Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

altmuslim

Home
Muslim
Ramadan reflections: Missing the point

Ramadan reflections: Missing the point

Last updated on: October 16, 2005 at 10:24 pm by Hesham Hassaballa

Ramadan reflections: Missing the point 2005-10-16T22:24:00-04:00 Hesham Hassaballa

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Quiet charity

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, there lived an old woman who was carrying a heavy load along the road in the desert. It was a bit difficult for her, but she was managing as best as she could. A young man asked if he could help her with her load, and she readily obliged. Here is the conversation that transpired:

“It would be such a pleasure to have you come alone with me. I accept your gracious offer of kindness and company,” she said. She was a very talkative woman, and the young man did not want to interrupt her. So, he let her speak the entire time they were together without interruption:

“But as we walk along young man and as you help me with my load, I have only one request as we travel down this road: Don’t talk to me about Muhammad! Because of him there is no peace and I have trouble in my mind. So, don’t talk to me about Muhammad! And as we walk along together, we will get along just fine.”

She continued:

“That man upsets me so, so much more than you could know! I hear of his name and reputation every where I go. Though his family and his clan once knew him as an honest man, he’s dividing everyone with his claim that God is one!”

“He’s misled all the weak, the poor, and the slaves. They think they’ve all found wealth and freedom by following his way!” she sarcastically snorted.

“He’s corrupted all of our youth with his twisted brand of truth. He’s convinced them that they all are strong and gave them somewhere to belong. So, don’t you dare talk to me about Muhammad!”

They reached their destination, and the man helped the woman put away her belongings. The old woman, with a wide smile of gratitude at this stranger’s kindness, turned to him and said, “Thank you now, young man. You’ve really been so kind. That generosity and smile is very rare to find now a days. Let me give you some advice, since you’ve been so very nice to me. Stay away from Muhammad. Don’t heed his word or emulate his way. If you do, you will never have true peace, and all you will find is trouble.”

As the young man turned to walk away, she stopped him: “Now before we part and go, if it’s alright just the same, may I ask my dear young man, who are you? What’s your name?”

He told her, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

“Forgive me, but what was that? Your words weren’t very clear. My ears are getting old, and sometimes I have a hard time hearing. You know, it’s truly rather funny, but I’m sure I must be wrong. Yet, I thought I heard you said that your name is Muhammad.”

“I am Muhammad,” the Prophet (peace be upon him) told the old woman.

She replied, “I bear witness there is nothing worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”

This conversation was based upon a hadith in the Prophetic literature, and Dawud Wharnsby Ali made a song out of it, where I first learned of this conversation. Almost every time I hear the song, tears roll down my face. In the song, after the woman utters the shahadah, she says,

“Oh, talk to me, Muhammad. Upon you I pray for peace/for you have eased my troubled mind. Oh, talk to me, Muhammad. And as we walk along together/we will get along just fine. As I travel down life’s road/I will get along, just fine.”

This story never ceases to amaze me. The Prophet (pbuh) offered to help this woman, and all she does throughout their encounter is to mock and malign the Prophet (pbuh). Yet, he says nothing. He continues to help the woman with her load. He does not lash back at her; he does not pray for God’s destruction upon her; he does not drop her stuff and let her fend for herself. No. He helps the woman anyway, and when she finds out who he is, all she could do was follow him into Islam.

Yet, the fact that she became Muslim is not the most important aspect of this story for me. It was the Prophet’s character that amazed me the most. It is this aspect of the Prophet’s sunnah that many of us have completely neglected. I grew up being told about how important it was to follow the sunnah. We must have a beard; we must clip our nails; we should wear leather socks. Some of my brothers wear a turban, and put kuhl around their eyes, and wear an Arab gown in an effort to physically emulate the Prophet.

I have no quarrel with this. Abdullah ibn Umar (r) used to physically walk in the footsteps of the Prophet because he believed there was a blessing in doing so. Yet, the thing with which I do have a quarrel is the extent to which we Muslims today harp on the physical, outward sunnah and totally neglect the other, equally important “sunnah.”

For instance, if a cabbie wears a long, flowing beard – while shaving his moustache – in accordance with the sunnah, but cheats his customers, isn’t this wrong? Isn’t he neglecting the sunnah, even though he has a big beard? If a Muslim merchant stands in his store with the standard-issue leather socks, in accordance with the sunnah, yet falsely advertises his meat as “Halal,” isn’t this contradicting the sunnah? If a Muslim never fails to carry his miswak in his pocket, taking pains to clean his teeth before every prayer, yet curses his fellow human beings or fails to even smile in the face of his brother or sister, does not he miss the picture? Isn’t smiling in the face of your brother or sister also part of the sunnah?

I mean, the outward is important, but it must never become the be-all and end-all. The inward is equally – if not more – important. For instance, as we fast the month of Ramadan, abstaining from eating and drinking is the least important task. How do I know? Our Prophet (pbuh) told us so: “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions [while fasting], God is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.” You see, the fast is so much more than just not eating and drinking. We are not supposed to say something wrong, or even curse at the driver who just rudely cut us off in traffic. If we fail to do this, then we have missed the entire point of fasting.

The Qur’an has already admonished us about becoming too beholden to ritual at the expense of morality and spirituality:

“True piety does not consist in turning your faces toward the east or the west – but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day, and the angels, and revelation, and the prophets; and spends his substance – however much he himself may cherish it – upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and the beggars, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage; and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly pious are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God.” (2: 177)

This is an amazing verse, forever railing against the choking effect of ritualism. “True piety,” God says, “does not consist in turning your faces toward the east or the west.” This verse was revealed after the qiblah was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca, which caused a big scandal among the Jews of Medinah. Yet, God responded by saying, true piety consists of making sure one’s morality is upright by having belief and then translating that belief into actions. Actions speak louder than words. If one adheres to every aspect of the outward sunnah, so that one may physically resemble the Prophet (pbuh), yet neglects to act the way the Prophet (pbuh) acted – i.e., with kindness, mercy, and compassion – it is pretty empty, don’t you think?

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago physician and writer. He is the co-author of “The Beliefnet Guide to Islam,” published by Doubleday in 2006. His blog is at godfaithpen.com.

Commentary

Previous Post

October 16, 2005

Earthquake in Pakistan: Disaster response and the death of the ummah

Next Post

October 23, 2005 Violence Against Women: Woman in chains

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Elections 30 Dayd 30 Writers (2017) 30 Days 30 Writers 30 Days 30 Writers (2015) 30 Days 30 Writers (2016) 30 Days 30 Writers (2018) 30 Days 30 Writers 2017 Ali Asadullah Ali Eteraz Alper Bilgili Arthur Richards Asides Asma Uddin Black History Month Briefings Charles Turner Commentary Cyrus McGoldrick Eman H Aly Fatimah Popal Hajj Hajj and Dhul Hijjah Hesham Hassaballa Hisham Hellyer Ibrahim Abusharif Inas Younis Irfan Yusuf Jalal Baig Junaid Afeef Laila Alawa Laila Alwala Mas'ood Cajee Muqtedar Khan Nakia Jackson Newsmakers Parvez Ahmed Podcasts Rabia Chaudry Rafia Zakaria Ramadan Reviews Safiyyah Ally Saud Inam Shahed Amanullah Svend White The Opinionated Oncologist Visions Wajahat Ali Zahed Amanullah Zahir Janmohamed Zainab Khan

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

My reign brought prosperity until pride led me to burn incense in the temple, resulting in leprosy. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Josiah Asa Hezekiah Uzziah