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What is Jihad Unspun Doing to Our Youth?
From Jihad UnspunREADER QUESTION: SUBMITTED BY A.C. (name withheld to protect reader identity) I dont mean any disrespect to the noble lady Ms. Khadija but I would like to ask her one question. Do you have any idea what your web-site is doing to our youth??? Our young men who have responsibilities of their old parents, young brothers and unmarried sisters are being stolen away from their families for the cause of jihad. Dont you think you guys are misguiding them? Because of your message of jihad, a young boy has been completely brain-washed and his mother has to beg him for love, affection and support but he says that he will sacrifice his family and his helpless mother for the cause of jihad. Please note that this boy belongs to a family who is in deep financial and relationship crisis. His father has zero bank balance and his parents are going for a divorce. He has a younger brother and a 22 year old sister who works and is single but this boy is ready to leave his family like this and even if he doesnt he is not mentally and emotionally THERE for his family. And this is all because of the teachings of Ms. Khadija. RESPONSE: KHADIJA ABDUL QAHAAR .... Alhamdulilah, I am pleased to receive your letter. This is an issue that many parents struggle with and inshaAllah we can lay the matter to rest here and now. .... Alhamdulilah, how blessed you are to have a son who is embracing his obligations to aid our Muslim Brothers and Sisters who are being warred against in a growing number of areas .... Allah tells us that the highest reward in Paradise is for those who are martyred in the way of Allah and what Muslim Father would not want the very best for his son? Allah's Apostle said, "Allah guarantees him who strives in His Cause and whose motivation for going out is nothing but Jihad in His Cause and belief in His Word, that He will admit him into Paradise (if martyred) or bring him back to his dwelling place, whence he has come out, with what he gains of reward and booty." (Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 53 Number 352) It seems to me that you are confusing your own situation with that of your son. .... I have come to understand that in Pakistani culture, the head of the family is served by all of the siblings in order of age and gender, who in turn pass along responsibilities down through the family chain, with the youngest often bearing the brunt of the tasks and responsibilities. The male siblings are expected to support their parents once they are of working age and obey their elders under all circumstances without question. Female siblings are required to serve the men in whatever way the males deem desirable, even if they conflict with Islamic rulings. The family structure that is prevalent in Pakistan and India is often not the structure of a true Muslim family. In fact, in many instances, it is a tribal structure that is no different than that which existed in the Jahiliyyah before Islam. In the Indian and Pakistani culture, the emphasizes is on building the family tribe and this is done is several different ways; by intermarrying to expand the core family, arranged marriages based on the status and power that will be gained by the marital alliance and a host of other practices designed to expand and strengthen the family tribe. Many tribal traditions have been mixed into the Muslim faith that keep its youth tied to a life of serving their parents and their tribe before they serve Allah. .... I can not refrain from mentioning that there appears to be one overpowering issue in your situation. It seems you expect your provision to come from your son. This is incorrect; your provision comes from Allah, and Allah alone. It is Allah who is your provider and while as Muslims we are required to help our families and take care of them as best we can, this can not be at the cost of our duty to serve Allah. Allah requires that He is first in our lives and our families come next - not the other way around. You must not look to your son, your wife, or any other member of your family for your provision. By placing this burden on them, you are in fact undertaking an act of shirk for it is Allah and not your family who is responsible for your livelihood, well being and provision. I have witnessed young Asian children who, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, quickly answer Shaheed but unfortunately the cultural constraints placed on them means that few will actually attain this most noble act for Allah because their lives are dictated by the needs of the tribe, most often lead by their fathers and at the cost of their own obligation to Allah. .... Alhamdulilah, your son is on the true and right path, for it is a fard obligation on every Muslim to support the brothers and sisters who are under occupation and oppression at this time. There is no true scholar who will contract this. Bearing in mind there are many ways to fulfill the obligation of jihad besides standing shoulder to shoulder with those on the front lines, there is no escaping that our Muslim youth are our first line of defense. MashAllah you should be overjoyed that you have a son who understands his obligations and inshaAllah you should be pleased to support his every effort to please Allah by carrying out this work as Allah has commanded for us. .... As for whether I know the affect this site has on the youth of Islam, this we leave to Allah. That said there would be no purpose for this site if there was not a true awakening among the Muslim youth who have had enough of humiliation, shame and poverty. .... One final point: You can not take jihad out of Islam for it is central to our faith. Putting jihad aside is how we have arrived at our weakened state. We have tried to conform to what the western world would like us to be, in return for a small reward in this world, and we have abandoned what Allah has commanded of us. Its a losing formula as we can all clearly see. If you try to remove jihad from Islam, you will have to remove hundreds of pages of our rich history and huge parts of the Noble Quran. Jihad is as much a part of our faith as praying is and removing it from our deen is not only innovation and bida but it is simply impossible for Allah tells us that he will protect the Quran for all time. It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: One who died but did not fight in the way of Allah nor did he express any desire (or determination) for Jihad died the death of a hypocrite. (Sahih Muslim, 20:4696) .... Embrace your son on his noble path and return to the truth path for this is what will resolve your circumstances, inshaAllah. The strength of the Ummah depends on strengthening ourselves first and Allah is blessing you with an opportunity through the Imaan of your very own son to shake off cultural traditions that are hindering your relationship to Allah. I plead with you, dear brother, not to squander it. .... Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2007-09-30 |
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