You’re so smart but sometimes you’re so dumb
December 14, 2009
Sometimes family members say to me, “You’re so smart but sometimes you’re so dumb!” Well, part of that is because it doesn’t make sense for an educated person who looks like they have (or ‘had’) everything going for them just drop everything and embrace Islam - in their minds – to a religion that is ‘backwards’. (Ok, the other part is because sometimes I just say dumb things :) ).
It all boils down to rethinking.
Mind sets, investigating and educating yourself.
Usually top experts are experts because they have a completely different mind set.
- First, everyone thinks they are crazy.
- Then, some people attack them.
- Finally, people accept their ideas as the norm.
Just because ‘everyone’ does things one way, does that mean it’s the right way?
Smart people are smart because they step back and say, hmm, is this really the right way? Let me educate myself and decide for myself.
What’s the difference between:
- a smart and dumb person?
- a poor and a rich person?
- a believer and a non-believer?
EDUCATION.
Then I got to thinking, if only people were educated on how sophisticated the Islamic system is, they wouldn’t think that I’m dumb in only this aspect of my life and smart in the rest. If only they started to rethink like I did. They would have it all. And that’s the whole point of Greeks Rethink.
Those who remember Allah (God) while standing, sitting and lying on their sides and think/ponder/reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, then cry out, ‘Our Lord! You have not created this in vain. Glory to You! Save us from the punishment of fire. (Quran 3: 191)
Being nude and un-modern
October 24, 2009
As you might know, it’s legal in Canada to walk on the street topless. And if you’ve ever been to Greece, you’ll know that going topless on the beach is “normal”. I was becoming more disgusted by the minute just listening to a guest speaker on a radio show telling us how she goes nude on her property and that we should not be ashamed of our bodies.
When asked why she does it, she replied that she was hot.
Yeah, right! Oh, I’m hot today, so let me just parade around town nude.
What bothers me the most is that one person makes a ridiculous stand like this and everyone just follows the herd. Most people might think, I wouldn’t do it and I’m kinda uncomfortable around someone who would but, hey, we’re living in the 21st century.
I invite you to look at this in a different light.
Me, me, me (a.k.a. the ‘Western model’)
The guest speaker was looking at it from the “Me, me, me,” point of view. I’m hot, I’m not ashamed, I’m modern. And the “Now, now, now,” point of view. I want to do it now, so I will. She’s probably saying some cliché like, it’s not my fault guys stare at me, that’s their problem! They should control themselves.
We, we, we (a.k.a. the ‘Islamic model’)
Let’s look at it from the “We, we, we” perspective. What’s best for us all ? For society in one year, five years, 10 and in 50 years? Look at the trends of divorce rates, violence, killings, dysfunctional families, molestation, suicides, accidents due to drunk driving and promiscuity in the last 50 years. Going up or down? Of course, up. Why is that?
The family unit
As Muslims, we believe in foremost protecting the society before ourselves. And the core unit to any society is the family. If the family is protected, all of those societal ills mentioned above will be decline sharply. That’s why at first, people look at Muslims and say, why do you dress modestly? Why do you do this or that? The answer most of the time (after saying it’s because it’s a command of God) is because it protects our country from societal ills.
One person can ruin society
What happens when it’s the norm to see people nude out on the street? Do you think that after 1, 5, 10 or 50 years, promiscuity and adultery will go up or down? Then divorce rates up or down? Then dysfunctional children going up or down? Then violence up or down?
One person on a radio show saying that she goes nude in public because she’s hot might seem like an innocent thing. Hey, freedom, right? Modernization, right?
Or is it a domino effect that leads to increasing societal ills?
The #1 secret to enjoying life to the fullest
February 15, 2009
Being a Christian for so long, you quickly realize how flimsy your life can be. I mean, after believing that Jesus has died for your salvation, who really needs to do any good after that?
As former Christians, we always believed that it was a nice gesture to give someone a ride, take care of the poor, give our seat to the elderly, buy a gift for our moms, but there’s nothing that really pushed us to do it.
And on the flip side, if we committed some sins or did bad things, really, so what if at the end of the day, we are already saved?
1 Million Flimsy People
This is what I mean by flimsy. And you put 1 million flimsy people together in a society and what do you have? Major societal problems.
My favourite saying back in the day was ‘go with the flow’. If no one knew why we were here and why we die, well, at least we might as well enjoy life to the fullest. At the end of the day, really, who cares if we do something good or bad, useful, or even useless?
Live a life of meaning
Well, in Islam, it’s completely opposite.
Everything we do has benefit to it. Worship is not limited to prayer on Sundays or Fridays. Our scripture is not limited to ancient tales that have no meaning in our present life.
Everything is relevant, with the times and dynamic in Islam and the puzzle pieces all fit perfectly to harmonize our mind, body and soul, giving us internal peace.
We enjoy life to the fullest through ‘ibadah’, sometimes translated as worship but actually means anything that Allah loves and is pleased with, whether it’s a statement of the tongue or an action, outwardly or inwardly.
So if I give someone a ride, take care of the poor, give my seat to the elderly, or buy a gift for my mom, I’m doing it first and foremost to seek the pleasure of Allah, and by doing that I not only feel full of life, but I feel useful in society and I hope that this deed will be weighed in on the Day of Judgement for my salvation.
The Model society
To become an ideal Muslim is to become the model citizen in society. Now, put 1 million ideal Muslims together in a society and what do you have? Matchless civilization.
Would you like your life to have meaning? Would you like to feel useful in society?
