MESSAGE TO THE MUSLIMS IN THE WEST - Moulana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali An-Nadawi

(This is the transcript of a profound tape recorded message delivered by Moulana to the Muslim community of America, but is in fact equally relevant to Muslims in the west. Actually, this message summarizes what he stood for and what he presented in thousands of pages of his books and speeches. He used to remind Muslims to be together, have strong faith, work together, forget their petty differences and stand for Allah’s message and guidance)

To my brethren who are not seeing me and whom I am not seeing, greetings of Salaam upon you.
            You are very fortunate indeed, as Allah has placed you at a new gold mine, or rather at a new mine of jewels. This is the mine of searching human souls, agitated hearts and restive minds that are looking for a path, a way that will restore to them faith and certitude, establish their link with the Creator of the Universe, make them understand His qualities and attributes, and His unique relation with His creation. A way that can create in them the exalted motivations to grasp the expanse of the cosmos, the depth of the human soul, and the flights of the human spirit. Allah has given you this opportunity, which was not accessible before to many scholars and pious figures. They used to long that Allah would give them the opportunity to introduce some new spirits to Islam, to build their confidence in Allah and establish their contact with Him. They used to pass ages without finding such an opportunity.
            Allah has sent you into that land. I do not subscribe to the logic of accidentalism. My mind cannot accept that anything in this world can happen without the will and plan of Allah. I believe that Allah has chosen you to live in that land, in the New World so that you may discover that New World. It is time now that the New World be rediscovered. It is time that every one of you seek the discovery of a new world. You have a golden opportunity to discover a new world. The “new world” that I am talking about is not a continent, but a world of humanity, human progress, and human perfection. Whosoever will discover this new world will do a favour to humanity greater than what Columbus did. To discover a new continent for the exploitation of one’s nation and its conquests is not a favour to humanity.
            You must protect your own faith. The word ‘protect’ however, I consider below the rank of a Muslim. A Muslim is the protector of the faith of the nations of this earth. He protects their proper relationship with Allah. To tell a Muslim to protect his own faith is below the rank of a Muslim. But the winds of faithlessness that are blowing around, and the new mental and spiritual unrest that is prevalent, especially in America, makes me say that you must protect your faith there. You must in fact increase your faith. The failure of western culture, and the inadequacy of science and technology to fulfill those objectives of life that bring peace and satisfaction should urge you to present to them the noble message of Islam.
            As the Arab envoys said long ago, we came to free men from being slaves of other men to becoming the servants of Allah, and to free them from the narrowness of the world to the vastness of the world. Today, this mission is as important as it was in the seventh century after Christ; indeed, it has become even more important now. It is possible to fulfill this mission today as it was in the sixth and seventh centuries.
            This mission was accomplished then by human beings, by the members of this Ummah and not the prophets. Those desert dwellers of Arabia, the camel riders and tent makers, they went to the courts of Caesar and Khosro and presented this message to them. They entered Rustam’s palace which was especially decorated for that occasion and when they were asked, “Why did you come here, and what has brought you over here?”, theirs was a terse, bold answer without hesitation: “Allah has sent us and appointed us that we may, by His leave, liberate mankind from being slaves to each other to being the servants of Allah and from living in the narrowness of the world to living in the vastness of the world.” They meant to say that what you consider as the world is very small and narrow. Your world is only the world of food and drinks, of luxuries, of fulfillment of material needs. Your world is limited to some families, some factories, or to some fun places, but the real world is much bigger and greater than that. It is the world of spirit, of Iman, of divine love, of human compassion, of universal brotherhood of man, and the world of efforts and labours to bring happiness to the hearts and souls of others. This world is greater than your continents. If your continent were to be thrown in the ocean of this vast world, it would be no more than a small pebble.
            This is our message to all Muslims. One of your brothers without seeing you, but trusting your faith, asks you that when Allah has sent you to this new land, you become the ambassadors of Islam there. You are the unofficial ambassadors. You are not paid any salaries, or have any formal contact with any government, but you are the direct ambassadors of Islam; its ambassadors of faith, morality, and goodness. Wherever you are, and whatever social or economic levels of life you are in, you must consider yourself as the representatives of Islam and its religious ambassadors.           Top