As I reminisce on the years gone by, I recall how many of our grand parents were not that learned about Islam and religion. Many of our forefathers could not read Quraan with proper pronunciation. They never wore thobe but rather they dressed in style wearing beautiful suits and hats like their colonial masters. On joyous occasions they all went to the studio to capture their class and elegance that we all marvel at up until today. They may not have been clued up about religious do's and don'ts but they were kind people, people who spoke words of wisdom. They were caring and compassionate; they were stalwarts within their communities. They had little but they gave a lot. As time went by people started acquiring more knowledge about religion. I am of the opinion that when you become a person of God, you should be more humble more kinder and softer towards your fellow human being. Nowadays we are seeing the complete opposite. The more religious people are becoming, the more judgemental they becoming towards others. They walk around with an attitude of superiority and look down upon others. Instead of uniting people the enlightened ones with knowledge are causing division. To me, this is not Islam. Just because a person wears a religious dress code does not mean that the individual is religious. Being religious encompasses not only praying and preaching but it also entails being good and kind to you fellow human beings irrespective of race, gender or creed. In fact you need to be kind towards all of Gods creation including animals.During my travels I've witnessed so many strange and wonderful situations. I noticed a group of Muslims praying in a church in Spain. I seen women praying in their swimming costumes in Turkey. I seen a congregation of men and women praying in tattered clothing with no headscarves in Malawi as they were too poor to afford clothing. Does this mean that God will not accept their prayers? I never once judged any of these individuals as I am a human being myself. I am not sinless. I have faults and weaknesses. Their hearts are probably more pure and cleaner than my heart. God Almighty sees the inner most corner of our hearts. He knows our intentions. Don't ever assume that just because you dress religiously you are superior to another human being or you have the right to condemn other people or label others as non believers.Allah sees your heart not your clothes. Be kind to every soul that you meet. Spread love and happiness. Not hate and animosity. All five fingers are not the same. Hence you will meet all kinds of people from all walks of life. Your job is to create unity not division. We south african muslims have this strange complex whereby we think that we are the best muslims in the world. The remaining 999 million muslims in the world are stupid, ignorant and don't know anything about Islam. Wake up and smell the coffee..we are a tiny, insignificant percentage of the global Muslim population and that's a fact. Take stock of your own faults. Mind your own business. Become a better version of yourself with each passing day. Juma mubarak to all my friends and family across the globe. Kindly remember my family and I in your prayers.
