SHROUDING THE TRUTH
An evil forcefield exists. It grows steadily and stealthily a maw, until it swallows up the heart. Once imprisoned, breaking free becomes nearly impossible.
These encased hearts, whether major or minor, sequester themselves from sooth. Their idolatry forms a blasphemous crust, a shield to all that is good: ‘It does not matter whether you warn them or not: they will not believe’ [2:6].
Most are guilty of the minor sort, kufr al-ṣaghīran, which is to cover or deviate from the truth, but fall short of kufr al-kabīran—covering the Absolute Truth, God.
The two are unmistakably distinguishable. However, both are pervasive and destructive.
I contend that kufr al-saghiran’s lesser nature makes us more susceptible to it. Unlike its counterpart, our heedlessness often allows it to go by undetected, making it extremely treacherous. This latter thought brings to mind the Prophet’s Farewell Sermon when he said, ‘Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.’
The heart’s encrusted state explains the phenomenon of truth-rejection in the face of overwhelming evidence, which is evident in the West’s response to the question of Palestine.
Those fighting for the Palestinian cause, because it is just and not due to tribal affiliations, must bear in mind that truth will not crack open the hearts of most of Israel’s defenders. Still, truth-seeking and its dissemination must remain our occupation, but we must expand the struggle beyond the truth-narrative to gain victory. The price for Palestinian justice is the highest, and the currency is our lives, wealth and freedoms. If we grow prepared, we may yet split open some hearts to the light of truth: ‘How could you not fight a people who have broken their oaths, who tried to drive the Messenger out, who attacked you first? Do you fear them? It is God you should fear if you are true believers. Fight them: God will punish them by your hands, He will disgrace them, He will help you conquer them, He will heal the believers’ feelings. And remove the rage from their (disbelievers) hearts. God turns to whoever He will in His mercy; God is All-Knowing and Wise’ [9:13-15].
When the good people of the world destroy oppression, truth settles in its throne and gains the power to bring its subjects into its fold, including those who wax indignant about truth, justice and peace.
A SANDWICHY LIFE
The Prophet (s) took life as it came, in “a sandwichy sort of way”[i], accepting, patient, forbearing and thankful.
Living a life with riḍā means perfect resignation to Allah’s Will and Decree.
The following exchange, believed to be the words of Rabī’ah, a pious Iraqi woman from Basra who died during the eighth century, beautifully articulates this idea: ‘They asked, ‘When is a servant of God contented?’ She (Rabī’ah) said, ‘When he is as thankful for tribulation as he is for bliss.’
[i] A line from The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Graham
Think, but not too much of yourself. Because if you do, you tend to forget others. Just like those who concentrate their wealth at the top and leave those at the bottom to languish in squalor.
Until next week, InshaAllah
P.S. Remember to write weekly to the President
Zaahied Sallie
Author of The Beloved Prophet – An Illustrated Biography in Rhyme
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