A Shameful Failure!

                        “And the believers, both men and women –

                        they are close (protecting) one another: they

                        all enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid

                        the doing of what is wrong, and are constant

                        in practicing the regular prayer, and render

                        the purifying dues (of alms), and pay heed

                        unto God and His messenger. It is they upon

                        whom God will bestow His grace: verily, God

                        is Almighty, Wise” (Qur’an, 9:71).

The cooperation and mutual support between members of a society in one country, or even between communities in various countries in order to establish goodly harmonious human inter-relations and fair life conditions is considered an obligation for all believers in Islam. This obligation is not only for individuals but also at government levels. Yet what we see nowadays in most countries with Muslim majorities is a great distress and a tragic situation: poverty, famine, casualties, displacements and so many horrible things are taking place.

Of course there are still many generous people who do their duty as good humans and good believers, but because the governments and the establishments in those countries are not doing their duties for the good of the greatest number, the failures are increasing shamefully.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2014 there are 11 million people undernourished in developed countries. The starving people represent 791 million, that is 13.5% or one eighth of the population of the developing countries.

Globally 161 million children (under-five year olds) were estimated to be stunted in 2013. About half of all stunted children live in Asia and over one third in Africa. (Unicef et al 2014 b).

The notorious tyrants governing and different terrorist organizations acting as opponents, both parties in Muslim countries are competing in killing and devastating their countries with the hidden help of their own alleged enemies. They have disregarded the call of the Prophet (peace and God’s blessings upon him): “Be brethren as God’s servitors!” And abandoning God’s call: 

“And hold fast to God’s bond, together, and do not scatter; remember God’s grace upon you when you were enemies, and He brought your hearts together so that by His grace you became brothers; and when you were on the brink of a fiery abyss, He saved you from it. In this way God makes clear His messages, unto you, so that you might find guidance, and that there might grow out of you a community (of people) who invite unto all that is good, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong: and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state!” (3:103-104).

Innocent people among Muslim communities everywhere today are suffering from the terrorists’ violations and the tyrants’ injustices. And in front of all of them, the principal and historic enemies are watching cheerfully, and are even encouraging secretly one party against the other. One can see what is happening in Bangladesh, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Syria, in Palestine, in Yemen, in Egypt and in Libya. Innocent people are suffering tremendously. More than two hundred thousand persons killed in Syria, tens of thousands injured, tens of thousands of houses devastated, mostly by the government’s machines of destruction, causing millions of people to flea and become internal or external refugees, living in horrible inhuman conditions.

God is calling Muslims: “And pay heed unto God and His messenger, and do not (allow yourselves to) be at variance with one another, lest you lose heart and your moral strength desert you. And be patient in adversity: for, verily, God is with those who are patient in adversity” (8:46).

If Muslims individually strengthen their faith in God and perform their duties towards Him in all domains of their life, they will definitely pay heed unto Him and will not allow themselves to be at variance with one another. But most of them now are losing their faith by neglecting the obligatory practices and actions, which they were bound to do. That’s where the title of this article comes from. Real faith in Islam means fulfilling one’s duties, not lifting slogans or giving false claims.