One of the aims of ProductiveMuslim.com is to instill a sense of pride in the Islamic identity. By arguing that Islam is not as backward as people think it is, I hope to make our Muslim readers feel proud of being Muslim and not to be ashamed of their Islamic identity. However, in a world that has become a global village, where values are flattened and virtues that appeal to some (or lack of) are spread. In a world, where nothing seems black and white, but grey. Nothing is right or wrong but "maybe right" or "maybe wrong", it's difficult for one to maintain a clear definition of this identity.
The topic of an islamic identity has become a hotly debated topic in many countries, especially amongst the European countries where keeping your islamic identity is synonym to being "anti-integration" or "anti-European". We've seen the Islamic identity tested and tried in many "democratic" countries, with bans on religious symbols such as the Hijab or debates against Muslim faith-schools. We're also witnessing many attempts of shaping this identity to suit the interest of some.
What's disturbing recently regarding this topic is the lack of care amongst Muslims themselves about their identity. We've become so engrossed in our daily lives and upon being "accepted" that we've sometimes left our values and lost our identity and joined the masses in what they do so not to stick out or not to be seen as strangers. We're ashamed of some of our principles and never dare mention them so as not to be seen as strangers. We'll celebrate Christmas and New Year, Valentine and Easter so not to be seem as strangers. We'd delay our prayers, or not pray them at all so not to be seen as strangers. We'd take off our Hijab and shave our beards so not to be seen as strangers. We'd remove layers and layers of our Islam and re-interpet other parts of it so not to be seen as strangers. How much more can we compromise?
A recent text message from a Muslim brother sparked this topic in my mind, he sent me an innocent text wishing me a happy new year 2009. I said to myself, SubhanaAllah, if I asked this brother what day it is in the Islamic calendar, he wouldn't know. The issue is not him wishing me a happy new year, but the fact that we've lost any relation to our Islamic roots. The new Islamic year 1430H came about a few days back, how many of us thought of the beautiful sacrifices our Prophet made with his companion Abu-Bakr when they made their Hijra which is the year the Islamic calendar began?
For some, the above won't be important and wouldn't bother them at all. They believe that they are being "moderate" and are balancing their lives quite well. The problem may not be with them, but their children and their children's children whom will continue the above trend of removing any bits of Islamic identity in their lives and immerse themselves deeper in the globalised flat consumerist identity.
I was teaching Islamic studies to a group of 15-16 years old, and when I asked them name me 5 prophets, they can barely answer me. When I mention the Islamic months to them, they ask "what's that?!" Our identity loss is already taking place, can you see why a revival is needed?
The more one thinks about this, the more we realise the importance of keeping and upholding our Islamic identity in our lives and reminding others as well. We need to learn and re-learn about our heritage and Islamic roots, we need to keep close to the fountain of our spiritual life, the Quran and the Sunnah of our Prophet (Peace be upon him). We need to be proud of our identity, that's the first step, and we'll only be proud if we understand the beauty of what we have. And finally, we need to share with others and help others maintain their Islamic character.
ProductiveMuslim.com looks at just a small aspect of our beautiful identity, it's up to you to discover the rest.