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| Letter From The Public: If you want to celebrate the Prophets PBUH feed the poor! |
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| Wednesday, 02 April 2008 | |
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I thought that I'd be a silent observer on this one (in case the word 'wahabi' was thrown around, but I felt compelled to comment. 1) When Muslims go out out of their way to 'celebrate' the Prophets Birthday, in Public Streets, then the same Muslims should also go out to 'demonstrate' the values that the Prophet Preached. This means calling for justice, peace, equality, condemn terrorism, etc. Otherwise, such Muslims are paying lip-service to the Noble Prophet. So, as MPAC suggests, where are these Prophet-loving Muslims when their Brothers/Sisters in Palestine, Iraq, Afghan, etc are being killed. Where are the demonstrations for them ?
If you love Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), SHOW IT by following what he (PBUH) believed in and stood up for. 2) One Celebrates the Prophets Birthday NOT by celebrating his praises on a single day in a year but by celebrating his noble deeds and implementing his sunnah every month, every week, every day, every hour, minute, second of your (pitiful) existence.
If you think love for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is expressed by celebrating his Birthday on a particular To do this, we Muslims become no different to the Christians who celebrate the birth of the Son of Mary (Prophet Jesus - AS) one day in a year and then for the rest of the 364 days, they forget about what Prophet Jesus taught them. Celebration of the Prophets Birthday is not down to who celebrates it on the (disputed) Brithday, but who implements his sunnah in every aspects of this life. That is why the HADITHS never tell stories of the Companions celebrating the Prophets Birthday because by implementing the sunnah everyday, they were inevitably celebrating the Prophets Birthday EVERY DAY. AS A RESULT, they did not need to celebrate it ONCE every year as they did it ALWAYS. But we Muslims, who do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING throughout the year THINK THAT SOMEHOW just by celebrating the Birthday on ONE DAY IN A YEAR, then we 'love' the Prophet. Give me a break.
As for the celebration itself : FACT. Trace History, then you will see that Prophet Muhammad's Birthday was So, initially the whole ummah was united in NOT Celebrating the Prophets Birthday. What we do today is nothing short of 'innovation' that we have introduced to satisfy our beliefs that we must celebrate the Prophets Birthday. 3) I object to Mosques being decorated, lavish meals being given on Prophets Birthday (as they do so in Pakistan). What is the point of such a celebration when the poor and needy go hungry in Pakistan ? If we Muslims must 'celebrate' the Prophets Birthday then do as the Prophet and his Companions would have done. That is : Feed to poor and destitute. Be friendly to neighbours, etc. NOT to decorate the Mosques, do fireworks, have mixed-sexed meetings and lavish meals, while the hungry starve. 4) SUFISM, if practiced correctly is a way to cleanse your inner soul. All 'sects' of Muslims can be SUFIS too. Yes, even Wahabis can be SUFIs. BUT, there is a right way of doing this and a wrong way. Dancing in circles, visiting graves and asking for the deceased to help you, is NOT the way. If you cannot see the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his Companions doing what some modern-day SUFIs do then chances are it is wrong. Any SUFI practice must adhere to Sunnah, otherwise it is an introduction AFTER the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH). Wasalaams and Regards Sultan (Oxford) What do you think about this? Do you agree with the brother? Have your say, right here on Britain's Biggest Muslim Website.           Readers have left 14 comments.
David:
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This waffle sums up for me a lot of, but not all, what is morally lacking in islam - namely that you are only concerned with the fate of other muslims, not with the entire of humanity. You talk about protecting, aiding muslims in need, and not all people. Only starving muslims, not starving people
That is why islam should be allowed to wither and die like the primitive ethical system it is. It is not worthy of survival.
(1)
2008-04-02 07:57:36
shamsur:
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Alhamdulillah,
The brother is right. Why make innovation? It is haram, but some muslims cannot accept that this is bidah. I myself follow the Qur'an and Sunnah in my practice as a muslim and there are some who may brand me Wahhabbi. Its pathetic. People need to read and gain knowledge thoroughly and understand The Teachings of the Qur'an and the prophets Hadith in order to know right from wrong. Why not follow the Prophet SAW's actions rather than congregate in vast numbers and chant peotry?
(2)
2008-04-02 10:49:47
M Chauhdry:
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The author notes a very good point about practically celebrating the values that the Prophet PBUH preached to make them meaningful, rather than only paying lip service and setting up wasteful lavish extravagances which seems to happen in Mawlid celebrations.
Sadly however, the brother then launches into advocating a literalist interpretation of Islam, campaigning the invalidity of Mawlid celebrations as though they are akin to a cardinal sin and the most divisive issue facing Muslims today. Whereas the real problem is precisely this sort of archaic mindset, that ignores scholarly and historical context in the development of Muslim society. F Y I - holding these celebrations on a particular day and wider surfacing of various other traditions termed “innovations” by some during the same era or “after several hundred years later “, was due to the fact that after the passing of early generations the colossal developments and advancements in Islamic social order lead to a drift towards more worldly aspirations, and away from the way of life when Muslims practiced less and less in their daily lives the values that the Prophet PBHU taught – very much like today! So lest the memories of Muslims completely faded, as education and being able to read if anything was available to read was limited to a very few, traditions like the Mawlid celebrations naturally emerged where at least once in a while the masses could gather to learn from the narrations about their pious forefathers - what a very bad innovation? Just as then celebrations like the Mawlid are the only few times when many lost souls like me learn about their heritage, and that we actually have something to celebrate against all the grim realities we face today. Hence the debate should focus on the manner of these celebrations rather than stripping Islam down to a soulless cult full of zombie like rituals.
(3)
2008-04-02 12:23:41
shamsur:
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To David: Islam is for the whole of mankind David if you didn't already know.... But people like you will always pick on anything to degrade islam and wish it to wither away the way your religion is withering away and you have no control over it, on the other hand islam is growing every day and soon the two billion Muslims worldwide (rough estimate)an ex CIA director stated as being the sole aim of the war on terror and not Al-Qaida will of course turn to 10 may be 20 billion. Will you than wither away or will it be the growing number of churches and synogogues which are closing down every week in the UK?
(4)
2008-04-02 12:46:14
Sultan (Oxford):
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This waffle sums up for me a lot of, but not all, what is morally lacking in islam - namely that you are only concerned with the fate of other muslims, not with the entire of humanity. You talk about protecting, aiding muslims in need, and not all people. Only starving muslims, not starving people — DavidThat is why islam should be allowed to wither and die like the primitive ethical system it is. It is not worthy of survival. David, this 'waffle' was directed to those brothers/sisters who are quite eager to Celebrate the Prophet's Birthday and make a public show of it, but when their support is needed for other issues affecting Muslims both here in the UK and elsewhere, then the same brothers/sisters are (worryingly) absent. The point being that if one loves an individual and you are not afraid to proclaim it then one should love and standup for what that individual stood for. Feeding the fellow poor Muslims was an example in my response. Had this been a topic on feeding the poor in general (Muslims or non-Muslims), then my comments would have been that we should feed and help the needy IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR RELIGION. Because, after all, they are our fellow human beings in need. Islam is not about Muslims only. Sometimes, one needs to make a specific point in order to make fellow Muslims think. True Islam is about caring and respecting fellow humans, and the world we live in. I hope this is clear. Regards
(5)
2008-04-02 12:48:36
Sultan (Oxford):
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...Hence the debate should focus on the manner of these celebrations rather than stripping Islam down to a soulless cult full of zombie like rituals. — M ChauhdryAssalaam walaikum brother (and all). I'm not against celebrating the Prophet's Birthday (per say). If we celebrate our childrens birthday, or birthday of a Country, then since the Prophet is more loving to a Muslim then I can understand why some Muslims feel the desire to celebrate it. What I am against is the manner of such Celebrations and how some Muslims feel that anyone who does not celebrate such an occassion is somehow 'not a true Muslim'. As my post states, one really celebrates the Prophets Birthday by following his sunnah every day. When one does this, when the Prophets sunnah is built into oneself, then there is no need for a birthday celebration as you are celebrating him everyday. I hope you agree. I also agree that we Muslims (of today) are not a pious as our predecessors due to different types of distractions. In this instance, I do believe reserving a day to 'celebrate' the Prophets life is a good-way of invigorating ones belief (even though the Companions did not do it - see above). BUT such celebrations should not violate what the Prophet Preached and should not be done for 'show and riches'. So, I object to the type of celebrations that fellow Muslims do back home. How can one celebrate the Prophets Birthday in this manner when you have fellow Muslims starving next door. If Muslims do not wish to celebrate the Prophets Birthday on the grounds that the Companions did not do it (via HADITHS) then that is fine. Their "love" is expressed by not doing the things that the Prophet or his Companions did not do. If Muslims wish to Celebrate the Birthday (even though there is no authentic source) and they do so because otherwise they have no means of invigorating their beliefs then do so, but such celebrations should be restricted to narrations of the life of the Prophet, Durood, help the poor rather than Lighting up Mosques, lavish meals, etc, etc. Otherwise, we will reduce the Memory of the Prophet into that of Prophet Jesus, where materialistic things are used to celebrate the Birthday and nothing else. I hope this clarifies my stance. Wasalaam
(6)
2008-04-02 13:10:54
K. Urban:
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Perhaps the self-opinionated David would like to reveal in an article what he knows of his own religion, and what he knows of ours, other than what he has perhaps read in the Sun.
We look forward to a quick and lengthy response.
(7)
2008-04-02 20:51:53
Islamic Torch:
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When was the last time someone came to your door and told you what to wear and what to eat?
How you practise Islam is upto you - but don't judge others - amongst them there maybe those who give with the left hand to the right hand and neither knows how much was given... And are you not the Sultan who was commenting in another section of MPACUK - about your taxes - and how you loathe those receive state benefits... and here you are preaching what you yourself was criticising ......
(8)
2008-04-02 22:24:54
shan:
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I have read the article a few times but cannot see,in which section it states muslims to feed only muslim and be good only to muslim neighbours.
it seems hate has made david blind that he sees words that are not there,the words are we muslims need to help the destitute and be good to neigbours.
(9)
2008-04-03 16:44:59
David:
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Dear K Urban,
since you ask, I am an atheist. And I really do believe that humanist atheist morals and ethics are of a higher order than any offered by judaism, christianity or islam. It's best, in my opinion, for mankind to let all of the horrid sky pixie religions die out. regards
(10)
2008-04-03 16:57:10
Nas:
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"How you practise Islam is upto you - but don't judge others"
Isn't that the same justification used to silent critics that has lead the christians down the road to godlessness and innovation?
(11)
2008-04-03 18:26:02
K. Urban:
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To David
You wrote that you believe that your ethics and morals are of a higher order.... Where was the equality in your ethics when you singled out Islam for your atack? It would seems to me that you were putting the boot into Islam and joining the other bullies. I respect your atheist beliefs and you. Respect our beliefs, but learn more about them before attacking us blindly.
(12)
2008-04-03 20:51:45
F. Ewell of CAMBRIDGE:
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David
I do agree with you that Sultan does gas a lot. His nicey nicey waffle is old sense but has been poured out by Mullahs for decades, and has not done much to teach Muslims to deal with the harsh realities that they face today. MPACUK seems to indulge him and call him ''respected'' perhaps because he puts ''Oxford'' after his name and use PBUH rather a lot.
(13)
2008-04-03 21:10:34
Sultan(Oxford):
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David — F. Ewell of CAMBRIDGEI do agree with you that Sultan does gas a lot. His nicey nicey waffle is old sense but has been poured out by Mullahs for decades, and has not done much to teach Muslims to deal with the harsh realities that they face today. MPACUK seems to indulge him and call him ''respected'' perhaps because he puts ''Oxford'' after his name and use PBUH rather a lot. Funny. I don't seem to recall eating Baked Beans lately ? I do know the harsh realities facing Muslims. But I am no longer prepared to keep my head buried in the sand and pretend everything with Muslims is alright. Not when I get branded with the same stick as the ignorants or uneducated amongst us who by their very 'culture' are tarnishing what a good Muslim and Islam stands for. As for OXFORD, well that's where I'm based but I do have a degree and I'm a professional at something probably too technical for you to grasp. Hence, Sultan(OXFORD) or would you rather I was Sultan(POINTLESS MUSLIM RUNNING AROUND THINKING HE IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE). Regards
(14)
2008-04-04 16:47:56
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This is from a respected brother who posted on the MPACUK website named Sultan, here he advocates why he believes the Prophet's birthday should be celebrated by feeding the poor.
