Islam victim of Muslims [Archives:2003/662/Opinion]

By Hasan Saeed Ba-Udan
[email protected]
The Faculty of Education-Seyoun
If we meditated upon our forefathers' who conveyed the correct image of Islam to many countries of the world, will we find miracles. Islam spread in those countries, to which our ancestors migrated, like a storm. One individual of them managed to guide an entire village or country to Islam. They did not go there as soldiers accompanied with weapons of mass destruction. No, they never rode to those countries as soldiers, and the most predominant arms they used was their Islamic manners.
The Yemeni people throughout the previous eras were famous for their calling to Islam with wisdom, the attribute which the Prophet “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” ascribed to them. For instance, our Hadram ancestors traveled to East Asia and other countries as plain traders. They did not carry with them any sword, but influenced people in a very short time. Our ancestors “May Allah be well pleased with them” presented the beauty of Islam, the new taste of Islamic life and the good characteristics of those great forefathers, in all their sacred and profane affairs. Nowadays what Muslims lack is the showing of a beautiful genuine Islamic image. Alas the ill- behavior of Muslims gave the west an opportunity to ascribe every blameworthy quality to Islam. For instance the reckless attack of the September 11, which had nothing to do with Islam, arranged by some Muslims who have misconceived mindsets and made wide generalization towards the non-Muslims with no distinction between the innocent and the aggressor of them. That despicable attack left ongoing aggression on Muslims all over the world and brought distorted views about Islam. Many Muslims were killed; others were arrested, while others were humiliated.
The Iraqi people's miserable state, deteriorated conditions and the lack of security, is one example of the pitiful consequences of this offensive shelling. In Yemen, the source of calling to Allah “Da'wah”, a handful of inhabitants deform the reputation of themselves and Islam through their behavior towards the tourists. Some of them increase the fees of rental cars and hotels to foreigners; others sell some antiquities to them with a very high price. All these aspects of bad treatment leave a negative impression on these foreigners about Yemen, Islam and Muslims. The worst of it is that some drivers and guides for the tourists are heedless to their obligations. They destroy the most important pillar of Islam after the two testifications, which is performing the prayer. Moreover they create many tricks to get as much money from them as possible in one way or another. There is no doubt in my mind that most of the tourists are searching for the truth and the tranquility of their hearts and most of non-Muslims are in pursuit of spiritual matters which they won't find in any religion other than Islam. Hence they will convert to Islam if Muslims change their behavior for the best and adhere to the Islamic law. We see that simple behavior has great impact on the non-Muslims as they are not accustomed to it. For example, one of the prime means of sheik Noah's conversion to Islam was a simple behavior of a non-religious Yemeni friend who lived in Egypt; when he lifted a copy of the Glorious Qur'an from the floor to a high shelve. Another example that happened in the recent days in Tarim “one of Hadramout areas''. It was a conversion to Islam of a Japanese tourist, who passed by a poor child who was selling some light food. The man dropped his wallet with all his money. When that child witnessed it drops, he hurried to that tourist and handed it over to him. It was such an amazing event to him, that a “poor child” did not snatch the wallet, though he is in need for it. It was the Islamic education, which was instilled in that child. To sum up the key ideas, Islam was never spread by sword or violence and will never and the understanding of Islam in its correct form, is the best form of Da'wah.
——
[archive-e:662-v:13-y:2003-d:2003-08-25-p:opinion]