بِسۡمِ
ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
The Muslim community
welcomes the mu’allaf, converts,. But what happens after the conversation? When, by whatever means of Guidance, a person
decides to become a Muslim; he or she is directed to the Darul Arqam Singapore. They have a comprehensive programme for the
entire conversion process. It is by no
means a perfect system. But it works,
after a fashion.
Ideally, the mu’allaf attends the Orientation
session. Now, in this current exercise
of lexicography, it has been renamed the Knowing Islam Session. The reason was that it is nigh impossible to
be orientated to Islam in one session.
Hence the name change. It was an
exercise in futility. “Orientation”, by
its very meaning, alludes to an introduction, a touching of the surface. It conveyed the message fairly accurately in
a concise manner.
After the Orientation,
the next step is the Beginner’s Course in Islam, followed by the Pre-Conversion
Advise, the actual conversion itself followed by the Evaluation. Whilst the intentions are good, no religion
as far as I know makes it so complicated to join it. Even the Roman Catholic Rite of Christian Initiation
for Adults, an equally complicated faith in terms of legislation, is
shorter. This is not the way the Prophet
(s.a.w.). So where did we go wrong? Unconsciously, they have moved from
legislating the process of conversion to legislating faith, and that is the
province of Allah (s.w.t.). In Surah al-Fatihah, we say that Allah (s.w.t.) is Master of the Day of Judgement. But that is not what is practiced.
The results are
apparent. Conversion by percentage of
the population has dropped. In terms of
numbers, it has increased but having a similar number of conversions when the
population of Singapore was 2.5 million to when the population is more than 4
million is a huge fall by percentage.
And that is a concern. Where the
BCI classes used to fill the auditorium and more than a hundred people were in
attendance when it was fifteen weeks to less than twenty in some classes when
it is now eleven weeks with four weeks of swalah
tutorial.
There is no Befriending
session for every class anymore. But in
any case, I have become a sceptic of sorts.
There is a difference in the quality of the Befrienders. Their intentions may be laudable. But they have forgotten how to Befriend and
have begun to preach. They have forgotten the difference between what the
religion says and what they have learned by their culture. Furthermore, the topics have never been
changed to reflect the fact that the world is a different place and students
have different concerns now. The
Befriending topics do not address issues like terrorism, the War on Terror, integration,
and the modernity of Islam. The fall in
attendance of the Befrienders and the Befriendees is as apparent as the decline
of the programme. The main pitfall of
the programme is ironically that it does not go far enough. The Convert Follow-Up and the In-Laws Support
Programmes, the Befrienders’ Scheme and the entire pre- and post conversion
process is actually part of an extended process to rebuild a social network
damaged by conversion.
Born-Muslims especially
cannot fathom what is required to convert. Imagine if your child or any one close to you
were to tell you that they have decided to change their faith. Imagine if we were to tell our parents, our
family, our spouse that. Changing our
belief system can be viewed as the ultimate rejection of racial and cultural
identity. I went through that. Furthermore, no religion has as terrible a reputation
in modern times as Islam. From the 11th
September attack to suicide bombers to Taliban bombing women's schools to Wahhabi
scholars praying for the destruction of the Christians and the Jews. Whilst Jesus (a.s.) is remembered for turning the other cheek, Muhammad (s.a.w.) is remembered for jihad in the West. Become a Buddhist and you are a pacifist. Become a Hindu and you are in love with the
exotic Orient. Become a Muslim and you
are a potential terrorist.
The ummah, for the most part, is a terrible advertisement of the faith. I know a very large number of converts who
are either no longer practicing or have left the faith altogether. Each and every one found Islam through one way
or another. Some because of some sign that
told them that Islam was the True Faith or because they found love. In coming to Islam, many of them had to give
up something for the promise of something better. Sometimes, these promises do not pan out. Relationships fail, pressure from society and
family, disappointment with the ummah
and bitterness and anger set in. Every
family function, every significant event is a reminder that we made a conscious
decision to take a particular path. With
that comes the knowledge of the price. Of
dunya for akhirah. But dunya is before us and akhirah is a veil away.
We always seek the Comfort
Allah (s.w.t.), in those moments
before we sleep, when the heart is most honest because we always lie to
ourselves. Even more so than we lie to
others. The insidious lies, the
whisperings of Shaythan that go
straight to the heart. And so every
major disappointment that involves a Muslim or the Faith is a dose of poison in
the heart. And these grow over time. They are forgotten by the conscious mind, but
the heart remembers them acutely. We
have seen the Abyss. And though the
fires of Hell burn hotter than a thousand suns, it is fanned by the bitter cold
winds of despair and loss and abandonment. And we know in our hearts that that is the
true terror of Hell. It is not the
physical torture of burning alone. It is
the ultimate despair of being away from the Beloved, the Thirst beyond Thirst
that Mawlana Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi (q.s.)
speaks of. As the Creations of Allah (s.w.t.), each and every one of us has
tasted at least once in our life the feeling of ultimate love, of being
enveloped with a warmth beyond this world, a taste of the Promise of God. We spend our whole lives searching for it
consciously and unconsciously. We will
never find it here. And that is why a
good death is sweeter than the purest honey, rarer than the finest myrrh.
What can be done? The first step is identifying the problem. What can we do about it? We should empty the cup. The water is stale. Follow the sunnah
of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Find a small group of people who share the
same vision. The vision of wanting not
only to spread the religion but ensuring that those who come to the faith have
their needs taken care of. Man is by
nature a gregarious creature.
John Donne, the English
poet, wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of
the continent, a part of the main. If a
clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory
were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's
death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send
to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Ultimately, the cup is
never full and never empty for it is filled with Allah (s.w.t.). All Creation is His
Ocean. We are filled with His
Presence. But many are like fishes in
the sea. They cannot see the Ocean. Fill that cup with Him. And we find yourselves dissolved. The main purpose of this group is to repair
and enhance a social network damaged by a change of faith. It is not enough to have a good relationship
with the Rocks of the ummah, it is
important to repair the relationships that came before conversion. Islam is not cult. We do not separate ourselves from society at
large. We are better only if Allah (s.w.t.) wills it, not because of
anything intrinsic to ourselves. A
Muslim must never be arrogant in faith. The
arrogant do not share.
Relationships take time
to build. They take effort, they take
understanding. In the end, it should be
converts themselves who take the lead to help converts. Certain things can only be understood
experientially. And that is why when the
born-Muslims talk about the challenges of faith to the converts it sounds fake
and condescending at times. The
intention cannot be faulted. It is
merely an unsuitable medium.
Finally, talks and
classes build knowledge but are of little help in integration and
understanding. These require spontaneous
social activities. Some of the most
esoteric aspects of the Diyn, I
learned at the coffee shops at Haig Road and Kembangan over a cup of tea. Because Islam is not a dry faith. It is a faith to be lived and understood. We have to be imbibed. That is why Allah (s.w.t.) sent the Prophet (s.a.w.)
as well as the Book. There could not be
one without the other. And so there is
no Islam without the Muslims. And
Muslims cannot be inheritors of the Promise of al-Kawtsar if they are so sure that they are going to Heaven and
everyone else is going to Hell. Allah (s.w.t.) never said that and the Qur’an
never had that. Ultimately, in the
entire Qur’an, it is this line that I remember so-clearly when I first opened it
all those years ago sitting in the back pew in Novena Church at three in the
morning:
سُوۡرَةُ
البَقَرَة
ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ
لَا رَيۡبَۛ فِيهِۛ هُدً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ (٢)
This is the Book; in it is Guidance sure, without doubt, to those
who recognise Allah. (Surah al-Baqarah:2)
And because of that, I
know Islam is the Truth.
A comprehensive reflection...which invites deeper reflections. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen once I used to ask for succinctly strength,patience and wisdom from Him, I now find my list growing longer. :)
It is never easy, belief.
ReplyDeleteEven for born Muslims, the urge to sway further from the path that has been lit with light from a thousand fires stems from an anaemic lack of faith, and too much emphasis on practice.
We have to remember that Islam is a religion of simplicity - a beggar is no less loved than the rich if both love God an equal measure each.
And it is the Love that prevents us from swaying, more than we should.
Why sway? because at the root of the matter, the ruh and body know the Truth. It is the human heart that reacts differently.
Glad you're back, but I was never afraid of you leaving; I would prefer to look forward to your roots swaying you back in the right direction.
Salam...
ReplyDeleteI am a convert myself. I share the same sentiments with you about the Association i once found myself attached to when i was at my weakest, most vulnerable times. But though it had let me down, it was Allah swt's rope that i hung myself onto.
Wa salaam,
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad you held on, Mr. Blue. I may not always respond but I appreciate and welcome comments from anyone.
This is a learning journey for me as well.
His hand is the firmest one could ever hold on to.
ReplyDelete