Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Idealism: The Importance of Bricks |
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| jannah |
| 02/07/01 at 00:22:56 |
| Idealism: The Importance of Bricks (From chapter 5 of "For Heaven's Sake" by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood) All the time I am alive I am developing my own backbone. Sometimes I feel there is no point in trying, because I am so small and unimportant that nothing I do will ever matter. But I realize that is quite wrong. It *does* matter. Allah doesn't care whether I am little or weak or of no importance in the world. He knows all about that. What matters to Allah is what I *do* with myself. And if I join with others who are of like mind, by His grace I may no longer be little and weak. "How many a little band has overcome a great band by Allah's leave. And Allah is with the steadfast." (Surah 2:249) Remember, if you are in total darkness and you strike a match, it is only a little flame, but it breaks through and sheds light. And if there are thousands of us with matches making little flames, then how great is the light. We are like bricks for Allah - bricks, as you know, are boring little non-entities made out of mud - but a wall cannot be made without them. Even the Great Wall of China was put there brick by brick. Although we cannot realize our own importance to Allah or fully know His will for us, we are the bricks of which the Muslim community is made, and every one of us has a place. Take that brick away - there is a gaping hole. ... Muslims have a massive task - to promote values for as long as we live; to strive to overcome evil, oppression, racism, corruption, misery and replace these with justice, truth, harmony, brotherhood and compassion. It is no good waiting for our elders and betters to do this for us - they are becoming older and waiting for us to grow up and take over. The moment we realize the existence of Allah, then the responsibility to become His khilafah is ours. ... There is a lot of work to be done, and once I have been granted taqwa, I can no longer sit there and wait for someone else to do it. ... One of the most important contributions made to humanity by young people is their powerful sense of right and wrong, of fairness, justice and injustice. They are not bogged down by complications of politics and vested interests. They often see straight into the heart of the matter. And what they see is not always comfortable or acceptable to a lazy and cynical older generation. As I grow older, my family, friends, work, my situation, and above all, my appetites for power, position and accumulation of things, will all grind away to tear down my values - but if I am truly Muslim I will stand firm and not compromise those things over which I do not have control. "And the ones who strive for Us, We will definitely guide them in Our path. And truly, Allah is definitely with those who act with ihsaan." "And that there is nothing for man except that which he has striven for' and that his endeavor will be seen; then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense; and that to your Lord is the ultimate end." (Surah 53:39-42) |
| NS |
| Re: Idealism: The Importance of Bricks |
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| Asim |
| 02/07/01 at 00:36:55 |
| Assalaamu alaikum, very well said, mashallah. The challenge is to internalize the message! Jannah, you gonna overwhelm us with all these nice posts! You just discovered a stash of them lying somewhere? |
| Re: Idealism: The Importance of Bricks |
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| jannah |
| 02/07/01 at 00:46:27 |
| Asim I gots 3 major accounts and they all have 100+ in their articles folders!!!!!! I try to post all the short one's here that I can the really big one's , inshallah one day (when i have some time) (famous last words...) i'll add to the website. |
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