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| Social Function of Religion
& Prophet as Social Reformer Wahida Valiante Our children are about to face a potentially dangerous time as America widens its war under the guise of fighting terrorism at home and abroad. Muslims in North America are being subjected to ethnic and racial profiling, resulting in intimidation and harassment which disrupt family life and the working environment, as well as causing insecurity, anxiety, fear and disempowerment within the Muslim community. The media is also doing its part in fomenting hate against Muslims, through overly sensational and accusatory reporting about Islam and Muslims. Prior to Sept 11th 2001, two extraordinary events -- the occupation of Palestinian land by Israeli forces in 1967, and the Iranian revolution of 1979 -- had already changed the political dynamics between the Muslim world and the United States, culminating in the Western media's current onslaught against Muslims and Islam. Since then, descriptions of Islam as "a violent ideology" and its adherents as "terrorists" have became all too frequent and common, in the print and broadcast news media, as well as in the Hollywood film industry. This bias has formed public opinion and perceptions, leading to new anti-terrorism laws that are being used explicitly against Muslims. Since Sept. 11th things have gone from bad to worse, and this has had a profound effect on our collective sense of self, not only as Muslims, but also as Canadians and Americans. Now, in addition to the daily struggle of living our lives as ordinary Canadians, we must also defend our religion, our self-identity and even our citizenship. Therefore, for Muslims, social and political activism has now become a matter of urgency and survival. How can we deal with these urgent issues? In the past, Muslims under colonization did not lose their religion entirely, but they did lose touch with the core essence of it -- social activism, the pursuit of justice, equality, human rights, and intellectual discourse (in Arabic, called "ijtihad"). One glaring casualty of intellectual neglect has been Muslims' ability to inculcate and apply Islamic social values in their daily lives and in their public dealings with world problems. In this light, we must reexamine our roles, both as citizens of this country and as vicegerents (men and women alike) of Allah, each of whom is called to be "a trustee of free personality or free will, under moral obligation to change him/herself, society, and the larger environment, to create a morally and ethically balanced self and a just society." The Qur'an casts a wide net concerning our social and moral obligations, and these can only be fulfilled if we are actively engaged in the process of creating a just society in a just world. We, who live in Canada, are citizens of the most advanced and most privileged part of the world. These privileges -- coupled with our commitment to Islam and interest in the fate of Muslims here and abroad -- bring extraordinary responsibilities and challenges. Unlike most of us who are so privileged, the majority of humans on planet earth live in desperate and miserable circumstances; poverty, war, violence, famine, hunger, oppression, brutal occupation, racism, lack of human rights, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and so on. It is our moral obligation to struggle (Jihad) against these circumstances, in order to create a better world. Thus it is with these responsibilities and this new political situation in mind, that I have chosen to address the issue of social activism as stated in the Qur'an, and as practiced by the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Most of all, I want to speak with you about the subject I personally know best and in which I have first-hand experience -- "social and political activism," which was instilled in me by my mother, who was a teacher and a scholar, and nurtured by my years of volunteer work. It is based on three key concepts found in the Qur'an. 1. THE QUR'AN AS GUIDANCE TO HUMANITY: "A Book we have revealed unto you, Prophet Muhammad, in order that you might lead humankind out of the depths of darkness into light... Indeed, its simple directions for human conduct are plain and easy to understand and act upon." (14:1) The Qur'an distinguishes between passive believers and those (both men and women) who strive -- actively in promoting social and economic justice -- in the cause of Allah, by pointing out that while all believers are promised good, the latter, however, will be exalted above the others. The Qur'an also puts great emphasis on the right to seek justice and the duty to do justice. In this concept of justice, the Qur'an uses two concepts, "adil" (justice) and "ihsan" (ethics of doing good). Both are enjoined and are related to the idea of balance. "Ihsan" literally means "restoring balance by making up a loss or deficiency." Ihsan thus demonstrates Allah's concern for the well-being of all creation -- the poor, orphans, slaves, women, children, the oppressed; and victims of war, occupation, ethnic hatred, slander, and psychological and emotional abuse. 2. THE PROPHET (PBUH) AS A ROLE MODEL AND SOCIAL REFORMER: When asked by the Negus of Abyssinia to describe the message of the Qur'an and the teachings of its founder, Jafar Tayyar did not say that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) performed miracles, or that he devoted most of his time to meditation, prayer and fasting, or performing rituals. All he said was that "the Meccans were an ignorant folk who worshipped idols, tormented their neighbors, inflicted cruelty on others, and the powerful rode roughshod over the rights of the powerless, denied orphans their rights to inheritance, kept slaves, buried their infant girls alive, and denied the poor their rights to the wealth of the country, till a man appeared among them... who taught them to give up idol worship, speak the truth, stop shedding each other's blood, refrain from misappropriating the belongings of orphans, look after the comforts of neighbours and the poor, not kill female infants, and encouraged them to free their slaves." The Qur'an affirms that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was not only sent "to recite to the unlettered people the Divine revelations and teach them the scripture and wisdom, but also to cleanse them (tazkia)." (62:2-3) You (men and women) have a good example in Allah's Messenger, for all whose hope is in Allah and in the Final Day, and who remember Allah frequently." (33:21) 3. VICEGERENCY: The concept of vicegerency is unique to Islam. It is an active state that demands the reconstruction of social life in the light of ultimate principles of justice and equality; it is also race, gender, and class neutral. The exclusion of women from full participation in human affairs is not in sync with the Qur'anic concept of "jihad," that requires all human beings to struggle (jihad) against oneself and others, to manifest spiritual reality through actions and deeds. At present, our community is basically functioning on 50% of human energy instead of 100%, because we exclude women from the decision-making processes and thus deny them full participation in developing strategies to deal with social and political issues of importance. The Qur'an reminds us that "the condition of the people will not change unless they change their thinking and behavior," and it has not excluded women from this Jihad of self-reflection and jihad (struggle) for justice and peace. Excerpts from a talk given in March 2002 at the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario About the author: |