Signboards

[ummtaalib]

Signboards

 

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah alayh)

 

Our Muslim names, Islamic dress and our prayers are like the signboard found outside a shop, which informs us that inside this shop, sweets, chocolates, biscuits and cakes are stocked and sold. The person reading the signboard thus expects to find what has been advertised outside, inside the shop.

 

What would the reaction of the person be, if he or she finds dung, manure and excrement inside, instead of sweets and chocolates?

 

In a similar vein, our beautiful Muslim names and Islamic garb informs others that inside our hearts there is a certain ‘merchandise’ in the form of firm Imaan in Allah Ta’ala and love for His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam).

 

A person expects to find, the attributes of trustworthiness, honesty, sincerity, forgiveness, charity, Taqwa (piety), Zuhd (asceticism), Sabr (patience) and Shukr (gratitude). These are the qualities and traits a person expects to find in his social dealings with us.

 

The beard, kurta, turban, tasbeeh, or the cloak, purdah, etc. are all additional signs which lay more and more emphasis on the person’s virtue and goodness.

 

What would a person’s reaction be, when instead of these virtues, he or she finds arrogance, malice, dishonesty and greed?

 

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)

Council of Muslim Theologians