The Quran teaches submission, unconditional obedience and worship of the Divine will, how good are you on this measure? Our society is characterised by individualism and freedom of choice, the two most precious values of modern society and the hallmarks of a consumer society. What are the limits of individualism and freedom of choice? For a Muslim, the boundary is you cannot mould the teachings of Islam to your individual tastes. The orders of Allah and the practices of the beloved Messenger (peace be upon him) must be obeyed unconditionally as they are.
The Majestic Quran teaches us “Allah will redeem and give great reward to Muslim men and women, the believing men and women, obedient men women, truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, charitable men and women, fasting men and women, chaste men and women, those men and women who remember Allah a lot. When Allah and His messenger have decided a matter then believing men women cannot have free choice in their matter, whoever disobeys Allah, and his messenger will go far astray” (Al-Ahzab: 35-36).
This passage makes two important points about faith and real life:
- According to Ibn Kathir this verse was revealed when some women complained that they were not mentioned in Quran. The Quran is a great advocate of equality, respect and highlights the responsibilities of women and men in society. The verse presents the moral, spiritual and religious equality of men and women. “Men have a share of what they have earned, and women have a share of what they have earned” (An-Nisa: 32). This verse is a word portrait of the people of Allah, they have surrendered, believed and have become worshipful, their truthfulness patience and humility are the cornerstone of their strong character, giving charity and fasting are their religious practices. This makes them chaste, sexually pure, modest and protected from indecency. Finally, they continuously remember the Lord.
- This verse explains the nature of the believers and those who have these 10 qualities will naturally obey every Divine commandment and follow every sunnah of the beloved master Muhammad (peace be upon him). Can you identify the 10 qualities of the true believing men and women mention in this verse? That’s your homework.
In a consumer society you can pick and choose, but to adopt this attitude in our religion spells trouble. We have our preferences and style of choices about how Islam should be – just ask any mufti – we would love things to be the way we like them. This individualism and consumerism have been exacerbated by the pandemic. We must give this up and stop being the customer who demands that things are always done to their liking. Remember when it comes to Islam there is only one commander, Allahu Akbar!
Invitation to study with me
I have recently written a small ebook titled ‘The Key to understanding the Quran‘. This brief guide will teach you the excellence and virtues of studying the Quran; relevant knowledge that will help you connect with the Quran in a fresh way; the major themes of the Quran: the amazing ring structure of the Surahs; emphasising that the Quran is for understanding, experiencing the Divine love and applying its orders and guidance. You can download it from Amazon’s Kindle platform.
I will be teaching this book on the 8th and 9th of January 2022 on a LIVE 2-day course, so please join me. I invite you to register for this wonderful course. To register, click HERE.
