Atheistic
notions and materialistic preoccupations generally dominate the societies
today- East and West, North and South. The counter-religious, atheistic ideas and
prejudices have evolved over the past many centuries, especially in Europe.
This is, in many ways, a consequence of the corruption in the very idea of
religion itself as presented by its so-called adherents in history. When the ‘religion’
challenged common sense and instituted anti-nature notions and belief systems
in the name of God, thoughtful people moved away from what they could see
around.
One of
the world’s most influential scientists, Sir Isaac Newton (January
4, 1643 - March 31, 1727) was among those who
rejected such inherited beliefs and distorted religious traditions. In the 1690's, Newton wrote a number of religious tracts
dealing with the literal interpretation of the Bible, including a manuscript in
which he disputed the existence of the Trinity. Many
others preferred to be agnostics or even atheists, rather than follow what their
intellects could not agreed to. The trajectory of spiritual history and the
secular revolt in Europe testify to this. Given this historic background and
contemporary situation, the dilemma of the Believer is this: how to do the preaching
of Islam to a world that does seem to reject the concept of God itself?
In his Friday Sermon of
November 02, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of
Mauritius analyses the larger context and problem. The Messenger of Allah of our
times points out that the issue is not beyond a solution. The believers have to
equip themselves with sufficient knowledge and understanding about the
background of people to whom they are bringing the message of God/Allah. Different
strategies and tools have to utilised and deployed in reaching out to people
from diverse backgrounds. At the end of the day, it is one’s own
example-sublime faith in God and the profound practice of Islam in the everyday
life of the believer- that will attract the world to the fold of Islam.
Read the Extracts from
the Friday Sermon:
“And
who is better in speech than one who invites (people) to Allah and does good
works and says, ‘Indeed, I am of the Muslims’.” (41: 34).