Serving Mankind Is Islam

Maulana Rizwan Pasha Quadri
DarseQuran at Masjid-e-shujath, Tolichowki, Hyderabad
Published in Muslim Murasu, July 2011

Sura Ala Imran, Rukoo 12, comprising 11 verses. Allah refers to three subjects – responsibilities of Muslim, character of Jews and fate of those who reject Faith.
Kunthum - you; khair – good, best; ummath – people. Muslims are the best people in the sight of Allah. There are no other people as accepted by Allah like you. Allah does not like anyone else more than you.
Why is this superiority? Allah lists down the reasons. You have been evolved for mankind. Some consider good earning, well-educated sons and daughters, building lavish houses as superiority; they claim they have succeeded. Earning for self and family cannot be considered as standard for superiority. You have not been sent to earth for this. Everyone is mindful of family and self-interests. The opinion of Islam is that Muslim has not come to earth to fulfill his needs. Quran declares that you have been sent for mankind.
The meaning of this is to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. After this Allah tells that you believe in Him. The order is reversed in this verse. First give commands for good deeds, stop from wrong things, then Imaan (Faith). First Faith, rest later is Quran style. But in this verse it is reversed.
Man has two duties. One towards Allah and one towards creations; huqookullah and huqooqul ibaad. Here duty to creations have been given priority. Why so? If you have Faith, it is beneficial to you. But when you preach righteousness and forbid wrongs, the world is benefited. The identity of Moomin is that he secures his interests, but more than that he will care for others.
Today sons and daughters do not prefer parents interference in their life. You don’t have right to interfere in my life. There are three kind of people to whom message should be delivered - wealthy and rich; middle class who are sloppy both in deen(spirituality) and duniya(materialism); slum-dwellers. High class people do not give importance to religion, they are arrogant. Middle class people show some interest here and some there. Slum dwellers are vulnerable to do sins. Penury can lead one to Kufr. Prophet sought Allah’s refuge from poverty. Moomin has to reach out to all three kinds of people.
Very few people are involved in Dawah works. Very few are concerned about others. Allah says in Quran that of all the words, best words are those that calls people towards Him. Then he commands to work righteousness. Nafs, conscience, revolts saying “First you mend your ways, then you can change others”. But Allah says that first call out to others and follow it up with good deeds. Conscience will stir while inviting others to righteousness. Gradually the person will change for the better. He will have to face people’s contempt if he preaches others but he himself is not following. This is the best way to eschew wrong deeds; to tell others to eschew wrong.
You are not superior because of your wealth or reputation or knowledge. You repent for others, your hearts are pained with concern for others. This makes you the best. You value well-being of the society. You are distressed about sorrows and troubles of other people.
Prophet won’t come again. You have to come to field to deliver message to people. Prophet told during Hajjul-vida, last Haj, that even if you know one good thing convey it to others. Forget your status, highness and wealth, come down and preach the message. You need not be bogged down by your weaknesses. Listen to Allah’s book Quran. Your words can be weak, your character can be flawed. But the words of Quran that you present are powerful and will provide guidance. You are not pure; but Quran is most pure.
Nowadays the inconvenience in spreading information has vanished. We are living in information era. Lot of people will read if news or advertisements are published and will stand informed. Good news will spread fast. One of the signs of Qayamat, apocalypse, is that Islam would have entered every house. Now Islam is entering through books, magazines, TV and internet. Only requirement is to have interest and passion to convey.
Having Faith in Allah is listed at third place. First commanding good deeds, next forbidding bad things. Prophet has said the person who first said and did a good act will eternally receive rewards until that good act is practiced. All companions of Prophet placed welfare of others above their own welfare. Gowzul Azam is an exalted Sufi. The meaning of his title is ‘one who helps others’. Meaning of ‘Gharib Nawaz’ is ‘one who helps poor people’. Prophet says that helping a person is better than 1000 rakaath Nafl namaz in the sight of Allah. In another hadees it comes, as Allah has said, ‘if you had paid visit to the diseased person, you would have seen Me’.
Elders in Islam were concerned about entire mankind. Thus did Islam spread. They served all creations of God; not just Moomins but were beneficial to everyone.