Teaching Islam to Others - Ramadhan Reflections 2019 [Day 24]

And we indeed sent Noah to his people and he stayed among them for (as long as) a thousand years short of fifty years (nine hundred and fifty years). While his people were steeped in wrongdoings they were caught in the deluge. (29:14)   Commentary NUMBER 950: On the 17th day of, we reviewed this verse under the theme of ‘never lose hope’, however as Allah mentioned two numbers in this verse, we bring it up again to review the number 950 – the years which Prophet Nūḥ lived from the time of his open appointment to Prophethood until the flood.  There are many lessons which we can derive from this brief verse, today we look at one more of the outcomes from the life of this Prophet which have a practical significance in our lives - and that is in regards to teaching and educating others about the faith of Islam. The stories of the past nations which Prophet Muhammad was being given by Allah which make up the Quran are not just ‘stories’ to read or to make a movie about – rather they are filled with many of the same moral dilemmas that you and I go through and highlight many of the same pitfalls of life that we experience. Through the recollection of these events, we learn how the spiritually-connected men and women of Allah dealt with such adversities in their lives. When it comes to propagation of the faith of Islam, we definitely do not see ourselves as “missionaries” who spread Islam door to door like others do, however there is a sense of being required to convey the message to those who have not been acquainted with it. Nonetheless, there are certain things we should all keep in mind and whether we like it or not, we must realize that we are all ambassadors of the faith: 1. We should start by educating others about the universals of the faith – such as the Roots of the Religion (Uṣūl al-Dīn) and then once ready, we can introduce them to the particulars – such as the Branches of the Religion (Furūʿ al-Dīn). 2. We must start be ‘living’ around the people and know what they are experiencing and going through so that we can, at least on basic level, be able to relate to them and their lives. 3. We need to be patient and understanding, realizing that if we were “born” into Islam, our whole life has been in this religion and culture – much of which is foreign to others. 4. Ultimately, we must accept that if the individual we are in touch with is not spiritually ready to accept the teachings, then even if we spent an entire life-time with them trying to educate them, it would not have any effect. Point of Reflection When it comes to teaching and educating others about Islam, one of the key requirements is patience and realizing that people we are speaking to may come from a culture which is completely alien to the Islamic system. We should do whatever we can do, however ultimately Allah who is the changer of the hearts and we leave it to Him to ‘convert’ others to the right path.