Changing The Face of Islam
By Diana Baker
Nothing is constant but change. A truism rarely accepted and often accompanied by fear, disillusionment and anger; especially when it is proposed in the sacred realm of religion. Many view changes to ideals and beliefs ingrained deep within as cause for anger and violence. However, these emotions and behaviors are indeed the opposite of what was intended by virtue of origins of those beliefs. These points and the true meaning of Islam are topics of a book, currently in the last phases of publication, by His Holiness Sheikh El Nayyal Abdel Gadir Abu Groon.
Sheikh Nayyal, as he is known to his hawari or followers, is a spiritual leader who is based in the small African village of Abu Groon, located approximately 40 kilometers outside of Khartoum, Sudan. The descendent of long line of Sufi Mystics, Sheikh Nayyal’s ancestors founded the village and established a center for studies of the Qu’ran, with emphasis on the true meaning of Islam and the messages delivered by the Prophet Mohammed. “The Sheikh accepts students from all over. Many are young children when they arrive. Their parents leave them here and the Sheikh and the people of Abu Groon take care of them until they are ready to leave. Some stay for one year, some as many as six years,” explained Majed, a member of the Sheikh’s inner circle of devout worshipers. The “Meseed” as it is called, is not only a school, it is home to the Sheikh and those, such as Majed, who have chosen to follow the Prophet Mohammed’s example by living an austere lifestyle and adhering to his teachings. It is the inner sanctum where followers are welcome to come for guidance, blessings, or just the opportunity to sit with the Sheikh and bask in his glow. During my stay in Abu Groon, I spent several evenings with the Sheikh and his inner circle, dined with them and experienced the warmth and compassion shared amongst his people first hand. Often compared to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, by virtue of his beliefs and demeanor, Sheikh Nayyal, exudes the same kindness, the same magnetism that draws you to him with a promise of enlightenment. Similar to the teachings of Buddhism, Christianity and many other religions, Sufi philosophy advocates the belief that we should “overflow with Divine Love and get along with all other beings with the realization that the universe is a cradle of brotherhood.” As defined by M. Fethullah Gulen in his book, “Sufism, Emerald Hills of the Heart,” “Sufism is the path followed by an individual who, having been able to free himself or herself from human vices and weaknesses in order to acquire angelic qualities and conduct pleasing to God, lives in accordance with the requirements of God’s knowledge and love, and in the resulting spiritual delight that follows. A traveler on this path observes all the requirements of both the outer and inner dimensions of Islam, as well as strict observance of the Prophet Mohammed’s example. Through this observance, the traveler heads toward the goal in utmost humility and submission.”
For those who know nothing about Islam, save the misrepresentations by misguided Muslims or negative news coverage depicting terrorism as an Islamic initiative, the Sheikh has written a book that will, hopefully, help to dispel negative impressions and educate the masses on the truth about Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. I read the English translation of this yet untitled book and realized that many would perceive its intent as a means of changing Islam, when it is actually a plea to return to the roots of God’s original messages. For example, the actual definition of the word Islam is “submission to God.” It is the belief that there is one God and one religion. All means of worship, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism or Muslim, fall under Islam and should be respected. Islam honors all prophets from every form of worship, as they were all messengers delivering God’s words to his people. It is believed that all holy books, such as the Bible, the Torah, and the Qu’ran should be studied. As Omer, a member of the Sheikh’s inner circle, indicated, “We believe God could not have created one religion, realized it had failings and then created another to compensate for the first mistake.” Sheikh Nayyal’s book expands on these thoughts:
“Islam encompasses and embraces all religions. “To thee we sent the Scripture in truth, validating the Scriptures that came before it and guarding its purity.” (Al Ma’idah 48) God sent Judaism, Christianity and Islam, complete as a prescribed law with this standard, “So strive as in a race in all virtues” (Al Ma’idah 48) in order to create a virtuous society. It was never the intention of the Almighty God to force a particular religion on anyone in any walk of life, nor to force belief in the concept of God. “Will thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?” (Yunus 99) Further emphasizing this point, the light of the message burns brightly clarifying its purpose as the Prophet said, “Whoever harms a believer in other religions has harmed me and I am his opponent on Judgment Day.” In whatever form an expression of faith manifests itself, no one should be persecuted for his method of worship or be forced to convert to another ideology. Every human should be treated with respect and his expressions honored. The Prophet said: “Religion is respect for one another.”
The original message conveyed through the Prophet Mohammed stated that God did not intend for his worshipers to merely demonstrate their piety through prayer, fasting, attending religious services; but through virtuous behavior towards mankind. It is said that the Prophet Mohammed was sent to provide guidelines and to exemplify this behavior. The Sheikh wrote:
“Solely exhibiting methods of faith such as fasting and night prayers is not the entire meaning of the message. Those who concentrate solely on this only seek approval from others with their perceived pious behavior. Those who fast but gossip about others have broken their fast by “eating their flesh as he has spoken behind their backs.” The Hadith says, “Many a person who fasts has gained nothing from their fasting except hunger and thirst.” (Mosnad Ahmed) He whose prayer does not prevent him from committing atrocities has not in fact prayed. God prescribed prayer as a means of guidance so that those who pray may remember virtuous behavior and be prevented from falling prey to temptation and sin. The Prophet who speaks for God Almighty says, “The person with perfect faith is one of virtuous behavior. Virtuous behavior is within the realm of fasting and prayer. ” (Mogma’ Al Zawa’id) Virtuous behavior is the intention of the message – it is the reason for the message – and those who are most apt to receive the message in its purest form are those who have been touched by God’s mercy and have seen the light. The Hadith says, “The one who is most beloved by me and closest to me in the afterlife is the one whose behavior exemplifies the goodness intended for all humanity.” (Sahih Ibn Haban) Virtuous behavior is distinguished over fasting and praying at night as it frees one from the pitfalls of pride and arrogance which destroy the good intentions of our deeds. It is a virtuous deed that has the greatest impact on others and, in the end, benefits all. This is the apex of what is intended for humanity to learn. He said, “Nothing is heavier in the balance of a man of faith on Judgment Day than his behavior.” (Sonan Al Tormozi) This is the purpose of the message.
After studying several religions, speaking to the Dalai Lama and many other spiritual leaders, it was evident to me that there is definitely a common denominator that surpasses the belief in God. All religions state that we should, “treat your brother as you want to be treated,” “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” “love thy neighbor as thyself.” The basic premise of the Muslim faith is to be kind to each other, to follow the path of peace and harmony, to believe that God is merciful and that He is the only one that should deliver punishment to those who trespass against us, that our sins are forgiven if we ask for salvation. These are the basic principles of Christianity and Buddhism as well. Furthermore, the book states:
“Prophet Mohammed, the teacher, guided his people. He defined values and demonstrated good deeds. He led by example giving his people a living model of an enlightened life. In doing so, he offered them an alternative to the darkness of corrupted behavior, dysfunctional relationships, anger and hatred. Through thoughts, words and deeds he showed them the light of fraternity, integrity, love and forgiveness in order to express the fact that “religion consists of virtuous behavior.” This is the basic premise of God’s intentions for humanity. However, with the intervention of individuals who used religion to serve their own purposes, the message was misinterpreted. The convoluted interpretation of the message has been the cause of many disputes between religions. As a result, when disputes arose, they were not handled as the message prescribes…with virtuous behavior…instead a vicious cycle of destructive behavior developed. As for those who followed the golden rules of their religion, they will be rewarded by God who said, “Those who believe (in the Qu’ran) and those who follow the Jewish scriptures, as well as the Christian and Sabian scriptures, any who believe in Allah and the Judgment Day, and work with righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Al Baqarah 62)”
Reiterated by the book and preached by those who understand true Islam is the belief that hatred and violence carried out in the name of religion is not true religion. Peace is true religion and the intent of God. Those who claim otherwise are only seeking justification for their actions and misrepresenting God’s desires for mankind in the process. An editorial titled, “Islam is the victim” by journalist, Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh, whose column, “View from Academia” is featured in the Jordan Times, echoed this sentiment. It stated:
“The committing of all types of foolish and rash, misguided or evil acts in the name of Islam, such as the abduction or killing of innocent civilians…saddens Muslims across the globe, for many reasons. First of all, one feels sad for the victims…as human life is sacred. But Muslims the world over are also sad because of the impact such evil acts have on Islam itself or its image in the world. Obviously, there are some bad Muslims out there, and there are parties out there, both from Arab and Muslim countries and beyond, who mean ill and are committing ill acts…but Muslims who know Islam well know also that it never condones nor tolerates any forms of deviance, evil, terror or murder. The teachings of Islam, in fact, as enlightened Muslims keep stressing, preach the exact opposite. It preaches liberty for people, respect for their life, safety, security, happiness and condemnation of all forms of violence and prejudice. To see some individuals act so shamelessly and vilely in the name of Islam…angers Muslims who, in their heart of hearts and their spoken or written discourse, denounce such behavior as alien to them and to Islam. Muslims, as believers in other faiths, cannot be fooled as to who is a good Muslim and who is bad. In fact, the mere association of Islam with such vile and villainous acts, the mere speaking of Islam in the context of violence and terror saddens Muslims….It saddens Muslims to see innocent victims suffer in the name of Islam and it saddens them to see Islam itself being victimized…Those who commit evil acts in the name of Islam…are victimizing Islam as much as they are victimizing innocent human beings.”
I have found that this article is representative of the majority of Muslims who live according to the real message of Islam, not those who misrepresent it to justify their acts. Sheikh Nayyal has chosen to represent this majority and to spread the real message through his book with hopes of rectifying the damage done to the image of Islam throughout the world. “We need to understand what was originally intended and how the message has been changed over the years. Many disrespect the Prophet Mohammed and teach by means of fear rather than love and tolerance. Good manners and virtuous behavior have always been the guidelines sent by God through His prophets. I have written this book to remind Muslims of these things and to help the rest of the world understand what Islam really is,” explained the Sheikh.
Arriving in Jordan two years ago was my first experience in the Middle East. It was my first contact with Muslims and my first understanding of Islam. Blessed with an open mind and an open heart, I entered into the adventure with a completely objective point of view. Since then, I’ve met my share of good Muslims and bad. I’ve also met my share of good Christians and bad. Having traveled the world, I can objectively state that human behavior is consistent, no matter what form of worship. Although change is called for on a global scale to correct many of the ills of society, it’s ironic that the core of the problem in the Muslim world IS change. The original philosophies and the actual meanings conveyed by the Prophet Mohammed have been convoluted and changed over the years and are now misrepresented by many Muslims. However, it is not only the Muslim world who has suffered in this manner. Christianity, Judaism and many other forms of worship have also suffered due to corruption and profiteering. There are extremists or “fundamentalists” in every religion. Muslim “fundamentalists” are blamed for much of the violence carried forth by terrorists. However, terrorists have no country or religion, they exist everywhere in the world and execute their acts in the name of their own causes. There are Christian “fundamentalists” who ban films, books, ideas because they feel they don’t coincide with their concept of Christianity. In my mind, the word “fundamental” is grossly misused in this context. The actual definition of “fundamental” is the foundation, the basic belief of any ideology. This is where the extremists contradict themselves. If they are acting on behalf of the basic beliefs intended, then they would not allow themselves to do so, as the basic beliefs of the Muslim faith, the Christian faith, and so on, forbid such behavior.
There are also many states that are identified by religion rather than the government. Religion is not the governing party and should not be blamed in times of duress. It is up to those who have the proper perspective to consider the source and recognize the true intentions of any acts. Those who understand the message of any prophet understand the message of God. Changing the face of Islam is actually only returning to the original messages that God sent forth from the beginning of time; the messages that have suffered through improper translation, interpretation and misrepresentation.
After spending a week in the tiny village of Abu Groon, these beliefs were brought home to me with the greatest impact. Invited to observe the celebration of the Ascension of the Prophet Mohammed, I joined people who had traveled from all over Africa and the world to honor the Sheikh and celebrate his message of love, compassion and tolerance for all religions and all mankind. A ceremonial dance took place inside a sacred circle surrounded by men and enacted by men. As a journalist foremost and a woman secondarily, I ventured inside the circle to capture the event on film. Joining a cameraman, I walked with the Sheikh and his worshipers, photographing the ceremony, completely unaware that I was the only woman there. After the ceremony was completed, we retired to the Sheikh’s chambers where he received guests and prayed with his followers. It was then that I learned I was the first woman ever to be allowed inside the circle. The next day when the ceremony continued, a final dance paying homage to God and the Prophet Mohammed found me inside the circle once again. This time I was invited by one of the Sheikh’s assistants to dance with the group and celebrate life, love and humanity. That day, the Sheikh delivered a message to his people, asking the men to honor their women, to treat them with kindness and to follow the Prophet Mohammed’s example of goodness and compassion for all mankind. It occurred to me that these two days were the greatest example of the true message of Islam. As an American, as a woman and as a Christian, I was invited in, demonstrated unconditional love and accepted as a fellow human being, first and foremost. I was honored to stay with the Sheikh’s family in a home where brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and anyone in need are welcome at anytime, day or night. Exhibiting virtuous behavior and exemplifying their teachings, the people of Abu Groon could be models for the kind of society God’s prophets advocated. They live modestly and simply and even though the weather isn’t always pleasant and the electricity doesn’t always cooperate, they carry on happily regardless. Helping each other is their greatest joy. As the Sheikh’s son, Khaleel told me, “The Prophet Mohammed said that if God guides one man through you, it is better for you than all luxuries.”
It occurred to me that the world could use more people like those I found in the tiny village of Abu Groon. It also occurred to me the message of the Sheikh’s book is most definitely a message for the entire world. Those who read it will be touched by its meaning and will finally come to grips with a very controversial subject the world over. If the original message of Islam encourages all to respect every religion, to worship one God and treat each other with love and compassion, then there is no basis for controversy or the negative impressions currently perpetuated in the world. There is no justification for any terrorist acts in the name of Islam, nor in the name of God. There are no holy wars for war is not holy. In accordance with his mission to “remind mankind of the original messages sent by God through His prophets and redirect them on the path towards salvation,” His Holiness Sheikh El Nayyal Abdel Gadir Abu Groon is a guiding light and the message of his book could not only change the face of Islam, but the face of this planet as well.
American Journalist