The photo challenge - Day 19 - A picture and a letter


To whom it may concern.

I write to you today about somthing I have thought about alot.

Islam is a wonderful religion. But it is divided into several parts. I can see it here in the blogosphere, this division among Muslims and I encounter it in discussions with friends (who are Muslims). I guess that's obviously what I mean when I say that religion is divided, I mean primarily the Sunni and Shia. 

I hate this division and I get sad when I hear a Sunni Muslim, speak ill of a Shiite Muslim and vice versa. We are all Muslims who seek Allah's forgiveness and mercy. Who is to judge a fellow Muslim? I? You? No. The only one that should judge any of us and judge what is in our hearts is Allah.  

The quran says:
But who, for a people whose faith is assured, can give better judgment than Allah? (5:50)

There is so much misunderstanding among Muslims, between Shiites and Sunnis. I have heard a lot of strange things from and about both sides. Much is hearsay and is not based on facts. Sometimes a given source is very unreliable. In today's world with this extreme outflow of information, you must be very critical of the information you find. Often  at times, not just one source. You may need several sources to really be sure that it is true. In the quran there are many references to knowledge. As a Muslim you should seek knowledge and not just listen to what other people tell you.
 
Read! In the name of your Lord WHO created - Created the human from something Which clings. Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful - He Who Taught (the use of) the Pen, Taught the humanThat Which He Knew note.
[96:1-5]

He [Allah] grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is granted indeed receives a benefit overflowing. But none will grasp the Message except men of understanding. [2:269]

High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth. Do not be in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to you is completed, but say, "O my Sustainer! Increase my knowledge." [20:114] 

...Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with   understanding that remember (Allah's Message).  [39:9]

 ...Allah will raise up to (suitable) ranks (and degrees) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge. [58:11]

The first thing Allah say to angel Gabriel was: READ!

There is a saying that "Freedom Shall set us free" but in Islam it is rather "Knowledge Shall Set us Free"
 
To have knowledge is the only way to liberate ourselves from ignorance, and there is much ignorance today and ignorance can lead to dangerous roads. There are great ignorance everywhere in the world.  There are many people who can not read or where the quran may be available only in Arabic and then for that reason can not read it. In these places, people are dependent on other people's interpretations. And then there are people who are just lazy. Ignorance can be found everywhere.  
This can lead to many bad things.

One example of ignorace could be the circumcision of girls.  (some say it is sunnah) This is a very debated subject. But since I am not very informed on the subject at hand I will not get into it in this post and if you want to know more about it I suggest you go out and seek the info about it.

But honestly, this is a very extreme example, but you might understand what I mean. By failing to seek knowledge there can be a lot of information that is incorrect spread and poison people's thoughts

Is it not fit'-nah for a muslim to speak badly about other muslims?  Maybe someone would say NO on the grounds that sunni or shia is not really muslims but I would say that since we (muslims/humans) are not to judge eachother it is not up to any of us to say such a thing about another muslim.

I am not even sure this is a message will be understood for what it is. I am not trying to say anything badly about anyone. The only thing I want to say with this post is:
WE ARE ALL MUSLIMS AND WE SHOULD RESPECT AND LOVE EACHOTHER NOT HATE EACHOTHER! 

SPREAD THE LOVE AND NOT THE HATE. 

I will tell you something I heard on TV the other day:
Shia and sunni are like a coin there are two sides of the coin but the coin is still just one. One coin with two sides. The two sides are united as one. And Allah is the one who will judge us on our last day on earth.

I wrote this to you, whom it may concern but pleace try to see that this is a message of peace and love for all my muslim brothers and sisters shia and sunni alike!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

2 Lovley thoughts:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you on this subject! Who are we to judge!?! :-/ It's so sad. I am Shiaa because my husband is - and I followed - and when I go to the mosque, where I live, I am afraid to pray, like I do at home, because the Sunni-sisters look strangely at me and I feel that they judge me in a bad way then :-/ It's really a sad thing, when we're just all seeking and worshipping Allah (swt).
Thanks for this great post, masha'Allah.

*Muslim mama* said...

Rose water: Yes so is my husband and I guess me too, but I have never thought much of it really coz I just see myself as muslim. LoL But I have the same feeling when I go to the local mosque