Essence of Rasuls' Sunnah Lost in Spirituality of Religion and Strategies of Politics
By Rashid Samnakay, New Age Islam
23 July 2018
The spirituality of 'acting-out' the uncomfortable events that were faced by Messenger Muhammad, often create a comical if not illogical expression when the devotees try to comply with them as his Sunnah. Emulating Apostles' actions is praiseworthy, but when ignorant spirituality is applied to its expression it often ends up in tragedy of errors.
- One such example of this that came to pass was the case of an overtly religious widow who moved from the city to a small town, only a few kilometres away where she bought a bigger house at half the price of what she sold her home in the city.
Having settled down in her new place, few weeks later she visited her friends in the city and in a flush of piety announced to her friends that she has performed the Sunnah of the Messenger's Hijrat just as he had done. She added that she had come to the city to greet them just as Rasulullah had done on a visit to his old city Makkah.
Needless to say that she made the move in the modern comfort of her reasonably posh car driven on the motorway accompanied by her family. Her household goods had been professionally packed and delivered safely at the new place.
An elderly person of her family to whom she related her comfortable Sunnah of Hijrat, reminded her of the “ordeal” of the Apostle, and his only companion during his Hijrat to Madinah, travelling ten times the distance in the desert on foot, escaping the city with their lives in the dead of the night. He referred her to Chapters 9 & 17 of Quran.
- In a small gathering of friends to welcome back a hajji couple, a Sunnah was enacted by a priestly looking person who was offered the customary sip of Zamzam. He stood up, turned in the direction of Qiblah and gulped the water down, announcing that, that was the established Sunnah of Rasool. Other drinks, he said, the Rasool drank sitting down and not facing the Qiblah.
- The imminent hajj, the most comfortable obligation today to perform as an ordeal for Believers', Quran-ordained sunnah is the closet to the verse: “...God intends every facility for you; He does not wish to put you in difficulties 2-185”.
Travelling in A380, 747's and such like comfortable planes, faster than sound can travel, and then staying in unbearable luxury hotels in Makkah and Madinah, come as close to the Sunnah of Muhammad's times, but in modern technology driven comforts.
Though it must be said that not all pilgrims can afford the above, yet the “custodians” there have assured those many who can afford to, do not miss on acquiring the Sawaab of difficulties of performing hajj, in the seven and more stars luxury hotels. For the Desert Arabs al-A'raab, the commercial benefits are immeasurable;
Li Tashtaru Bihi Thamanan Katheera?
“...come yea all and witness the (enormously rich) benefits...22-28” of our hajj enterprise.
The Sunnah of journeying on foot and on lean and hungry camels and horses, over the mountains and across arid valleys, to go to hajj and sleep under the billion-star canopy that was the Sunnah in Apostle's times and till not so long ago, is now obsolete and uncalled for, for it is the spirit that lies in the performance of Sunnah that is important to follow and not the method, they say.
- Associated with the above is the complying with Messenger Ibrahim's Sunnah, NOT that of sacrificing a son, as is given to believe that he had proceeded to do but instead now devotees sacrificing an animal or two and even more; is a good example of taking it easy, as given in 2-185. It does not however seem right that a kind and benevolent God would command His Messenger to kill his long prayed for son. Neither does it seems logical or even possible that a father and a Messenger of God at that would scum to such brutal spirituality just on the basis of a dream and proceed to kill that son! Nor does it synchronize with God's contention that He does not change His given commands.
What is interesting to note in this tragedy of errors is that this Sunnah is now also valid for those who have no sons to their name to offer for sacrifice and yet perform it by offering even multiple animals for sacrifice to the same God who says He has no need for the blood and gore.
It should also be reminded that Apostle Ibrahim and his son's drama was not performed during any hajj congregation.
There are few more of these Sunnah in the religious practices, but then Religion is not the ad-Deen, of Quran, hence Islam is not a Religion based on illogical and comical showbiz spirituality; which is mocked at 4-142 and 107-6 etc of the Book.
It is a pity that sometimes this deeply held spirituality of religious mockery of Sunnah back fires. Take for example the obligation of jihad, the command for struggle and endeavour; And whosoever strives hard, strives for themselves. Surely God is self sufficient, above the need of his creatures 29-6 etc.
With the use of modern technology, invented and manufactured by others and supplied by those who want to destroy other's lives and disturb the peace of the world for their own political strategies; explosive laden vest are worn, ostensibly to blow-up the 'enemy' in the spirit of jihad, with a press of a button. It always ends up with the Mujahid – the one undertaking that Sunnah of jihad, blowing themselves to smithereens and also their non-combatant unarmed innocent brethren, particularly in their houses of worship during their performance of worship.
These events are taken with a pinch of salt and as a routine in Muslim countries now, except by those survivors who had lost their fathers, brothers husbands, kith and kin and friends in the unholy blast! Not that there were any such holy blasts in Muhammad's time to claim as his Sunnah.
May be there is something missing here. Just may be, there is that religious spirituality and the earnest endeavour of the suicide murderers to achieve nearness to God – 5-35, and to acquire other promised heavenly 'goodies' as a bonus.
But for those who had lost everything they loved, as a result of this heinous evil can only take solace in the verse that says that they the murderers are actually nothing but: “perverted transgressors 3-82”!
Warped humour or not, God's laws and Rasuls' Sunnas based on those laws, which if followed in the true spirit by mankind (women-kind included) guarantee mankind's progress and prosperity as a whole: “They are on the true guidance of the Lord and it is they who will prosper 2-5”; and not those who follow their worldly Illaha and the Arab religion based in the Vatican of Muslims, Makkah.
The Book Quran repeatedly asks its reader to contemplate and put the Code ad-Deen in practice with mankind's benefit uppermost:
“Behaving arrogantly in the land and plotting EVIL. And the evil plot besets none but the plotters. So they wait for none but the way of the ancients (miscreants). But you will not find changes in the Sunnah of God; and you will not find Him exchanging His Sunnah (for you or anybody else) 35-43”.
The Sunnah of All Apostles was “Do good for Goodness sake”.
A regular contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Rashid Samnakay is a (Retd.) Engineer
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/essence-rasuls-sunnah-lost-spirituality/d/115911
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