Message #1810

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Somehow I never go around to responding but I've read this dynamic lecture many times and each time I've been deeply struck by the correctness of its logic.  Alhamdulilah.  I even sent it around to many in my mailing list - no less than 30 to 40 people.  Believe it or not, but I only got one reply of appreciation.  About a dozen wrote back expressing deep disagreement justifying sectarian aloofness, completely ignoring the Quranic quotes.  The rest didn't respond which could either mean disagreement, apathy or simply fearful of commenting despite of agreement which too is quite common considering the autocratic hold of the demagogues on the vulnerable and blind 'faithfuls.'  Neither of the three are much to be proud of.  Yet, I keep watching and hearing all such people asking Allah for guidance, progress, power and failure of their opponents.  What an amazing one-track perception they have!  They aren't just averse to the Quranic verses on divisions but the Quran's dictate on upholding justice and avoiding double standards angers them just as much.  They will point out the shortcomings of others loudly, use the harshest of words, curse and swear and hurl insults even on those of their own community who suggest rationality.  They condemn others for acts they've themselves been committing for ages deeming it correct.  Correct for themselves but wrong for others.  As if this isn't enough, they will pacify their guilt by making their own stories of forgiveness for themselves and punishment for others on the Day of Judgment!  This is the personality of the so-called 'Muslim' of today.  I call it the '2nd Islam.'

I'll explain what I mean by that.  At present we have 2 Islams in this world.  The 2nd one is a lot more popular.  The 1st Islam is the real one, the Divine Islam - original and pure, beautiful and compassionate, as revealed by Almighty Allah and conveyed by the beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  It lasted for only about 150 years (or perhaps 200 years at most), a very short period and pleasantly reminiscent of our glorious past in just about every walk of life.  Then came the period of the 9th, 10th, 11th century onward imams and clerics following the trend of the catholic church, using faith to achieve political motives and establishing changing social & legal infrastructures.  It became necessary to abandon the Glorious Quran and write new laws.  These new laws began coming up 'selling' like hot cakes and were given the name "hadith," to implement blind following, crush the approach of thinking & reflecting, yet being manipulative enough to link these new laws falsely to the Prophet to influence naive minds faster without any fear of rejection or revolt.  Thus began the era of the 2nd Islam - the forged and man-made 'islam.' 

Almighty Allah helps and guides those who make an effort to grow, not those who can barely look beyond arrogantly gloating in their own selfish pride.  Yet our ummah only keeps asking from Allah, without paying any heed to what He has asked from us.  Aren't we a bit too, too greedy?

For more information on the emergence of the '2nd islam' and the abandonment of the original Islam, read the brilliant article Hadith: A Re-evaluation.