Islam Made Simple

Sharing a few words of M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, a few in series of many to follow... My son! This is a hadïth of the Rasülulläh (Sal.) about Islam: Brothers in Islam! You who are Ïmän-Isläm! You must not see differences between yourselves and your neighbors. You must not discriminate against any religion. You must not oppress or harm any man, no matter what religion or race he may be. Islam is one and Allah is one; just as we in Islam see Allah as one, we must see all mankind as one. All the prophets brought the words of Allah, and all the words they brought are true. Allah sent His messages through each of the prophets, and they brought His commandments step by step. In the revelations contained in the Qur’an, Allah has given the entirety of His teaching. The Qur’an is the ultimate and final teaching, showing everything in its fullness All the children of Adam (A.S.) are brothers and sisters. They are not different. Although they may stand on different steps of the teachings brought by the prophets in their respective times, you must not discriminate against any of them. You must not harass their places of worship, their bodies, or their hearts. You must protect them as you would protect your own life. To comfort the hunger of your neighbor, no matter who he is or what religion he belongs to, is Islam. When someone dies, to join together and give him a decent burial is Islam. To realize the pain and suffering of others and offer your hands in assistance, helping to alleviate their suffering, is Islam. To see division is not Islam. To see other men as different is not Islam. In this world and the next, there must be no prejudice in our hearts, for all will come together on the Day of Reckoning and the Day of Judgment. All of us will come together in heaven. Therefore, we must not see any differences or create any divisions here. Where Allah does not see a difference, we must not see a difference. We must not despise anyone whom Allah loves—and Allah loves everyone. He belongs equally to everyone, just as Islam belongs equally to everyone. Islam is unity, not division. Hurting another is not Islam. Failing to comfort the hunger of your neighbor is not Islam. The purity of Islam is to avoid hurting others; you must regard others as you regard yourself. You must accept Allah’s word totally. There must be no discrimination in your heart against the children of Islam. You who are Islam must understand what is haläl and what is haräm, what is permissible and what is forbidden. You must understand that there is only One worthy of worship. You must understand Qiyämah, the Day of Reckoning, and the Day of Judgment. To understand this world and the next world is Islam. Because Islam is the wealth of grace, you must use that grace to wash and comfort the hearts of others. To truly understand this and see all lives as your own life, without any differences, is the way of Islam. To see your neighbor as yourself, to heal the suffering of others, to share food from the same plate in harmony and peace, to live unified in food and in prayer, in happiness and in sorrow, is the way of Islam. To live separated and divided is not Islam. You must reflect on this. O you who have faith! Do not compare anything to Allah. Do not hold anything equal to Allah. Do not make distinctions between men; king and beggar must be equal in your sight. There must be no difference between rich and poor. No one is rejected by Islam. Islam is one. You must realize this. This is what the Rasülulläh (Sal.) has said. He has given countless ahädïth with his divine lips of grace, from the flower of his divine mouth, his mouth of faith, his mouth of Allah’s grace, and his mouth of Allah’s divine knowledge. O you who have received the wealth of faith! May you understand and act with the clarity of these teachings. M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen