1988-July-29

Muslim Journal

The Individual's Role In Community
Responsibility: Part 5

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

(Editorial note: This is Part V of Imam W. Deen Muhammad's address at the United Taleem Banquet, Los Angeles, Ca., May 22, 1988.)

But if we whisper into the child's ear what Allah has instructed us and inspired us to do through the teachings of the Prophet and the learned leaders of the religion, we will have given that child something that is impossible to be erased from the mind. The child won't understand the connection, but the behavior down the road will be tied to what was whispered in the ear of the child. Have faith and believe in what we are all about as Muslims. Believe in the Muslim way of life. Some things we must do purely upon faith.

Don't let your baby hear all of that loud boogaloo stuff, all of that noise and mess. Sometimes you can't keep it out of the house, for it is going to be there, and they are addicted to it. And you would really have to go to jail to correct it, for the situation is just that serious. So you tell them, "You are going to have this child twenty-four hours, and I know what is going to be poured into his ears. Because I know you are not going to stop all of these records being played, this T.V. that is going and all of this. But look sister, or honey or dear husband...," because sometimes it is the husband who is the weaker.

In fact, they are saying now very loudly that the woman is genetically better prepared for survival in the world than the man. And they are bringing all kinds of scientific proof to back that up. So I don't know who I should be talking to now. However, if both of you cannot come together, then the stronger of the two should say, "Please, our religion asks us to do this. And as soon as this baby comes, the first thing it will hear if the Adhan in the right ear and the Al-Fatiha in the left." Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Science also tells us that the two halves of the brain operate differently. One doctor, who was examining me to see if I was fit for a job — a job that I had just prayed about twenty rakahs to get, this doctor starts to talking about something in my posture and asked me, "Do you know your posture is off? Look in the mirror. And everyone is like that. Your left side is different from your right side. Perhaps you have never noticed it." So I told him that I hadn't noticed it, and praises be to Allah I still got the job!

But this doctor brought something to my attention. And don't be afraid to trust what Allah has revealed. Don't ask why the Adhan has to go in the right ear, and the Al-Fatiha in the left ear. Don't ask why. Just have faith and do it. Here, one will say, "But that is blind faith." Yes! Muslims should have some blind faith. As I understand it, everything begins in the night, and then day comes. I do know that you were not born seeing, and true faith begins in the dark.

Everything that is asked of us in this religion has a rational basis. But it is not for us to understand it all. None of us are qualified to find the rational basis to everything. But everything has a rational base. So do what is told to you, and understand that whatever is told to you in this religion is not based upon superstitions. Nothing that is asked of us in this religion is acting upon magic or superstition! When you are asked to whisper the Adhan, or Name of God in the right ear and Al-Fatiha in the left ear of your baby at the moment of its birth into this world, then do it with faith. But understand, again, this is not based upon superstition or any kind of witchcraft or magic. Everything that is taught begins with a rational foundation, though we ourselves aren't blessed to know and fully understand it.

Dear beloved people, I am going to conclude this by saying to you, if we put attention where it is due — that is, on what Allah asks of us in the religion, on what is in the Qur'an and in the teachings and life of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be on him, if we really attach ourselves to that and try to learn more and more about our life and how we should live it in the light of that, we will be successful.

We are to define our priorities, no matter in what town or race we are or what time we are in, whether it is now or years gone or years to come. We will be successful in achieving what we have to, if we keep that focus and keep the importance on what God has revealed in the Qur'an and what He has left for us as an example in the teachings and behavior of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Then we will be able to find the features of our religion. Religions have their unique features. The features of Al-Islam are not the features of Christianity: it is not the same as the features of Judaism. You will find certain features in common for all of these different religions, but they are still different. Again, the features in our religion are not the same as in other religions. Our features are distinct.

You will see the character of your religion, and you should know the essential characteristics of your religion. When you are able to sense that, to perceive that, and to be that, then you are in good condition, and no one has to worry about you. You are safe. Believe me, the most important thing in this religion is obedience. Every Muslim should be striving for obedience. Strive for obedience in order to obey the disciplines of this religion. How many of us do that? I can tell you how many. It is the number who have real faith. Because if you don't have real faith, then you have no spirit to strive for obedience. The number with real faith will be the ones to strive for obedience.

Many of us are in the religion, but we are ignorant. The experience that we had before in this world has made us ignorant. Not only is our "mind" ignorant, and no longer are we without knowledge, but we are without the ability to have intelligent sensitivities. And it is because the experiences that we had in the world that we thought were religious have sensitized us to be ignorant in our senses.

Understand that with this; you will have a good feeling about something, and it does not mean that that feeling is intelligent. That feeling could be ignorant. And you may have a bad feeling about something, and it doesn't mean that feeling will be correct; that feeling could be ignorant. It is your past experiences that have conditioned you to feel certain ways and is responsible for your ignorance or your intelligence.

The environment that is most conducive to ignorant sensitivities is this so-called "free" environment we live in here in the Western society or civilization. It is the society that breeds ignorance and an ignorant feel for things. It corrupts the senses of the individual. That is why I have so much patience with these people. They wonder why I don't just stop. I don't stop, because I know they can't think right, until they feel right. They have to' learn to feel right, they have to feel intelligently, before they can think intelligently.

If we work on the problem long enough, we will get the sensitivities to respond. And once the sensitivities respond, then the intellect will come to life. Allah created everything from water; every life began from water. And as I conclude, I would like to say, let us not respond to the demands of the issues of the world. We know that issue.

Let us respond to the demands of the issues of our religion. Once we do that, then we can make progress in dealing with all of the problems that we are to face in this world. We pray to Allah for His peace and blessings to forever be upon His Prophet Muhammad, his descendants, his family, his Companions, the faithful, righteous people in this religion everywhere, Amin. As-Salaam-Alaikum.