On New Carpets And Good News
Yahya Abdul Rahman- October 26, 2006
It is simply amazing how many incidents of really good things taking place in our community are unfolding before our very eyes and yet we fail to see them. Allow me to relate to you the following story by way of illustration.
Recently me and a friend of mine went out for an evening coffee. I showed him around part of the city as he is unfamiliar with the area. He just started a new job with an Islamic organization which helps defend the rights of Muslims living in Canada. In my mini-tour I took him to a downtown mosque that I have not visited for awhile and noticed it now has brand new carpeting which was just installed a week ago. Later, as my friend dropped me off at my house, I advised him to try to make an effort to see the good things that are taking place in our community and not just concentrate on the negative. There is a tendency for those who are involved in Islamic organizations, which seek to defend the rights of Muslims, to see the world very negatively. They are always focusing on bad news items- such as wars and human rights abuses, etc.- that we are all bombarded with on a daily basis via the media. I myself did this for years- inundating my mind with blood curdling information several hours a day- to the point it affected my physical health and I was forced to draw back.
I told my friend that as he gets more involved in his work he will be become more aware of the numerous challenges facing our community and may begin to feel overwhelmed and frustrated. It is at these times that one must step back and take a look at the situation from another vantage point. It is important to note that:
*The vast majority of Muslims in this country are not being discriminated against.
*The vast majority of Muslims are working and leading normal lives.
*The vast majority of Muslims are satisfied with their lives here in Canada.
Furthermore, the community is growing on a daily basis with reports of new converts coming in all of the time. In addition, there are many good people in this country who harbor no ill will towards us, and in fact only wish for us the best and welcome our presence. I truly believe they are in the majority.
And one more thing, new carpets are being installed in our mosques to replace the old ones. Now you might think that carpet installations in mosques are no big deal, but I beg to differ. Worn out carpets indicate that our places of worship are being used on a regular basis by a large volume of people. Indeed, every mosque in this country is filled to capacity every Friday and numerous mosques are in fact bursting at the seams with people having to stand outside. This means not only that we are growing as a community but that more and more Muslims are performing their prayers and becoming more observant of their religion. This is good news indeed and is something to be celebrated.
Several years ago, when I lived in the US, I established a "Good News" e-mail list and every day I posted "Good News" items regarding what was taking place in the Muslim community with a view to encouraging other Muslims that not all news is bad. They called me the "Good News" guy and the list was very popular. Sadly, I got away from that and shifted my focus on more discouraging news items. I wish now I had not have done that. But from now on I am going to make a conscious effort to look at all the carpet installations and other "Good News" reports and be sure to tell others so that they too can be encouraged.
And here is another personal "Good News" item. I just completed my 14th Ramadan fast without missing any days. I embraced Islam on the first day of Ramadan in February 1993, and yes, I was fasting when I took my shahadah. This may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but when one begins to add up all the "Good News" items that are in our community we have much to be optimistic about.
More than ever before we need "encouragers" to elevate our thinking and remind us of not only what we have already accomplished, but also show us what we are capable of achieving and ook beyond the immediate circumstances and possess real vision.
By way of illustration, the example of the Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him- at the battle of Azhab (also referred to as Al Khandaq) is worth studying in detail. In the fifth year of the hijrah as the enemy was closing in with a view to destroying the Muslim community, the believers began digging a protective trench to create a barrier between them and the enemy. The Prophet himself- even though he was about 58 years old at the time- joined in on the difficult work and offered many words of encouragement to boost their morale. He would say the following:
"O Allah! There is no life except the life of the Hereafter, so please forgive the Muhajirun and the Ansar."
and
"By Allah, without Allah we would not have been guided, neither would we have given in charity, nor would we have prayed. So (O Allah), please send Sakina (calmness and tranquility) upon us, and make our feet firm if we meet the enemy as the enemy have rebelled against us, and if they intended affliction (want to frighten us and fight against us), then we would not (but withstand them)."
The Prophet used to raise his voice saying: "Abaina! Abaina!" (we would not, we would not).
He was also heard reciting poetic verses composed by Ibn Rawahah while he was carrying the earth and saying:
"O Allah! Without You we would not have been guided, nor would we have given in charity, nor would we have prayed. So, (O Allah), please send Sakina (calmness) upon us and make our feet firm if we meet the enemy, as they have rebelled against us. And if they intend affliction (want to frighten us, and fight against us), then we would not (but withstand them)."
The Prophet would then prolong his voice at the last words.
And his words did indeed have a profound impact and the believers won the day. And truly the Prophet is the best example of an inspiring leader who lifts his followers from a pit of despair so that they can build up the necessary confidence to go on and win great victories. Where are those men and women who will take up this important prophetic example?
A simple refocusing of our thinking unto the positive and away from the negative will re-energize us to achieve even greater things in the future so that no matter what the circumstances we encounter our hearts will always be filled with hope and not burdened down with despair. And "truly no one despairs of Allah's soothing mercy, except those who have no faith." (Surah Yusuf: 87)