The Islam Way: How to change the world

when will all this turmoil stop?

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatu,

The billion dollar question that we ask ourselves each and every day. How to change the world...
How do we change this sad, weak, dying world?

Lately all I have been seeing around the social networking scene are statuses about Gaza, heartbreaking photos of martyrs, and hash tags. This is not news to me nor is it news to you. Corruption in this pathetic world has been circulating like some kind of permanent recycling program. It seems to never end and somewhere in every part of the world you will find violence, oppression, and hatred. There is no denying that we all feel helpless when we see photo's of children as young as an infant being martyred and weeping mothers holding their martyred son to their chest. We all feel sad because we can't do anything so we spread the word and re-tweet, re-share, and re-post anything that we think will let the world know how we feel. This is the least that we can do. We tell our Muslim sisters to make duaa for all our oppressed brothers and sisters and this is the only thing we think we can do. But is it? Can we do more than just tell the world to make duaa? Is it sufficient enough to just sit behind the computer screen and feel that pinch in our hearts when we see our own sisters in Islam dying for the sake of Allah? Is it sufficient enough for us to express our frustration and sadness through posts on Facebook and Twitter with caps locks and exclamation marks? Is it sufficient enough for us to blog about it?

Surely some sisters may say "yes, it is sufficient enough because we can't fly to Gaza, Syria, Palestine, Somali, Burma (and any other oppressed country) to fight." or "Yes it is sufficient enough because ( _insert excuse here_) but I disagree with those who think duaa is sufficient enough for our drying, oppressed, brothers and sisters in Islam. Of course duaa heals all wounds and cures all diseases and kills all oppression HOWEVER, I hadn't given it much thought until I remembered this verse from the Noble Qur'an :

What Mighty words our Creator sends forth to His creation. This verse deserves some serious attention (well, the Qur'an deserves serious attention in general ).

How many of us are living double lives as a Muslim? Where we submit to our desires one day, and then when we hear about some tyrant oppressing the world, we turn into that devoted Muslim seeking duaa from Allah before seeking Forgiveness from Him? How can we expect Allah to answer our duaa's when we can't even do the bare minimum of fulfilling the 5 daily prayers, fasting, adopting modesty, and displaying good character? How do we expect Allah to answer our duaa's when we sit behind our computer, surfing on Facebook and stalking brother's pages , or worse, displaying our adornments loud and proud all over our photo albums online? How can we expect Allah to answer our duaa's when we can't even be kind to our neighbour and spread the PROPER GREETING of Salaams (see this post for more details).

Do you think Allah will answer our duaa's if we can't even put aside our pride and take in the positive criticism our dear sisters are giving us? Do you think Allah will answer our duaa's if we can't even make an effort to improve ourselves for His sake? Do you think Allah will answer our duaa's when we refuse to listen to other sisters correcting us for the sake of Allah and instead argue back with them? Do you think Allah will answer our duaa's when we continue to stay ignorant about so many things that are and aren't in the Qur'an and Sunnah (see post : What is Ignorance)?

We need to stop feeding our desires and start feeding our bank for the Akhirah.
We need to stop listening to music and flooding our minds with pollution and false emotions that make us turn away from Allah. We need to open our minds a little bit wider and absorb more of the Qur'an and the Sunnah! We need to stop fantasizing about the next vacation hot spot or the next Gucci purse we are going to buy! We need to start raising our kids the proper way and teach them at a young age how to be righteous and obedient to Allah the Almighty! We need to start wearing the HIJAB PROPERLY and STOP TALKING TO NON-MAHRAMS! We need to STOP being stubborn and RUDE to other sisters who are trying to help us make it to JANNAH!  What kind of attitude is this? Who do we think we are? We need to stop saying " leave me alone " when someone is trying to forbid an evil action of ours and trying to encourage us to do good because

Prophet – salla Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Verily the most detested speech to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, is that a man says to another man ‘fear Allaah,’ so the (other) man says: ‘Leave me alone!‘”
[In another narration, he says: "Worry about your own self." Al-Albaanee authenticated it in Silsilatul-Ahaadeethis-Saheehah (2598).]

Please remember, our duaa's are answered once we start being obedient to Allah the Almighty. As He mentions several times in the Qur'an about the importance and about those who forbid the evil actions and enjoin the good deeds and good actions for His sake and His alone:

How can we expect any changes in this world when we can't even change ourselves? How can we expect the world to change when we can't even drop our desires for ONE MINUTE? What good will listening to music or watching haram movies do for the world? What good will it do when we dress immodestly and argue with others that hijab is not obligatory? What good will it do when we can't even carry good etiquette and manners? What good will it do when you are in a HARAM relationship, go clubbing and do drugs ? What good will fearing the people do? Why is it that more and more people are fearing the creation rather than the CREATOR??????!!!! Will THIS CHANGE THE WORLD?! 


But what exactly are we doing with the chances that Allah keeps giving us? Are we using it to our advantage or are we using it against ourselves? We keep crying and complaining about the world yet we still sit behind our computer showing off our beauty to half the world to see. We keep spreading the tweets on Twitter yet we still can't follow the simple Sunnah of abandoning non-mahram relationships! We expect the world to change but WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CHANGE OURSELVES?
Goodness will not spread from disobedience to Allah. Goodness will not spread from following our carnal desires. Goodness will not spread when our ignorance, arrogance, and pride stops us from being humble and modest to Allah and to the creation. Goodness WILL NOT spread if we are constantly falling into SIN upon SIN without seeking FORGIVENESS from ALLAH.

So, how can we change the world?

Fall in prostration and ask ALLAH for Forgiveness and repent. From the smallest of sins to the biggest of sins, Allah the ALL MERCIFUL is waiting for us to change our ways before He changes the world.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that :


So for Allah to restore the peace within the Ummah, it is nothing hard for Him to do. He could do it faster than the speed of light, after all He created the world, so He does as He pleases with it.

The thing we need to realise is, that He will not change anything until we make that effort to change ourselves. 

Remember :
On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said : the messenger of Allah said :

"Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded the faithful to do that which he commanded the messengers, and the Almighty has said: "O ye messengers ! Eat of the good things and do right". And Allah the Almighty has said : "O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you"
Then he mentioned [the case of] a man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying] : "O Lord! O Lord!" - while his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered !" (Muslim)