When Muslims Work Together (1-Introduction) What motivates us

When Muslims Work Together - Introduction: What Motivates Us

Overview and Conceptual Framework

The purpose of this series is to create a resource for Muslims involved in any sort of Islamic work, whether at a masjid, school, charity organization, MSA, or any collective work and activism. Allah (عز وجل) doesn't just give us guidance at the individual level, He also offers guidance at the community level and even work. The efforts we make as individuals and as a community - we have guidance for that in Allah's book also.

These sessions are meant to be a glimpse into some of that guidance and wisdom we can benefit from, bringing barakah and guidance of Allah (عز وجل) into whatever work we're involved in, inshaAllah wa ta'ala.

Three Levels of Human Struggle

All human beings are engaged in struggle. There are three levels of struggle:

First Level: Individual Survival

People, Muslim or non-Muslim, get out of bed and go to work to survive. They're engaged in a struggle for basic needs. Even animals engage in this struggle to survive - the bird leaves its nest and comes back to feed its young.

Second Level: Community Involvement

Beyond meeting immediate needs, people want to make their neighborhood safe, ensure there's a stop sign on the street, talk to local officials about cleanliness, or address community issues. You become involved at a communal level and start making struggle towards something more than just yourself - maybe for your neighbors, family, or community.

Third Level: Ideological Struggle

This is the struggle towards a cause, a belief - something not necessarily tangible. This is the hardest to understand. Someone might petition for a stop sign or advocate for better schools with tangible goals in front of them. But then there's belief in an idea. For Muslims, we believe Islam should be shared by humanity. There could be someone equally passionate about Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, or atheism who wants to spread their belief.

This struggle is towards an idea, and you may never see its fruition in your lifetime because the idea is too big for even yourself. In the non-Muslim sphere, people struggle for justice, better ways of life, popular democracy, or human sovereignty. They don't know if they'll live to see it, but they're ready to fight and even give their lives for it.

Islamic Perspective on the Three Struggles

Islam asks us to make struggle at all three levels, both in worldly and otherworldly senses:

Individual Level in Islam

I have to fight my nafs, shaitan, laziness, and anger. This is struggle with myself to become better in my ibadah. Many duas we make are about the struggle with ourselves:

"Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrik wa shukrik wa husni 'ibadatik" (O Allah, aid me in remembering You, thanking You, and perfecting my worship to You) - Sahih Abu Dawud 1522

Community Level

Beyond individual concerns, we need masajid - places where we can worship and remember Allah. When masajid were built, there was a bigger concern: educating our children. Schools were established. Then da'wah organizations were created to help others learn about Islam.

Ideological Level

Some have an open-ended target: wanting everyone in this country to know what real Islam is. This may not be tangible, but they're ready to struggle for it without being turned off by lack of immediate results.

The Uniqueness of Islamic Motivation

Every effort we make benefits our own selves more than anyone else. We're not capable of benefiting others - that's from Allah. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) benefited humanity more than anyone else, yet Allah commanded him to say:

"Qul la amliku lakum darran wa la naf'an" "Say: I do not possess the power to benefit you, and I don't possess the power to harm you" (Quran 72:21)

The benefit that comes from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), the credit goes through him to Allah (عز وجل). This is the attitude of the believer - whatever good I'm doing benefits myself. Me giving sadaqa benefits myself. Me helping build a masjid benefits me. The benefit to others is not from me, it's from Allah.

The Interconnected Nature of Islamic Struggles

In Islam, these three struggles are interconnected and married to each other. You can't just be an activist who doesn't worry about themselves. Some people become so involved in volunteering that they don't have time to pray properly or recite Quran for themselves. This imbalance is not acceptable in our religion.

Islam Is Not Just Personal

Religion in modern society is considered personal - freedom of religion like freedom of speech. But Islam isn't only concerned with yourself. If you're a Muslim, Islam is not just your personal business. Islam, by definition, needs to be shared and seeks to benefit others too.

One of the most fundamental surahs, Surah Al-Asr, demonstrates this:

"Wal-'asr, inna al-insana la fi khusr, illa alladhina amanu wa 'amilu as-salihat wa tawasau bil-haqq wa tawasau bis-sabr"

If Islam was just about yourself, it would stop at "those who believed and did righteous deeds." But we have (وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ) - and they enjoined each other with truth and enjoined each other with patience" (Quran 103:1-3). This necessarily engages this religion and its goodness with others.

Understanding Our Time in History

We live in a time with many different efforts, movements, and labels under Islam. There are many flavors and variations within mainstream Sunni Islam. As a young person, you might get exposed to one approach and think it's the right one, then get exposed to another and question the first. This experimental experience is common.

One thing becomes clear: Islam and the struggle for Islam is not one thing and will never be owned by one group. That time was during the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه وسلم) era when Islam was one thing, one people with the same understanding, and differences could be taken directly to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

We have the Quran and sunnah, but there have been differences of interpretation. There will be intellectual, legitimate differences of opinion among us and different varieties of Muslims.

Two Attitudes Toward Diversity

There are two attitudes we can take:

1. Exclusivist Attitude: "The one I'm holding onto is correct. Everyone else is wrong, deviant, corrupt, heading to hellfire."
2. Mature Understanding: The more you mature in Islamic knowledge, you realize the struggle for Islam will not be owned by one group, community, individual, or school of thought. This is not practically possible.

At hajj, you realize how much diversity exists in Islam - how widely different Muslims can be. In the United States, and even within Dallas, there's incredible diversity among Muslims.

Respect for Good Work

One of the first things to instill in ourselves is respect for good work, whether it comes from Muslims exactly like us or from Muslims who aren't exactly like us. So long as it's good work, it should be respected and supported.

There are scholars I have tremendous respect for, though I can't agree with some of their positions. I've told them there's one thing I cannot agree with, but I still love them. When they do good things or start good projects, I wholeheartedly support them.

How is it possible to agree 100% with anyone? Do you agree with your wife 100%? Do your children agree with you 100%? If we become so idealistic that we won't work with someone until we're exactly on the same page on every issue, it becomes impossible to work with each other.

Even the companions (رضي الله عنهم أجمعين) had differences of opinion among themselves in Quran interpretation. Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) would have one opinion on an ayah, and Abdullah bin Mas'ud would have another - same ayah, but they loved and respected each other.

The Golden Rule of Collective Work

One of the last ayat revealed comes from Surah Al-Ma'idah:

"Wa ta'awanu 'ala al-birri wat-taqwa wa la ta'awanu 'ala al-ithmi wal-'udwan" "And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression" (Quran 5:2)

Ta'awun comes from 'awn meaning serious aid, desperate help - the same root as in Al-Fatiha when we say (إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ) "You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help" (Quran 1:5(.

Ta'awanu means seriously help each other, help each other a lot. على البر - on all things good. Allah (عز وجل) didn't specify which good deeds. البر is probably the most comprehensive word in Arabic for goodness - anything good, support it.

The Importance of Taqwa in Collective Work

The ayah adds taqwa, which has beautiful wisdom. Taqwa's core meaning is protecting yourself - it's the most individual thing. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: التقوى ههنا - "Taqwa is here" (pointing to the heart) - Sahih Muslim 2564.

Nobody can see inside my heart. The ayah begins talking about cooperating with each other (collective work) and immediately says make sure you cooperate in instilling each other's taqwa too. Just because you're doing good work doesn't guarantee you have taqwa.

Remind each other: "It's time for salat," "We should recite more Quran," "We should make du'a." That spiritual element in our activism is embedded inside the work of cooperation. (وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ) - together.

We don't just become volunteers who pass flyers, send emails, and update social media. We're also reminded by brothers and sisters to pray, pray extra nawafil before conventions. Then Allah makes it a blessing, nothing bad happens, Allah protects it and accepts the effort.

Warning Against Cooperation in Sin

In Arabic (لا تعاونوا) (the full word would be (لا تتعاونوا) with one ta removed). This linguistic subtlety means don't cooperate in the least bit.

First, don't cooperate in sins (الإثم). The reversal has happened - in the first part, the project was mentioned first, then personal spirituality. But in the prohibition, the spiritual problem is mentioned first.

Don't cooperate in sins: "Now that the convention is over, want to get hookah? Want to go to movies?" Don't let that happen. When people are together, collective responsibility goes down. It's easy to encourage a group to do good or bad things.

When young people get together and talk too much, they start making fun of each other, backbiting, making inappropriate jokes. You go to someone's house for dinner - conversation starts productive but becomes really bad for an hour. This is ithm.

When your heart becomes dirty with sin, it creates (العدوان) - animosity. You start turning into a cult or gang. You hang out together and bash other groups, creating more division.

This is one of the great dangers of Islamic work. When involved in your youth group, it's tempting to bash other youth: "We totally schooled them. Our program was bigger. Those guys don't know what they're talking about."

But I started by saying all Islamic efforts must be respected.

Practical Application

At an ISNA convention, I met a brother from Australia trying to set up an Arabic program. He asked for advice and said he could hire me if the tips were proprietary for Bayyinah. I said, "Take the curriculum, use

it. You're fulfilling a need where I can't possibly help."

If there are youth groups in different cities - the more the merrier. That's a needed resource. (وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ - wa ta'āwanū ʿalal-birri wat-taqwā wa lā ta'āwanū ʿalal-iṯmi wal-ʿudwān) - this is the golden rule of working collectively as Muslims.

We have to cooperate in all good things. Forget our labels and organizations - we're not loyal to organizations, we're loyal to Allah's work. Allah won't ask under which banner you did your work or which logo you put on the flyer. We'll be asked for our intentions and sincerity in working with others.

If you get hung up on labels, logos, and brand names being prominent, you create a culture of animosity and unnecessary competition. You start seeing your effort as competing with other efforts. This is not how Islamic work should go or how a healthy community flourishes.

Establishing the Deen

Surah Ash-Shura says:

"An aqimu ad-din wa la tatafarraqu fih" "Establish the religion and do not be divided in it" (Quran 42:13)

Establishing the deen is not one struggle - it's a million struggles, a million projects. I compare it to building a building made of bricks. Everyone works on one brick or another. Don't think it's not part of establishing the deen - it's part of a bigger picture.

You may not see the full building yet, but the more people work covering different areas, the further the establishment of deen goes. It progresses slowly, gradually.

Allah gives the example of Islam itself - La ilaha illallah:

"Wa mathalu kalimatin tayyibatin ka shajaratin tayyibah" "And the example of a good word is like a good tree" (Quran 14:24)

Does a tree grow suddenly? No, it takes years. The roots must be deep. Do the branches go in one direction? They go in every direction - that's the diversity of the ummah. Each direction must be respected.

What Should Motivate Us to Volunteer

From Surah Ash-Shura, Allah tells us about establishing His deen:

The Prophet ﷺ was dealing with three groups: the mushrikun (idol worshippers) of Mecca, the Christian community, and the Jewish community - Ahlul Kitab (People of the Book). To all three groups, he was

delivering Islam's message.

There were people discouraging the Prophet ﷺ. We know the effect discouraging language has on motivation. When people say "Why bother? What's the point? You're wasting your time," it can wear down motivation. These weren't just anybody discouraging the Prophet ﷺ - they were elders he'd known and loved his entire life, knowledgeable people of the Jews and Christians.

But in these ayat, the discouragement seems to come from Allah سبحانه وتعالى:

"Kabura 'ala al-mushrikin ma tad'uhum ilayh" "It is too big a deal for the polytheists [to accept] what you call them to" (Quran 42:13)

Allah is telling him it's too big, too hard for them to accept what he's calling them to. If someone else said this, the Prophet ﷺ might not be demotivated, but Allah is saying it.

The next part answers:

"Allahu yajtabi ilayhi man yasha'u wa yahdi ilayhi man yunib" "Allah selects for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]" (Quran 42:13)

So the Prophet's ﷺ hopes turn to the knowledgeable people - Jews and Christians who have previous exposure to books and prophets. The next ayah says:

"Wa ma tafarraqu illa min ba'di ma ja'ahum al-'ilmu baghyan baynahum" "And they did not become divided except after knowledge came to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves" (Quran 42:14)

Knowledge wasn't the reason they accepted truth - it became the reason they rejected it. They used knowledge as a weapon for power and control, using it to say "We can't give anybody else that authority."

The Dual Nature of Knowledge in Islamic Work

One area of Islamic work is da'wah and teaching, which requires knowledge. But if you have knowledge, are teaching, have a following, and someone else comes along with apparently more knowledge and your audience starts slipping away, you might think: "That guy took my crowd. Maybe I should prove how that guy is no good so they stay with me."

Now this knowledgeable person, who's supposed to share knowledge for Allah's sake, is using knowledge as a weapon to hold onto market share. It becomes a capitalistic exercise.

At the Prophet's ﷺ time, knowledge of Torah and Injil was exclusive, classified information. Not every Christian knew the Bible, not every Jew knew the Torah. Only scholars and rabbis knew these books. If you

wanted to learn the religion, you had to come to them.

This Prophet ﷺ came making Allah's book accessible to everyone. He taught it to every Sahabi. Knowledge was becoming open source. If it becomes open source, who loses market share? Those who had exclusive knowledge.

The leadership of Jews and Christians were using knowledge to their advantage. Allah calls it "selling the ayat of Allah." They used knowledge as manipulation and didn't want it taken away. They used it to keep divisions going because they benefited from those divisions.

This phenomenon exists in the Muslim Ummah - people using Islamic knowledge to hold onto market share, nullify everyone else's efforts, and turn Islam's knowledge into a cultish industry.

The Prophet's Three-Level Problem

The Prophet ﷺ had three levels of problems:

1. Mushrikun won't accept Islam - it's too big for them
2. People of the book have knowledge but use it for corruption, not guidance
3. Their future generations are riddled with doubt

"Wa inna alladhin urithu al-kitaba min ba'dihim la fi shakkin minhu murib" "And indeed, those who were given inheritance of the Scripture after them are, concerning it, in disquieting doubt" (Quran 42:14)

Problem after problem. Yet Allah says:

"Fa li dhalika fad'u" "So for that [reason], invite" (Quran 42:15)

Just those words have a world inside them. Allah lists three major problems with the audience, enough for anyone to say there's no point in inviting them. Allah says: "Actually, because these problems are so major, that is why you have to invite them. That is why I chose you ﷺ."

This isn't just any man's job - this is your job. If the problems were small, it wouldn't need the greatest messenger of all humanity. Because these problems are so big, you're needed.

What motivation is given to the Prophet ﷺ? Not "Your path will be easy, they'll accept right away." The motivation is: "This is the toughest crowd you'll ever have, anybody's ever had. You'll deal with them directly."

Previous Prophets dealt with one kind of problem each - some with mushrikun, some with people of the book, some with the ignorant, some with the arrogant. Isa عليه السلام dealt with people of the book,

Zakariya عليه السلام dealt with people of the book. But this Prophet ﷺ has to deal with everybody and the worst of them too, directly.

Allah says that's the reason you've been chosen.

Application to Our Time

If you look around us, when Muslims get together for dinner, Eid parties, or social gatherings, what do we discuss? Problems. We love discussing problems. Some of you are seasoned problem discussion experts who've spent your entire life establishing that sunnah.

Allah says yes, there are huge problems. But Allah decided you and I will be alive in 2012 around all these problems. Every generation of Muslims sees problems around them, and Allah raises the generation He knows is qualified to solve those problems.

Because of those problems, you and I exist. Because those problems have to be solved, you and I have been given air to breathe. That's why we're here.

"Fa li dhalika fad'u wastaqim kama umirt wa la tattabi' ahwa'ahum" "So for that [reason], invite [them], and stand firm as you've been commanded, and do not follow their desires" (Quran 42:15)

Stand firm as you've been commanded. Don't follow their empty desires. Don't be demoralized because all they want is for you not to be motivated so you'd stop worrying about this Islam thing.

"Wa qul amantu bima anzala Allahu min kitabin wa umirtu li a'dil baynakum" "And say: I have believed in what Allah has revealed of the Book, and I have been commanded to do justice among you" (Quran 42:15)

"Lana a'maluna wa lakum a'malukum" "For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds" (Quran 42:15)

This is the Quran's version of "mind your own business." We have our deeds, you have yours. You can keep doing evil, spending trillions on propaganda - we're not giving up. We're doing what we're going to do. You can call on the forces of shaytaan and do whatever you want. We will do our work. That's the stand of the Muslim.

Among other Muslim efforts, even though I'm working through one organization, at the end of the day we work through organizations - masajid, national institutions, colleges, madrasas, schools. You'll work through some collective initiative for deen's sake, not by yourself.

But you make dua at the end:

"Allahu yajma'u baynana" "May Allah bring us together"

Some Muslims prematurely say, "There are so many Islamic organizations. Why can't we have just one?" That's not how Islam works. There's not one effort - there will be thousands of efforts, and they all must be respected so long as they're addressing something unique.

If you're starting an effort or organization, make sure you didn't start something in competition with something else. You started something because there was a need not being addressed. There's an area not being served, so you start something new. Not "those guys are successful, I should start something like it so I can be successful too." That's making competition.

Healthy competition is competition in good deeds, not undercutting other efforts. Muslims are a minority in this country with limited manpower and financial resources. If there's a good effort happening in one area, our resources should be put there. Other efforts should be complementary, not competing.

There are cities with well-established Islamic high schools, yet within half a mile of each other, two Islamic schools exist because one principal doesn't like the other's personality. We all suffer because of someone's personality disorder and not knowing how to work with each other. We don't understand that Islam's work is greater than ourselves. You have to put personality aside.

The Motivation We Share

It is because of these problems that Allah chose this Ummah. The problems around us aren't reason to complain. As they say in Arabic: شمروا عن سواعد الجد - "Roll up your sleeves and get to work."

The problems should make us more serious. Many people go to hajj and get depressed from seeing bad things - ignorance, poverty, child slavery, ugly realities. But you should come back with more resolve, realizing we're not doing enough work and work needs to get done.

Allah would never leave us hopeless or without His aid. If we're ready to do work, things will change. Barakah from Allah will come. That's what we have to believe - that's the motivation you and I share.

Conclusion

This concludes our first session. The next session will be about striking a balance within ourselves for collective work - working with organizations, volunteering, being active while maintaining our personal spiritual needs. How do we balance both? What is the Quran's guidance about that? This will be inspired by the last few ayat of Surah Al-Hajj.

May Allah bless me and you in the wise Quran and benefit me and you with the verses and the wise remembrance.

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh