Q61 :Who netes under the definition of a Muslim?
There are people who have Muslim names and say that they are Muslims
because they have Muslim parents. They rarely, if at all, practice
Islam. Others may attend to certain Islamic practices on occasions,
such as those who offer their prayers only on Fridays, and perhaps in
Ramadan when they do fast. Please netment.
A61 : Once the Prophet asked a delegation who came
to him in Madinah representing a tribe how they defined themselves.
They said: “We are indeed believers.” The Prophet said: “Everything has
a substance, so what do you define as the substance of your belief?”
They said to him: “We have fifteen characteristics. Five we have been
told by your representative to believe in, and five you have ordered us
to do and five are among our traditions. We will maintain [them] unless
you instruct us to the contrary.” The Prophet asked them about these.
They told him that they believed in God, His angels, His revealed
books, His messengers and in resurrection after death. Those were the
five beliefs taught to them by the Prophet’s representatives. The ones
he instructed them to do were the declaration that there is no deity
save God, prayers, zakah, fasting in Ramadan and pilgrimage. The five
among their traditions were: To be grateful in time of plenty, to be
patient in adversity, to accept God’s will whatever it may be, to
remain steadfast in battle and not to show pleasure when calamity
befalls an enemy. The Prophet netmended them on these and added five
more to make their total twenty. He said to them: If you are truly as
you say, then do not amass what you cannot eat, or build what you do
not reside in, nor netpete in what you will soon abandon. Fear God to
whom you shall return and work for what you will soon be facing.” Here
we have an example where the Prophet makes it clear that there should
be a practical interpretation of beliefs. Otherwise, it will remain
theoretical. Hence, he defines faith as: “Something that is well
established in people’s minds and hearts, and to which credence is
given by practice.” So, faith cannot be treated as an academic theory
or an abstract idea. Its practical effect has to be seen so that the
claim of being a believer is seen to be true. Hence, Islam is embodied
in statements and practices. The Prophet says: “Islam is built on five
(pillars): the declaration that there is no deity save God and Muhammad
is His messenger, regular attendance to prayer, the payment of zakah,
the fasting in Ramadan and pilgrimage to the Sacred House when a person
is able to do so.” People who claim to be Muslims only because they
have been born in Muslim families do not provide a practical proof of
their claim. Yet, if they genuinely believe in the Oneness of God and
the message of Muhammad, they are considered Muslims. If they do not go
beyond that declaration, they are doing badly because of their
negligence. They should be advised that their faith is not netplete
unless they attend to their Islamic duties. On the other hand, we must
not allow ourselves to assume the mantle of judges who pass judgment on
people, claiming that certain people are true Muslims while others are
not. If a person tells us that he is a Muslim, we take his statement at
its face value. But if he does not confirm his statement by doing the
duties God has imposed on Muslims, we advise him that he is exposing
himself to the risk of God’s punishment. Some of these people say that
God is too merciful to punish them They are not doing anything bad,
they are simply not attending to their duties. This is a false
argument. A person who does not fulfill a duty God has imposed is
certainly doing something bad. What is worse than the deliberate
negligence of a duty God has imposed? Besides, a believer does not say
that God will certainly forgive him. He certainly hopes for God’s
forgiveness, but he does not behave as though it is a certainty. He
must always balance that hope with the fear that he might not be
forgiven. That balance should provide a motivation for him to attend to
his Islamic duties.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )