Answering Your Questions: 'Shopping' for Islam

Today’s post is a response to a comment I received a long time ago.  I’ve wanted to answer this comment since I first read it, but that’s hard to do when I’m not blogging.  Anyway, the comment in question:

I have a simple question for Iman(which i think is 'Imaan'). When you buy a gadget,you do a good research and then buy,so you must have done the same before adopting a new religion.Also must have done a comparison with other options.
So what made you convert to Islam? Any traits or just fantasy?

This is an excellent question, and I get asked this a lot.  In reply, I often like to tell people that I didn’t wake up one morning and decide it was nice a day to convert to Islam.

I’m not the type of person who chooses to jump into things without plenty of research and planning.  This applies to most aspects of my life.  For example, I recently had to purchase a new computer.  I didn’t buy the first one that caught my attention.  Instead, I spent hours researching all the different options and brands.  I would have taken longer to reach a decision if I hadn’t needed a computer right away.

I go through the same process with pretty much anything I purchase, comparing different brands and reviews of every product in question.  And I apply the same process to other decisions as well: what university to attend, what sights to see when traveling, etc.  In other words, I’m not the type of person who makes a decision without first research all the options.

So of course I didn’t just jump into Islam one day.  No, I started with a curiosity about the religion.  I wasn’t even considering converting when I first became interested in Islam.  I just wanted to know more about it and figure out why it was so despised here in the US.  I bought books and talked to Muslims online.  Only after several months of research did I begin to believe in Islam.

But what exactly made me convert?  Well, I touched upon this in response to a comment on a previous post.  While the culmination of all the books I had read previous to converting led me to do so, there is really only one book that I credit with my conversion: ‘The Qur’an and Modern Science’ by Dr. Zakir Naik.  For those unfamiliar with this work, the author goes through some of the scientific ‘miracles’ (signs as they are called in Islam) found in the Qur’an, such as embryology, the medicinal properties of honey, etc.  Basically, the Qur’an is over 1400 years old, older than the scientific discoveries of most of these ‘signs.’  However, the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wassalam was completely unlearned: he did not know how to read or write and never attended school.  How can one uneducated man know all this long before proper scientists discovered them same things?  To me, this proves the Qur’an is from a divine source and is not man-made.  And also, if those parts are true, then the rest of the Qur’an must be true.  Thus I became a Muslim.

While I’ve never really felt my decision to convert to Islam was a major decision, the reality is that changing religions shouldn’t be done lightly and without prior research.  I did spend plenty of time – probably close to a year – reading, studying, and asking questions before making a final decision.  I converted to Islam because I believed in what I discovered.  It just felt right in a way I can’t explain.

What do Muslims do for the Impoverished?

I love news sources that do not allow commenting.  I find that most articles dealing with Muslims and Middle East countries (and even some articles that have nothing to do with Muslims and Islam) are often followed by bigoted, anti-Islam comments.  I do strongly support individual opinions and freedom of speech, but what happened to humanity, courtesy, and holding one’s tongue?  I’ve resorted to purposely avoiding comment sections because when I read these hateful, misguided words, all I can do is get irritated and angry.  And there’s not much I can do anyway, so I see no point in reading what I really don’t want to see.

But every so often, my willpower breaks and I find myself reading those bigoted comments.  A while ago I came across a comment that caught my attention.  Now, I don’t remember what the article was even about, but this commenter had two questions to ask: What do the people of Islam do for the impoverished? Where were their condemnations of the attacks of Sept 11?  In this post I will only look at the first question as the second question will be the subject of another post in a near-future post inshaAllah.

So, what do the people of Islam do for the impoverished?

I find this to be a laughable question.  The commenter certainly doesn’t know much about Islam.

Charity is not a small deal in Islam.  Indeed, one of the five pillars, one of the five absolute basic acts in Islam, is charity.  This charity is called zakat and is mandatory upon all Muslims who have the financial means.  The value of all applicable assets (silver, gold, cash, merchandise for business, livestock, etc.) a Muslim owns are added up.  If that sum is greater than a minimum monetary value based on gold prices, and the sum was greater than the minimum for a full lunar year, zakat becomes compulsory upon him/her.

Another form of charity, called zakat al-fitr or sadaqat al-fitr, is given before the ‘Eid al-fitr prayer at the end of Ramadan.  This is also required of every Muslim, male or female, slave or free man, young or old, so long as they have the means to do so.  Each Muslim able to pay must give at least one sa’ (approximately four double handfuls) of food, grain, or dried fruits, or the monetary equal of such goods.

Then there’s qurbani, the ritual sacrifice of animals during ‘Eid al-adha.  It is a symbolic repetition of Prophet Ibrahim’s alayhi salam sacrifice of the ram in place of his son.  Qurbani is required by Muslims who own at least 613.35 grams of silver or 87.48 grams of gold, or its value in cash or kind, who is a sane adult, and who is not a traveler.  While it is not necessarily required, it is much preferred that at least a third of the meat of the sacrificed animal go to the poor and needy.

After the required zakat and sadaqat al-fitr, as well as the one third of the qurbani, the term for voluntary charity in Islam is sadaqa.  Although sadaqa is not compulsory, it has a great weight in Islam, especially when done in private.  There are even Muslims who make sure to give charity at least once a week, every week, and this is a highly desirable practice.  A true Muslim is always helping his fellow Muslims who are poor and needy.

So what do Muslims do for the impoverished of the world?  Well for one, Islam dictates that most adherents of the faith are required to give a portion of their wealth to the poor and needy; not just once, but every year so long as he/she continues to meet the requirements.  Secondly, all Muslims who are financially able to do so must give one sa’ of food or kind after Ramadan.  Thirdly, Muslims are strongly urged to give at least a third of the meat of the ritual qurbani sacrifice during ‘Eid al-adha to the poor.  And lastly, voluntary charity is worthy of great reward.  I’d say the people of Islam do much for the impoverished.

Yes, there may be Muslims out there who don’t give like they should, but they are not doing as they have been commanded to do.  Their actions do not change the fact that charity is one of the five absolute basic practices of Islam.  Charity is not a minor act to be overlooked and ignored.  If more people gave like Muslims should, then maybe the world would be a better place.

‘Give charity without delay for it stands in the way of calamity.’ – Tirmidhi, Hadith 589

‘Charity extinguishes sin like water extinguishes fire.’ – Tirmidhi, Hadith 2