Bihar Anjuman believes in self-help rather than charity

A Collection of Useful Articles

Dawah: Are We Wasting Our Precious Resources on It? [Part-1]

by Shakeel Ahmad

I worked for about four years in the tribal regions of Singhbhum and Dumka (both in Jharkhand state now), where I received the biggest surprises of my life - fortunately, at a young age of twenty-five. I had firm belief that Islam is the best religion, and there could be no fault in it; therefore, this has to be the best guide for the humanity. I came across a vast tribal population that had been baptized into Christianity. In trying to know the cause of this mass conversion of the tribal Hindus into Christianity, I found numerous Christian missionaries penetrating all parts of this region infested with dense forests and dreaded animals of all sorts. Christian missionaries had established schools to make the tribal people literate, and get them into the mainstream of education and employment. Every such establishment was backed by a health clinic and a church. My surprise was the complete absence of any Islamic establishment to impart either the mainstream education to this population or to provide any healthcare, leave aside the spiritual care. My biggest surprise was the existence of Christian missionaries near Dumka, where leprosy patients were being provided with the best possible care by Christians from around the world. This area is ill-famed for leprosy; therefore, no sane person would ever dare to live in this region. But, I wonder what inspired the Christian missionaries to throng the area and take care of the people's needs most sincerely. Interestingly, even the local government establishments would simply transfer their funds and responsibilities to these missionaries. I did not come across a single Muslim organization in the region serving the most important needs of the people. No wonders then, the people loved to baptize themselves voluntarily, and the population of Christians was growing very fast. Counter-missionaries, backed by their schools and clinics (which received funds from the government as well) started by Banbasi Kendras (an affiliate of RSS) had been successful in reducing the pace of mass-conversions into Christianity.

Unfortunately, I did not notice a single Muslim organization involved in welfare activities in this region, although I had firm faith in the fact that Islam urges every Muslim to indulge in a race with fellow Muslims in doing good deeds (Quran, 5:48). Have Muslims lost this race, as well, to others, who had no obligations helping the human race? True that Muslims are not ready to help the lepers, the deprived masses in the tribal regions infested with dreaded wild animals; what about the Muslims elsewhere? How many charitable hospitals do we have in cities crowded with Christians and Hindus (Jains and Marwaris included), or medical centers of repute, for that matter? How many centers of modern quality education do Muslims own where "others" make a beeline for admission?

The "others" cause all the misery that comes our way - that's what our community believes - whereas, this is a community supposed to teach everyone the truth (Dawah) that nobody can cause even slightest of misery to anyone else against Allah's wishes, and that Allah is with the good-doers (Muhsinoon, the righteous, e.g., Quran, 16:128, 29:69), Muttaqun (pious, 2:194, 9:36, 9:123, 16:128), the momineen (believers, 8:19), and the sabireen (striving in Allah's path, with patience and perseverance – e.g., Quran, 2:153, 2:249, 3;146, 8:46, 8:66, ). How do "others" succeed in their designs against those with whom Allah Himself is so closely associated [with the good-doers, the pious, the believers, the patient, and with Muslims (e.g., Quran 9:40, 47:35)]? Why is our Dawah ineffective, and that of "others" effective?

Dawah is an essential responsibility on every Muslim; there cannot be any dispute with respect to commandments of Allah, contained in various verses of Quran, such as, 3:104, 3:110, 12:108, 16:125, 41:33, and 103:1-3 etc, to invite people to the path of Allah's deen (the way of life – more than mere religion). Not indulging in Dawah may even be a sin, as Allah curses those who hide knowledge (Quran, 2:159) – this may be to kill the Brahminism at its root (Brahmins among Hindus, and the Jews in the era of Jahliyah, would hold the knowledge to themselves so that they could force everyone else to turn to them for every religious matter – this was intended to hold onto the reins of power as well as to earn a good living out of the knowledge they held). Appointed to lead the world (Quran, 2:143, 3:110, 22:78, etc), not making best efforts in spreading the deen of Allah may be construed as shirking away from the most important responsibility that a leader has.

Dawah is an individual responsibility of every Muslim, as well as a group responsibility of the entire Muslim community. All the prophets were sent to this earth for this purpose, so all of their authentic sayings would surely be meant to invite the people to the ways of Allah and guide the humanity. Thus, every collection of Ahadees would surely urge people of knowledge to spread the knowledge, individually as well as collectively (e.g. Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet said, "Convey (my teachings) to the people even if it were a single sentence,…” - Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 667). There can be no doubt that all the sahabahs (companions of the Prophet Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him) performed Dawah, the most important responsibility that has been transmitted to us through the generations that followed.

Returning to the initial question – Is there a Muslim organization involved in welfare activities, even one-hundredth in size of the Missionaries of Charity, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or the Red Cross Society? We are hardly doing any welfare activities (good deeds) in an organized manner – liberating people from debt or slavery (bonded labor), helping the widows or nursing the sick and the old (any old-age homes, anywhere?), or maybe helping the poor get educated or earn a living? Yes, we all do our little bit individually, but, is it really organized the way it should be? What do we do with our zakat money, which we are supposed to spend in eight areas as directed by the Almighty in Quran (9:60)? Has any other community been commanded to follow a mechanism as good as this? Still, why is everyone else doing better than us (Sachar committee's report says Muslims are now worse than the Dalits)? Even the one activity in which our presence can be seen everywhere (Dawah), is not effective! If we focus most of our energy on just one activity, why are we so ineffective?.

Is it because we do not pray? Or, is it because we do not pray the way our prophet (Sallallah-o-Wasallam) used to pray? Is it that we lack the khushoo' and khuzoo' in our prayers? What do you think? 

Write to bakhabar@biharanjuman.org

[Part-2]  [Part-3]  [Part-4]  [Part-5]

 

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