the Prophet), will be blind in the Hereafter, and most
astray form the path
(Isra 17:71-72)
Muslims take pride in the fact that they are increasing in numbers
in North America. And since the establishment of masajid is important for both
immigrant and indigenous Muslims in the context of preserving a sense of
identity, large number of masajid are now being established. But the painful reality
is that despite all these new masajid, Islam is a receding force in the lives
of the majority of Muslims in North America. And it may not take more than a
generation or two before they are absorbed into the melting pot of an
essentially godless modern Western civilization.
The overwhelming majority of immigrant Muslims will offer the
pledge of allegiance to the American Constitution to obtain U.S. citizenship.
And that is shirk! The majority will borrow money on interest to buy houses,
cars, refrigerators, washing machines, etc. The majority will use credit cards.
And that is riba! Indeed it will only be a matter of time before many of their
children, or grand-children, will eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, drink wine,
and use paper instead of water for personal hygiene after using the toilet!
That is the painful concrete reality which I perceive after having
served the cause of Islam in North America since 1989.
To be Continued....
No comments:
Post a Comment