Guest Blogger, Sumaiya, on Islamophobia
I’m so blessed to know a sister, Sumaiya, who is an absolute inspiration to me. I am honored she has chosen my blog to publish her piece on Islamophobia. Without people like her in my life, I would be lost; the world would be dark. Thank you, Sumaiya! May Allah swt reward you exponentially!
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When we hear the political rhetoric against Islam and see Muslims suffer, we must remember Islamophobia hasn’t evolved recently. When Muhammed (s) and the Sahaba spread the Deen of Allah, they were abused. Physically. Mentally. Verbally. On one incident, our beloved Prophet (s) travelled to a place outside of Makkah, known as Ta’if, and the disbelievers over there pelted him with stones, so much so, that his feet became soaked with blood and he fainted due to the excruciating pain. Also, Bilal (r), an Abyssinian slave who later became a Sahabi, would be forced by his master to lie down bare in the scorching Makkan sand with a heavy rock on his chest, so his movement would be restricted. But despite the ongoing torture resulting from Islamophobia, did Muhammed (s) and the Sahabas give up practicing Islam?
In fact, they held on even tighter to the rope of Allah. Brothers and sisters, Islamophobia is a vehicle used by Shaitaan to instill fear and paranoia in the heart of the believer and prevent him from feeding the fire within his soul—the one lightened by following Allah’s commands and the Sunnah of Muhammed (s). You see, fire has two distinctive qualities: it can either kill a person or it can spread warmth and light. As Muslims, we must feed the fire within our soul, so it can spread its warmth and light throughout the world.
In a world filled with darkness, let’s raise the torch of Islam by adhering to Allah’s commands and the Sunnah of Muhammed (s). Until we stand as torchbearers, our world will continue to become darker and darker. If you’ve been in a completely dark place, you know it’s impossible to see without a light. The darker it gets, the harder it’ll be to see the right path.
When the Prophet (s) was given instruction to spread Islam, people were consumed in darkness. Girls were buried alive; women were treated as objects; people killed for little or no reason; and, oppression was widespread. However, despite the rampant ignorance in society, Prophet Muhammed (s) continued to illuminate the world with his message of Islam, eventually conquering the darkness. Our societies have also reverted back to the Jahiliya period. We too need to follow the example of our teacher. Our beloved. We need to resist the darkness in our societies by guiding people towards the light, the Sunnah of Muhammed (s).
Our troubling times don’t give us an excuse to abandon the commandments of Allah. We must hold firm to the light of Islam and stand apart from the rest of society.
You see, the light is never meant to blend with the darkness.
As the world is lighted with the warmth of Islam, its flames will reach all over the world. It’s up to us to continue to rekindle the light of the fire or allow that very same fire to engulf our Ummah, vanishing its traces forever.
Brothers and sisters, let’s make a commitment to unite together and share the beauty of our Deen to the rest of humanity. Let’s stand together as beacons of hope and extinguish the flames of corruption. Let’s not allow ourselves to become a victim of the darkness by disobeying our creator. Rather, let us rise above the widespread corruption in our societies and allow the light of Islam to conquer our dark world and fill it with peace and love once again.
About the Author
About the Author: I'm a Writer, Speaker and Muslim Activist. I'm a former Board Member of the #MyJihad Public Education Campaign.
Follow my blog at yasminareality.com or follow me on Twitter: @yasmina_reality. I'm also now on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YasminaReality
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