Belief

Belief, makes a person into a true human being, indeed, it makes that person superior to other creatures, living beings. True belief in Islam, which is iman, literally means trust and safety. A person who has faith means a person who is safe and whom you can trust and be safe from.  Accordingly, such a person will be respected and appreciated by the society he or she lives in, and hence that person will be elevated in the hearts of the people and in the eyes of the Almighty.

Imagine a house and a guest in it. The guest will be honored by the host and will be treated as the most beloved within that house, on the conditions that he/she acknowledges the host and his ownership of the house, and does not damage it. If the guest offends, hörts  and harms the other household, the host will not be pleased with the guest. The guest will be appreciated and praised if he/she recognizes the responsibilities for being a guest. Otherwise, the consequences will be very unpleasant or dire. Not only will the guest be rude but also the household will lose their ease of mind, comfort and peace.

Just as the guest our situation is the same in this world. Since the first days of the habitation of this world, faithful people have been, ceaseslesly trying to make this world, a better and peaceful place for all to live.

Dear Brothers, remember the story of Cane and Abel, the two sons of  Prophet Adam (PBUH). the Quran explains this story beautifully. In chapter 5, God Almighty says:

5.27. Narrate to them (O Messenger) in truth the exemplary experience of the two sons of Adam, when they each offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them only, and not accepted from the other. “I will surely kill you,” said (the one whose sacrifice was not accepted). “God accepts only from the sincere and truly pious,” said the other.
5.28. “Yet, if you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, I will not stretch out my hand against you to kill you. Surely I respect, (acknowledge, and have full trust and belief in) God, the Lord of the worlds.

Clearly, this verse shows, how faith changes the attidutes of a person, any person.

God Almighty mentions about Prophet Moses (pbuh) in many places and times in the Quran. Moses (pbuh) endured to oppression by his and other people patiently.

and Prophet Jeseus pbuh who worked to establish peace and the true love that God will be pleased with,  in his community. For this reaason, God Almighty says about Jesus pbuh:

19.15. So peace be upon him on the day he was born and the day of his death, and the day when he will be raised to life.

And, Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) who is sent to bring back the humanity on the right path of love, peace and tolerance again, representing all these faithful people, addressed the importance of this issue in many of his sayings. Lets just have a look at one.

“The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other believers are safe. The emigrant is one who abandons those things God has prohibited” (this saying is from Al-Bukhari).

So, in our case, I take this as follows: the emigrant is not the one who changes his/her land to live for a green card, the emigrant which is blessed by God Almighty is the one who abandons those things God has prohibited, because of also having a green card.

Let’s go back to the same hadith:

Here the presence of the definite article ‘al-‘ (translated as “the”) before Muslim is significant. This Arabic grammatical rule is used to indicate the item’s highest and most perfect condition. So when “the Muslim” is said, the first thing that comes to mind should be the most perfect meaning of Muslim, and that is what is meant in the hadith here.

True Muslims are people of safety and trust, so much so that, other believers can turn their backs on them without doubt or suspicion. They can entrust anything to such people without fear and apprehension, for that person will be absolutely safe from the Muslims’ hand or tongue. If they attend a gathering together, the person can leave in full confidence that no one will gossip about him or her, and neither will he or she have to listen to gossip about others. Such Muslims are as sensitive to the dignity and honor of other people as they are to their own. They do not think of themselves first. They think, act and live for others first, They do not eat; they feed the poor and needy. They do not live selfishly; they enable others to live. They will even sacrifice spiritual pleasure for others’ goodness and welfare.

Why were the hand and tongue mentioned by Muhammed (pbuh)? Of course there are many subtle points related to this choice. A person can harm someone in two ways: either directly or indirectly. The hand is used for direct attack and the tongue attacks indirectly thru gossip and ridicule. True Muslims will never engage in such activities because they always act justly and generously.

Another important moral dimension of Islam is, that Muslims keep at bay things, that will harm others, whether physically or spiritually, and that they do their best not to harm others. Muslim must represent safety and security. Muslims are true Muslims to the extent that they carry within themselves a feeling of safety. Wherever they are or live they should act for and wish peace for all. They greet others by saying, “Peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.” They adorn their lives and prayers with greetings, peace and safety, for all believers.

I conclude, saying: be the True Muslims God is asking from you to be. Be the most trustworthy representatives of universal peace. Travel everywhere with this sublime feeling. Contrary to giving difficulties and suffering, be as those who are remembered everywhere as symbols of safety and security. Remember that there is no difference between a physical (direct) or a verbal (indirect) violation of someone’s rights. In fact, in some cases Islam considers the latter to be a greater crime than the former.

I ask the Almighty Creator to make us the true representatives of His peace and faith in Him, so that we may all live in peace.