The Responsibility to be an Ambassador of Islam

[ummtaalib]

Racial Tensions

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam describing the fate of the Muslim businessman portrays two vastly different scenarios. On the one hand, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam mentions, “The businessman who is truthful and trustworthy will be raised with the Prophets, the Truthful ones, and the martyrs.” On the other hand, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam states, “The businessmen will be raised as evil sinners, except he that is conscious of Allah, displays acts of piety and is charitable.”

A person may well question the reason for the special status accorded to the business class of the Ummah. Why such lofty positioning for the proper businessman, that he will enjoy the privileged company of not only the martyrs and the pious, but he will even find himself amongst the exclusive company of the Prophets of Allah? Similarly, if he does not fulfil his obligations as a Muslim Businessman, why such strong condemnation?

The answer to this could very well lie in the unique positioning of the businessman in society. When the world at large interacts with the Muslim world, then it is not in the Masjid or in our religious gatherings. It is rarely to be found in our social gatherings. No, the major point of interaction is in the business field. Whether it is the buyer or supplier in the commercial field or whether it is the consumer that walks into your shop, when the non-Muslim meets the man with the beard on his face, with a hat on his head or with a Muslim name, then this is his interaction with Islam. The integrity, honesty and courtesy that he experiences could well lead to the door of Islam either opening or closing upon him.

Presently the Indian community in KwaZulu-Natal is facing a potential crisis situation with certain groups stirring up anti-Indian sentiment with a clearly racist agenda. The situation may blow away or it may escalate to dangerous proportions. How we react to this situation is vitally important.

The first step we ought to take is to do some serious soul-searching. While racist sentiments can never be condoned, we should ask ourselves if our actions have contributed to this situation. And if so, how can that be remedied? Upon soul-searching even if we find that we have not contributed to this situation, then there is still a need to contribute towards reversing the situation.

There is a duty upon every Muslim besides our Salaah, fasting and charity. That responsibility is to be an ambassador of Islam. Being an ambassador of Islam is not confined to actively giving Dawah, although that is the ideal. It also entails living as a Muslim and projecting Islam by being generous and kind-hearted, being courteous and accommodating. It includes working towards a better society for all and uplifting the down-trodden.

It behoves us to step out of the comfort zone of our daily lives and play some role in uplifting the greater community. It starts with small projects of feeding and clothing, of basic charity and sacrificing some of our time. If individual families or individual Masjids and Musallas were to adopt a disadvantaged area not merely to feed its people but to create opportunities for them to become self-sufficient, then it is a huge step in the right direction. Then if we decide to continue walking down that path, the tides will surely turn and those who were once negative will become our greatest supporters, Insha Allah.

Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quran, “And the good deed and the bad are not equal. Repel (evil) by that which is better; and you will soon find the one whom between you and him is enmity (will become) as though he was the closest of friends.”

 

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)

Council of Muslim Theologians