Standard Bearers of Islam - The Movement

8/6/2019 Standard Bearers of Islam - The Movement

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Standard Bearers of Islam

The Movement

What it is and why we need it

Mirza Yawar Baig


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"Islam began as something strange, and

it shall return to being something

strange, so give glad tidings to the

strangers."

Saheeh Hadeeth [Ibn Maajah, Kitaab al fitan 3986


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Genesis

Like most thinking Muslims of our time, over the last few years,

I have also been thinking about the sad state that the Muslim

Ummah finds itself in. Like lost sheep we are large in number

but distracted, disconnected and dispersed, prey to every

passing wolf. All the power, authority, wealth and influence

seems to be in the hands of those who are arrayed against us,

leaving us with little choice if any, even with respect to thewealth which is apparently in our hands. It is they who dispose

of it at will even though on the face of it, we are its owners.

Like most people I too complained, defined our problem and

re-defined it; discussed it, debated it and agonized over it until

I came to the conclusion that none of this was getting me any

closer to a solution. And frankly that was all that mattered.

I read the Quran and the Seerah of Rasoolullah and our

history, both ancient and modern because history has the

potential to teach us lessons. I spoke to people wiser and more

learned than I am and listened carefully to what they had tosay; Ulama and others in several countries. I prayed and asked

for the help of Allah to understand our situation and devise a

way out of it. As I thought about these times I couldnt help

but see many similarities between the situation today and the

situation as it existed in the time of Rasoolullah and his


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Sahaba during the major part of his life in Makkah. They too

had almost no influence, power or wealth. They were the

victims of all kinds of persecution and deprivation. They wereevicted from their homes, boycotted and embargoed, tortured

and some were killed. Yet in one generation, in less than 20

years, the situation completely transformed and Muhammad

and his followers became the leaders of Arabia and the known

world.

The big question of course is, HOW DID IT HAPPEN? HOW DID

THEY DO IT?

The answer is very simple this happened simply by

Muhammad and his followers living Islam. All that they did

was to be Muslims. They were living models of Islam; Standard

Bearers of Islam. They did not spend time in giving speeches

about Islam or holding seminars and symposia about points of

Fiqh. They did not write momentous treatises on the hidden

aspects of this Ayt or that. They lived the Quran. They did not

lecture others about the importance of the Sunnah. They

followed the Sunnah in every single aspect of it. They did not

debate and create nomenclature to distinguish between what is

Haraam and what is Makrooh and within Makrooh what is

Tanzeehi and what is Tahreemi. They did not get stuck in minor

matters of religious observance thereby creating divisions.


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They simply did not do anything that was displeasing to Allah

and His Messenger . They did not ask which sin was big and

which was small. They avoided sin because in their mind it wasnot the quantum or nature of the disobedience but who was

being disobeyed, that was important. And that is why when

Allah said the word Believers He meant the Sahaba.

So there it was the answer to my question, What should we do

to help ourselves? The solution was clear as daylight:

Be Muslims as the Sahaba were Muslim.

Become Standard Bearers of Islam.

I realized that it was necessary for us to go back to the basics

and see how Rasoolullah and his Sahaba practiced Islam and

do the same with the hope that Allah would then change our

condition when He saw that we were ready to do His work and

to give it precedence over our own desires and pursuits. It is

really quite simple. We are the ones who complicate it for

ourselves and then suffer.

The Quran is quite clear on the fact that the decisions of

Allah that are made with respect to our lives in this world are

related to our actions. Good begets good and evil begets evil.


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Ar-Rum 30:41. Evil (sins and disobedience of Allh) has

appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men

have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that Allh may

make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order

that they may return (by repenting to Allh).

Also that the solution lies within us:

Ar Raad 13: 11.. Verily! Allh will not change the good

condition of a people as long as they do not change their state

of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being

ungrateful and disobedient to Allh).

And that is how the idea of becoming Standard Bearers of

Islam was born. I believe therefore that the solution to our

problems today globally is to return to the Sunnah of

Rasoolullah and be as the Sahaba were true to Islam to

the best of our ability. I agree we are weak and we ask for the

help of Allah . But we need to do our part.


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I want to begin with a quote from the great scholar and student

of Shaikh ul Islam Ibn Taimiya, Imam Ibn al Qayyim Al

Jawziyya who says in his booklet Al Ghurbathu wa Al Ghuraba:

The Meaning of Strangeness

Many times in many situations the people who follow the

religion of Allah feel a sense of not belonging, of being out of

place, of not fitting in, and, in other words, of being strange.This feeling could occur in a gathering of non-Muslims, but,

unfortunately, this feeling sometimes also occurs when one is

with his fellow Muslims. A person sees his brothers and sisters

doing acts that are contrary to Islam, or taking part in

innovations that sometimes even border on kufr (apostasy), yet

he feels that he does not have enough power or courage to stop

them in these acts. Some brothers and sisters, especially if they

do not have enough taqwa or Islamic knowledge, sometimes

buckle under the pressure of their peers and join in these acts,

knowing that this is not what Allah wants them to do.

However, feeling helpless, since it seems that they are alone intheir ideas and without any support to help them do what is

right, they succumb to such pressures.

These brothers and sisters, may Allah have mercy on them,

should take consolation in the verses of the Quran and the


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many statements of the Prophet describing this very

situation of strangeness that they feel.

Why Have They Been Called Strangers?

Allah says in the Quran,

Hud 11:116.If only there had been among the generations

before you, persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others)

from Al-Fasad (disbelief, polytheism, and all kinds of crimes

and sins) in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved

from among them. Those who did wrong pursued the

enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and

were Mujrimn (criminals, sinners).

This verse speaks of the few people on earth, the strangers,

who prohibit mankind from evil. These are the same people the

Prophet spoke about when he said, "Islam began as

something strange, and it shall return to being

something strange, so give glad tidings[ar. Tooba. This is

a tree in Paradise. So the Prophet is giving the good news of


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Paradise to these strangers]to the strangers." He was asked,

"Who are those strangers, Ya Rasoolullah ?" He replied,

Those that correct the people when they becomecorrupt. [Reported by Abu Amr al-Dani, from the hadith of

ibn Masoud].

Another narration says, Those that correct my Sunnah

which has been corrupted by the people after me. In

another narration he said in response to the same question,They are a small group of people among a large evil

population. Those who oppose them are more than

those who follow them. [Reported by ibn Asaakir]

These praiseworthy people are called strangers since they are a

small minority among mankind. Thus, Muslims are strangers

among mankind; the true believers are strangers among

Muslims; and the scholars are strangers among the true

believers. And the followers of the Sunnah, those that clear

themselves from all peoples of innovation, are likewise

strangers.

In reality, however, their strangeness is only because they are

the minority and it is not because their actions and beliefs are

strange. This is what Allah says in Sura al-Anaam,


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Anam 6:116.And if you obey most of those on earth, they

will mislead you far away from Allh's Path. They follow

nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.

Allah also says,

Yusuf 12:103.And most of mankind will not believe even if

you desire it eagerly.

Al Maaidah 5:49. . And so judge (you O Muhammad )

between them by what Allh has revealed and follow not their

vain desires, but beware of them lest they turn you (O

Muhammad)far away from some of that which Allh has sent

down to you. And if they turn away, then know that Allh's

Will is to punish them for some sins of theirs. And truly, most

of men are Fsiqn (rebellious and disobedient)


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Yusuf 12: 38. "And I have followed the religion of my fathers,

- Ibrahm, Ishque and Ya'qb, and never could we attribute

any partners whatsoever to Allh. This is from the Grace of

Allh to us and to mankind, but most of mankind are

ungrateful.

Therefore, Allah , the all-Knowing Creator, knows the most of

mankind will not follow the truth. Instead, only a small group of

people will be set apart that truly and correctly believe in Him,

the strangers from among mankind. The strangers in belief,

however, and the strangers in character and actions are in

reality the majority of mankind, for they are strange to Islam

and to the laws that Allah has revealed.

I would like to begin with this quote from Imam Ibn al Qayyim

Al Jawziyya because I believe it describes in the words of the

hadith the essence of the concept of being a Standard Bearer of

Islam. It encapsulates the purpose for which Allah sent

Rasoolullah - to guide and show the way. This is the purpose

that we inherited by being his followers to give to the world.


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To give to mankind a standard by which to live. To give it by

living it ourselves and demonstrating it as did Rasoolullah .

A standard is something to aspire to, to aim to reach, to

benchmark and measure yourself against to see if you are able

to meet it. A standard is a flag, high and alone on its staff;

establishing its presence, a symbol of great thoughts and ideas,

a guide to the lost. A standard is the flag which represents its

nation, a symbol of respect. A standard is called a standard

because it stands out. A flag drying on a clothes line is laundry.

A flag flying high on its staff is saluted.

A Standard Bearer is the one who carries the flag in battle. In

the days of cavalry warfare the Standard Bearer would carrythe battle standard around which the troops would rally. As

long as they saw their flag flying their morale remained high. If

the flag fell it would demoralize the soldiers. The Standard

Bearer would not be armed. His only job was to keep the flag

flying as the battle wore on. His comrades would surround him

and protect him from the enemy. On the other hand the

Standard Bearer would be the focus of attack of the enemy

because if they could cut him down it would have a far bigger

effect than the death of any other soldier and would be a great

victory. The Standard Bearer was the symbol of the force, the


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symbol of the nation. The Standard Bearer was not an ordinary

soldier.

To relate this to our lives today as Muslims, living in a world

that seems to be rushing headlong towards moral and ethical

destruction, the term Standard Bearer has special relevance. A

Standard Bearer of Islam therefore is someone who is the

embodiment of the Islamic Way. This person is a walking,

talking, living model of the beauty of Islam; completely

obedient to Allah and a follower of the Sunnah of

Rasoolullah . A Standard Bearer of Islam is someone who you

would point to if someone asked you, Who is a Muslim? A

Standard Bearer of Islam would be confident of him/herself, not

apologetic; stand out from the crowd, not blend in; be proud of

his/her Islam and practice it joyously as a matter of choice.

Islam to the Standard Bearer would be the primary focus, the

criterion for every decision, the basis of his/her identity and

definition. He/she would differentiate on the basis of Islam and

Islam would be their Brand; their Signature.

A Standard Bearer of Islam would be someone who considers

their Islam to be the greatest gift from Allah and consider it a

privilege to be its Standard Bearer which they would not

exchange for all the gold in the world. A Standard Bearer of


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Islam would understand that being a Standard Bearer is

sometimes a lonely job and would be ready for it and be proud

of it. After all it is the ideology behind the flag that converts apiece of cloth into a symbol that is saluted.

Becoming a Standard Bearer of Islam

So what does it take to become a Standard Bearer of Islam?

Allah said about the first Standard Bearer of Islam:

Al Ahzab 33:21 Indeed in the Messenger of Allh

(Muhammad ) you have a good example to follow for him

who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allh and the Last Day and

remembers Allh much.

Allah sent Muhammad to be a living model of His Message,to demonstrate Islam in practice in every aspect of life and

therefore in this Ayt Allah quoted the whole life of

Rasoolullah as an example for us to follow and related it to

our meeting with Him on the Day of Judgment. An example is

meant to be followed and to be handed down from generation


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to generation and that is what the Sahaba did with the model

they learnt from Rasoolullah . They were Standard Bearers of

Islam who carried this standard with them wherever they wentand practiced it in societies where they stood out as Strangers

because their way was Strange. Strange in the way that the

one who stands up for justice looks strange in a land where

oppression is the way of life. Strange in the way as the one

who is modest and dignified looks strange among a collection of

people intoxicated with self indulgent shamelessness. Strange

in the way that honesty and integrity looks strange amidst

corruption and lies. But it was this very strangeness that

caused people to stop and look; to compare themselves to the

Strangers; to consider their own lives and the bankruptcy of

values, ethics and morals that they were immersed in and to

decide to change. Islam did not spread because the Sahaba

became like everyone else. Islam spread because the Sahaba

stood out. Islam spread because it was Strange. It spread

because of the Strangers.

There are four steps to becoming a Standard Bearer of Islam:

1. The Niyyah making the intention2. Taalluq MaAllah connection with Allah3. Tarbiyyat thoughtful upbringing4. Ihsaan excellence in everything we do


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1. The Niyyah making the intentionOn the authority of Ameer ul -Mumineen Umar ibn al-Khattab

(may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the

Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

say, Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have

only that which he intended. Thus he whose migration (Hijra

from Makkah to Madina) was for Allah and His Messenger, his

migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose

migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some

woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he

migrated. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Choosing to become a Standard Bearer of Islam starts in a

quiet, small, dark room with making a conscious intention

because it is a very serious business. It is a lifestyle choice that

depending on the kind of society we live in, can be difficult to

practice. Making a conscious intention to be a Standard Bearer

of Islam means transforming our life. It means deciding tochange our own way of thinking, seeing, living, speaking, acting

and being satisfied. It changes the way we look at life; what we

are happy about, what we aspire for, what we stay away from

and what we stand up for irrespective of how inconvenient or

painful this may prove to be.


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It means changing our standards, role models, icons; who we

like and who we dont and the reasons for both. Choosing to be

a Standard Bearer of Islam means not only changing behaviorbut going deeper than that to the ethics, morals, values,

beliefs, attitudes and desires that the behavior emanates from.

Yet the person who is conscious of the value of being a

Standard Bearer of Islam chooses this path not despite its

difficulty but because of it. He does it for the same reason that

a person chooses to climb Mount Everest not because of the

ease or difficulty of the climb but for the satisfaction of reaching

the top a place where only the best can hope to reach. So we

begin with the intention and ask Allah for His help.

Allah does not accept anything that is impure, so the purity ofthe intention must also be examined what is the intention for?

Is it to please Allah alone or is it for worldly gain, name, fame

or popularity? In the course of this reflection and consciously

making the niyyah we must not forget to examine our niyyah

for Ikhlaas sincerity and the desire to please Allah alone. If

this is missing then the whole exercise is futile. So one must

constantly monitor the niyyah. It is important to remember that

making the niyyah is not a one-time thing. The niyyah must be

made and constantly renewed, examined for sincerity and re-

examined again and again. It is like going into a crowded fair


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with a lot of money in our pocket. We are ever conscious of the

money and continuously check to keep it safe from pickpockets.

The biggest pickpocket of niyyah is Shaytaan and so one mustalways be aware of this and guard against him and not allow

the slightest Riya (ostentation, showing off, seeking others

approval) from creeping into the niyyah.

2. Taalluq MaAllah connection with Allah It is not within the scope of this paper to go into the details of

all that needs to be done to gain closeness to Allah . I will

suffice to say that in order of priority the steps are:

a. Tazkiyatun Nafs Purifying the Selfb. Glorifying and thanking Allah - Shukrc. Kasratus Sujood wa Tilawatil Quran wa Dhikrullah

a. Tazkiyatun Nafs Purifying the SelfWhat do you do when you have the best seed in the world and

want to plant it? You first prepare the soil. Without preparing

the soil the best seed in the world will not germinate or grow

satisfactorily.

So also with becoming a Standard Bearer of Islam; we have to

prepare the soil the Self first. The Self must be prepared to


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receive the message of Islam. This preparation is the essence

of Tazkiyatun Nafs purification of the self.

Tazkiyya begins with Tawba repentance from all sin and

disobedience and returning to Allah from whom Shaytaan had

separated us. Of being genuinely contrite and repentant,

making amends where this may be required and hating the

actions of disobedience that we used to do such that we would

never consider repeating any of them at any cost.

Tazkiyya also consists of Tahara purifying ones body,

clothes, home, friends and ones life from all forms of impurity

and disobedience. We must make a detailed Muhasiba

accounting of our entire life to identify the impurities that it

contains. Some may be physical and others mental and

spiritual. Arrogance, race or caste pride, absence of humility,

argumentativeness, rebelliousness, rigidity on own opinion, self-

importance, self righteousness, seeking pleasure, avoiding the

pain of learning, unwillingness to accept own mistakes,

tendency to point out others mistakes, looking down on others,

high opinion about our own knowledge or ability and a lack of

respect for others are all illnesses of the self which must be

cured. Each must be addressed individually and worked on to

eliminate. Still others may be with respect to people

unsuitable friends whose ideas, beliefs and attitudes dont


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match with our intention to become Standard Bearers of Islam.

Such people are an impediment to our own growth and will

inhibit our connection with Allah . All impurities must becleansed and removed from our lives in order to prepare the

ground to connect with Allah . This cleansing must be done

with what we eat, earn, spend, wear, see, read, listen, speak

and live with. Everything must be examined to ensure that it is

pure. Allah is pure and likes only what is pure.

b. Glorifying and thanking Allah - ShukrThen comes reaffirming the Tawheed of Allah

( )that He is pure and free from all associates

and purifying our lives from all forms of Shirk. Along with this

we must be thankful to Him ( ) for all that Hehas given us and praising His Majesty and Magnificence

( )

It is essential to develop the habit to constantly thank Allah

and glorify Him as it is His right. Allah promised to increase

His bounty if we thank Him for what He has given us and so

thanking Allah is a very important part of developing

closeness to Him. Learning to see the glory of Allah in His

creation increases our Imaan and Yaqeen and enables us to

love Allah . In todays world, given our scientific development

and tools it becomes ever easier to see the glory of Allah s


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creation and to praise His greatness provided of course that

we learn to recognize Allah . This love makes it easy to obey

Him because we want to please the One we love who is theonly one worth pleasing. We only have to look around us and

within ourselves and all that Allah has created and blessed us

with to simply spend the rest of our days in Sujood.

Ibrahim 14: 7.And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed:

"If you give thanks, I will give you more (of My Blessings), but

if you are thankless (disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is

indeed severe."

But unfortunately it seems to be human nature to be thankless

and this is something that we must guard against very

carefully.


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Al Aaraf 7: 10. And surely, We gave you authority on the

earth and appointed for you therein provisions (for your

life). Little thanks do you give.

Al Muminoon 23:78. It is He, Who has created for you

(the sense of) hearing (ears), sight (eyes), and hearts

(understanding). Little thanks you give.

As Sajda 32: 9. Then He fashioned him in due proportion,

and breathed into him the soul (created by Allh for that

person), and He gave you hearing (ears), sight (eyes) and

hearts. Little is the thanks you give!

The problem is that we have become conditioned to taking His

blessings for granted and ignoring them until they are taken

away and only then we become aware of what we lost. How

many of us thank Allah for painless joints which enable us to

perform Salah in the right manner without pain? How many of

us thank Allah for good eyesight which enables us to read


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without glasses? I could go on endlessly but I believe the point

is made. We need to live thoughtfully and consciously and

count the blessings of Allah and thank Him for them andglorify His Majesty and Magnificence.

c. Kasratus Sujood wa Tilawatil Quran wa Dhikrullah(Increased worship of Allah , reading the Quran and

remembering Allah )

One of the students of Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) asked his

servant about the private life of Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA); what

he did when he was at home. The servant said, He would

recite Quran and wait for the time of Salah. Constant

remembrance of Allah was the way of Rasoolullah and his

Sahaba.

Rasoolullah taught us to say Ghufraanak when we leave the

toilet because that is the only place which is not suitable for us

to remember Allah and so His Dhikr is interrupted.

Rasoolullah told us that the slave is closest to Allah in

sajda so increasing our prayers is essential. Tahajjud is the time

where Allah descends to the lowest heaven in a manner that

is in keeping with His Majesty and about which He knows best

and listens to our dua. We must make tahajjud fardh on


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ourselves. Imaam Sufyan Thawri (RA) said, I was prevented

from Tahajjud for 5 months because of a sin I committed.

Hasan Al Basri (RA) said, Obey Allah during the day and Hewill make it easy for you to get up in the night. The Salaf

understood that good deeds are a result of the tawfeeq of

Allah and that one needs to ask Allah for them and work so

that Allah would make them possible and easy to do.

Rasoolullah said that if Allah accepts a deed He makes iteasy for one to do that deed again. So therefore the ability to

do good deeds is a sign of the pleasure of Allah and if a good

deed that one used to do, starts to be missed then it is a sign

that perhaps Allah is displeased. One must immediately take

heed and make Tawba and seek to re-establish his connection

with Allah .

There is a mistaken notion among the people that Nawaafil are

unimportant and may be neglected. This is one of the signs of

ignorance that happens when knowledge is learnt by those who

have had no tarbiyyat. They extract wrong meanings from

knowledge. The only difference between Faraaidh and Nawaafil

is that with respect to the latter there is no punishment

associated with leaving them. This is the grace and mercy of

Allah and not a reason to neglect them. We need to


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remember that it is with Nawaafil that a slave shows Allah

how much he loves Him and due to which Allah permits him

among His Awlia as we know from the Hadith Qudsi where

Rasoolullah informed us:

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA), who said that

Rasoolullah said:Allah said:Whosoever shows enmity to

my Awlia (someone devoted to Me), I shall be at war with him.

My slave draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me

than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My

servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory

works (Nawaafil) so that I shall love him. When I love him I am

his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees,

his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks.

Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to

him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant

him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate

about [seizing] the soul of My faithful slave: he hates death and

I hate hurting him."[Bukhari]

This extends to all acts of Nawaafil including fasting, charity,

service, keeping good relations with family and neighbors,

being hospitable to guests and so on and so one must seek to

increase all of these deeds. The Sahaba understood this best


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and their lives mirrored this understanding. They extended

themselves in doing all kinds of extra actions to please Allah .

Imagine a situation where Muslims today start to imitate theSahaba and do what they used to do. What do you think will

happen to the Muslim image if we imitated Abu Bakr Siddeeq

(RA) in the way we deal with others?

Every morning before Fajr Abu Bakr Siddeeq (RA) used to go to

the outskirts of Madina to a camp. He would enter the camp

and spend some time there and then would return. When Abu

Bakr Siddeeq (RA) passed away Sayyidina Omar (RA) decided

to find out who lived in this camp. He went there and found an

old woman who was almost blind with age. He asked her about

herself and she replied, I am an old woman who has nobody in

the world and I live alone here with my sheep. Every morning

there is a man from Madina who comes here, sweeps my tent,

cooks my food, milks my sheep and takes care of them and

leaves. Without him and his care I would have been unable to

survive. Omar asked, Do you know who that is? She said that

she had no idea who the man was. He had never mentioned

this to her. Omar (RA) told her, That was the Ameer ul

Mumineen Abu Bakr Siddeeq (RA).


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I will suffice with this example as it is not in the scope of this

paper to go into more detail. What is important to remember is

that Tazkiyya is like a special health checkup and regimen; itneeds to be done under the supervision of a Shaikh trained in

its science and knowledgeable in diagnosing the illness and

prescribing a cure. Like physical illnesses, spiritual illnesses also

have specific symptoms and cures which must be applied. While

we dont need a Shaikh to tell us to perform Tahajjud or make

Dhikr; to diagnose problems that may be hindering us in our

spiritual journey of getting close to Allah we need to consult

an expert. Considering ourselves self-sufficient with respect to a

teacher; that we dont need a teacher; is a sign of arrogance

and a major illness of the heart which will inhibit all learning

and closeness to Allah .

Meanwhile it is important to have taqwa and ask Allah s help

with understanding His knowledge.

Al Baqarah 2:282 So have taqwa ofAllah andAllah

teaches (will teach) you

In a Hadith Qudsi Rasoolullah informed us:


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On the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA), who said that

Rasoolullah said:

"Allah the Almighty said: 'I am as My slave thinks I am (1). I

am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes

mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and

if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of

him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me

an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he

comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed."

(1) Another possible rendering of the Arabic is: 'I am as My slave expects Me

to be.' The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance of repentance by the

Almighty is subject to His slave truly believing that He is forgiving and

merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be

to mock the Almighty. [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn-Majah]

3. Tarbiyyat Thoughtful upbringingIslam is all about practice. Islamically there is no such thing as

a non-practicing Muslim. A Muslim by definition is one who

practices Islam, not someone who merely knows about Islam

but does not practice it. So if someone does not practice Islam

he cant be called a Muslim. That is the reason Tarbiyyat is so

critical in Islam. Rules of behavior, of dealing with people in all

aspects of life are essential to create morally upright citizens


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who can influence society. Todays social problems, be those at

a micro or a global level can all be essentially traced to a lack of

Tarbiyyat. Quite illogically today we take our frenetic lifestyleschasing after material wealth as the given and seek magic

foolproof automated methods to bring up our children which

dont include our own time and energy. We imagine that if we

throw enough money at it, this problem of badly brought up

children who will grow up into uncaring, selfish adults will

vanish on its own. This is a fallacy. Upbringing is not a factor of

money but of time and thoughtfulness. And there are no

shortcuts to it.

The areas of operation of Islamic influence are five:

1. Aqeeda (Belief & Creed),2. Ibaadah (Worship),3. Muamilaat (Dealings),4. Muaashirat (Society),5. Akhlaaq (Manners)

It is important to pay equal attention to all. That is the reason

why Rasoolullah said, I have been sent to teach Akhlaaq.

That does not mean that the Aqeeda is not important but that

Akhlaaq are as important as Aqeeda in the upbringing of

people. Today while some attention is paid to the first two of


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these five aspects of the Islamic Way, the last three are either

totally neglected altogether or we adopt the ways of others

leaving our own ways, mostly because of ignorance.

The source material for Muamilaat, Muaashirat and Akhlaaq is

also to be found in the Quran and Sunnah and the Seerah of

Rasoolullah and the life history of his Sahaba. It is important

to study this in detail with a view to extracting relevant

information from it and then convert it into a teachable form

that can be imparted to children and adults alike and

implemented in society.

For example if we look at modern so-called democratic systems

of government and how they are manipulated by people in

leadership positions and ask, What is the Islamic Way; which is

not open to manipulation and which will ensure that we elect

good leaders with integrity?; the answer lies in looking at what

made Abu Bakr Siddique (RA) and Omar ibn Al Khattab (RA)

good leaders. What was the foundation, the basic strength

which ensured that they did the right thing? That was the

taqwa of Allah and the certainty that they would be held

accountable. That is what protected them from Shaytaan and

all his devices. It is not that they did not have desires or that

they did not know what they could get by manipulation.


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It is their taqwa that prevented them from doing anything that

would anger Allah . That is the key and Tarbiyyat is the tool to

achieve this level of taqwa.

Any system has two aspects to it the structure and the person

in the structure. Like two sides of an equation both are equally

important if one is to get the result that their combination is

supposed to give. If we have the right people in the wrong

structure their energy will get dissipated in coping with the

stress of the structure. If we have the wrong kind of people in

the right structure the people will sabotage the structure and

manipulate it to suit their own selfish ends. That is why both

are important the right structure and the right people. One

cant substitute for the other.

Tarbiyyat must cover all aspects of Muamilaat, Muaashirat and

Akhlaaq. The right way to do anything must be reinforced

through demonstration by elders/teachers in daily life as well as

by simulations, questions, assignments and tasks that are

specially designed to extract the desired learning. Once again

this paper is not the place to go into the details of all these

things but I would like to emphasize the importance of ensuring

that Tarbiyyat is given the importance that it eminently

deserves. Lastly Tarbiyyat is not a onetime thing. It is ongoing


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training by practical demonstration where standards are clearly

practiced by those who set them and then are insisted upon

without fear or favor from everyone who claims to be Muslim.

Punctuality is a good case in point. Muslims are today known

for their lack of punctuality. We hear a lot of jokes about

Muslim time or Arab time. This is shameful because making

an appointment or promising to deliver something at a

particular time and not adhering to it is to break trust which is

one of the signs of Nifaaq (hypocrisy). Time is a number. It is

not a concept open to interpretation. 8.00 am means precisely

8.00 am. Nothing more. Nothing less. When you are late for an

appointment it indicates a lack of respect for the other person,

a lack of seriousness about the matter, no value for others

time, a lack of reliability on your part with respect to all that is

to follow and a breach of trust which may happen again and

therefore which renders you untrustworthy. We need to

seriously ask if this is what we want people to believe about us;

that we are a people who cant be trusted and relied upon, whodont respect others and who are not serious about any matter.

Sadly this is the general opinion about Muslims arising out of an

apparently small matter of failing to be punctual. Tarbiyyat is

about sensitizing people to the serious consequences of so-

called small matters which they tend to ignore.


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4. Ihsaan excellence in everything we do

The fourth issue is of excellence Al Ihsaan. It is amazing howmany of these concepts have their origin in Islam yet we

Muslims seem to be innocent of them both in knowledge and

practice. It is high time that we changed our ways and went

back to the Sunnah of Rasoolullah and the teachings he

brought for us so that once again we are looked up to as role

models by the world.

In the famous hadith of Jibreel (AS) narrated by Omar Ibn Al

Khattab (RA), Rasoolullah answered the question of Jibreel

(AS) about Al Ihsaan as:

: .:

He (the enquirer Jibreel -AS) said: Inform me about al-Ihsan

(excellence). He(Rasoolullah ) said: That you worship Allah

as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He,

verily, sees you.

If we look at this hadith it gives us the best example possible to

define the Muslim attitude to everything in life to seek

excellence. As the hadith says, we are supposed to pray as if


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we see Allah . And to be aware that He sees us even though

we cant see him. Ihsan or the Islamic concept of excellence is

to do everything knowing that Allah is seeing us and is awarenot only of what we are doing but of why we are doing it.

Allah not only sees everything but is also aware of what we

have in our hearts, our reasons for doing things and so knows

whether those reasons are honorable or not. This is important

because the reason determines the worth of the action as we

mentioned in the beginning of this article. So what we do and

why we do it are both important and Allah is aware of both.

A Muslim therefore does every action knowing that Allah is all

aware and all seeing and so he does only that which is pleasing

to Allah .

Another major reason for excellence is because the person

recognizes that he/she is defined and recognized by his output.

He does not work to show others; he works because his work is

his signature and differentiator in the market. I recall an

incident when I used to live in South India on the Kerala-

Karnataka border. I was having some wooden furniture made.

The carpenters were from Kerala and were famous for their

quality. As is the practice in these matters, the client is

supposed to provide material and pay for the labor. As we were

making a list of the material, the carpenter asked for 7 grades


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of sandpaper. I was astonished and my immediate reaction was

irritation at what I saw as something that would only delay the

whole process.Why do you need 7 grades? Why cant you do with less and

work faster? I demanded.

As I mentioned, the carpenter was from Kerala and not long on

patience. He simply told me, This is what I need. If you want

to bring it, I will take this job. Otherwise you can give it to

someone else. Then he softened a little and said to me, When

someone comes to visit you and sees this furniture, I want

them to ask, Who made this furniture? Not, Who on earth

made this furniture? Actually he said this in Malayalam and

used the exact same words but with a slight change in

intonation and a slight pause which completely changes the

meaning from praise to blame.

I got the message and brought him his sandpaper and he made

me wooden furniture which when finished was as smooth as

glass. Indeed when our friends visited they marveled at thequality of the finish. The lesson for me was in the pride that a

master craftsman takes in his work because he knows it defines

him and his art. That is what I understand by Al Ihsaan. To do

something in the best way that I know how because that is who

I am, that is what gives me joy, that is my signature.


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Finally another reason for Muslims to focus on excellence even

more today is because of the tendency of the world to define

everything a Muslim does as a factor of his Islam. Sometimeswe feel this is unjustified and complain that the actions of

Muslims should not be taken to be reflective of Islam but I

remind myself and you that is that this complaining is a modern

phenomenon. The Sahaba, when asked about Islam used to

say, Kunu mithlana. Be like us. For the Sahaba, Islam was

them and their life and they were Islam to all those who

wanted to know what Islam was. So why should we run away

from this definition today? Let the world see every action of

ours as a reflection of Islam and let us therefore ensure that

this reflection is always positive. Let us show the people of the

world that the people have changed but the religion is the same

and can still be the beacon of guidance today that it was 1400

years ago.

I believe passionately that this is possible with the right training

and education. What we need is to create a system wherechildren are given the knowledge and tarbiyyat that will make

them true representatives of Islam in terms of their beliefs,

values, ethics, morals attitudes, speech and action. If we can

achieve this, we would have succeeded in bringing alive the

memory of the generation of the Sahaba in all its goodness.


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It is true that all of the above can be done individually but

global influence is also a numbers game. So if we want the

goodness of the Islamic Way to become visible and palpableworldwide we believe that a systems approach is necessary.

With that in mind we have conceptualized a learning institution

that is designed to produce men and women with the values,

ethics and character of the blessed generation that I mentioned

above. We believe that in order to achieve greatness it is

necessary to first dream of great things and this we are not

afraid to do. We dream and we ask the One who sent the

dream for the strength and guidance to make it come true.

Others have understood the importance of institutionalizing

leadership development to get powerful results for a long time.

The British Empire established two schools; Eton (Estd. 1440 by

Royal Charter King Henry VI) and Harrow (Estd. 1572 by Royal

Charter, Queen Elizabeth I) who between them have produced 27

British Prime Ministers alone.

Global leadership is not an accident. It is the result of investing

thought, time and resources consistently in pursuit of a vision

that spans generations. People who are serious about ruling the

world have long understood this and have invested unstintingly

in something that they have always considered worthwhile.


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As Muslims we are fond of talking about global leadership and

about how this is a sacred duty and a task that Allah sent us

to accomplish. The question is, Are we willing to put our moneywhere our mouth is? Or are we going to remain among those

who talk about global leadership but spend our money to build

palaces, malls, hotels and towers and to buy toys albeit

expensive ones? We need to remember that no matter what we

decide to do, Allah will hold us accountable for what He sent

us to accomplish. We can either be honored for a job well done

or be punished for neglecting our duty. And just to put this in

perspective; the cost of one A-380standard jet without

customizing will build 42 academies like the one I am

describing below. The choice is ours to make.

We are currently a repository of knowledge. We are like those

who own a library of automobile engineering books but walk

home every day. We need to convert knowledge into practical

reality that makes winners in this world. Then not only we, but

the whole world will ride.

As we know from the history of Montessori education, the most

powerful way to convince the world to try a new method is to

show them a successful working model and that is why we

conceptualized the Standard Bearers Academy. To show the

Muslims what is possible to do. After that it is up to them.


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The Standard Bearers Academy

Lighting up the world by igniting minds

A unique comprehensive integrated global initiative with:

1. International school to create Muslim Role Models2. Research Center to give solutions to the world based on

the Islamic Way

3. Academy for Applied Islam: PG Course in Applied Islamfor youth to become Standard Bearers of Islam

4. Teachers Training College: Give teachers to the World:Teaching an integrated curriculum of Islam & Science


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To give Role Models to the world who will make Islam visible in

all its beauty in all aspects of life for the benefit of all mankind.

The Standard Bearers Academy (SBA) will be an international

center of learning and excellence comprised of four units:

1. SBA International School: Children who will get the besteducation that is possible to get in terms of todays

technology in an institution built to global standards:

IGCSE & IBO syllabus Tahfeezul Quran + Uloom ul Shari'ah Arabic, English + 1 other language Integrated teaching methodology Leadership development, Islamic values, etiquette,

sports, international exposure, inter-religious contact

2. Research Center: Through in-depth research createconcept papers and working models for:

Sustainable economic development Local government & international relations Value based education for social justice Solutions for emerging societal issues

3. Academy of Applied Islam: Young achievers from allover the world (21+) educated in various disciplines:

One year PG Course in Applied Islam

Muslim Identity, Muslim Character, Leadership Skills


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Will return to their countries & create Centers ofExcellence to demonstrate Islam in practice

4.

Teachers Training College: Giving teachers to the world Tarbiyyat: Mould the complete person Integrated teaching How to bring the Creator into the class Teaching values by demonstration Teaching love for service Teaching communication, teamwork, conflict resolution,

decision making & leadership

The SBA International School

This will be a residential school built to global standards: World

Class Education in a World Class Center. We have created a

comprehensive integrated curriculum taught creatively giving

individual attention to each child in our patented way to give

the best of modern education along with Islamic education.

Our focus is on building global leaders. So this is not yet

another international school. The curriculum will include:

Personal attention to value based upbringing includingQuran, Tazkiyya, Sunnah, Seerah, social skills,

communication & presentation, public speaking, teamwork,

influencing, problem solving.


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All will be Standard Bearers of Islam in their chosen field of

endeavor.

Academy of Applied Islam

Handpicked young achievers who have completed their basic

education and are poised to enter working life will be invited to

join the Academy for a one-year Post Graduate Course in

Applied Islam. The curriculum will focus on three core areas:

1. Muslim Identitya. Exploring own attitudes about the Muslim identityb. Understanding the Muslim identity: Brandc. What does the Muslim identity comprise of?d.

Tafseer of Quran & Tajweed & Recitation

e. Usool of Hadith and study of selected Ahadithf. Usool of Fiqh of all four schoolsg. Maqaasid us Shariahh. Total Immersion Course in Arabic

2. Muslim Charactera. What differentiates me as a Muslim and how does it

make me a winner?

b. With reference to the Quran and Sunnah, what arethe essential elements of the Muslim character?


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c. Personal Assessment with respect to the MuslimCharacter: Where do I stand and what do I need to

do to meet the standard?d. Tazkiyatun Nafs Baatini Islah (Purification of the

soul & Internal correction)

e. Seerah of Rasoolullah : Lessons to applyf. History of Khulafa ar Raashida & Sahabag. Brief history of Islam: Lessons to be learnt todayh. History of Revivers of Islam: Lessons to applyi. Critical study of various Islamic movements: Lessons

3. Leadership Skillsa. Public Speaking & Presentationb. Negotiation & Arbitration Skillsc. Conflict Resolutiond. Leading Teams & Working on Teamse. Disagreeing without being disagreeablef. Problem Solving & Decision Making: Tools &

Techniques

g. Creative Writing, Investigative Journalism, NewsReporting, Film Making, Photography, Web Design,

Blogging, Internet Broadcasting, New technology

h. Daawa of Islam: Presenting Islam & Invitingtowards Allah


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The emphasis will be to empower graduates to set up centers

of excellence on the SBA model in their countries where they

become sources of goodness for all in their society.

Research Center for Application Models

Research forms a very critical element of this entire vision and

SBAs research will be focused on creating initiatives to handle

the challenges of the current and future environment. Our

research scholars will focus on societal issues and create

working models to solve problems, using Islamic ideology.

Working models and research papers will be published

internationally. Our purpose is to show the world a better way

that will benefit all people irrespective of their religion, race,

nationality or culture.

I coined the termApplied Islamin order to focus on

specifically taking the teachings of Islam the final leg, to

demonstrate their beauty through practice. This is an area that

the Muslim Ummah worldwide has been very lacking in. There

has and continues to be a great deal of focus on preserving and

learning the theoretical teachings of Islam but almost nothing

on actually converting them into practical working models in

todays world that can be easily taught and practiced.


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It is our intention to bridge this gap in the SBA so that people

can actually see Islam in practice.

Teachers will be research scholars and professors who may be

engaged on a remote, visiting or full time basis. There will be a

vibrant exchange program with major international universities

where faculty from the Academy will spend time in learning,

teaching and influencing. Faculty and research scholars of the

Academy will be on an intensive scholastic-academic

assessment program which will enable them to benchmark

themselves against the Best-in-the-World and become role

models. Major importance will be given to publishing, consulting

with international bodies and a 360 degree Appraisal system

will be implemented for faculty to help them assess their ownteaching effectiveness.

Research may also be done remotely through affiliation with

international universities where doctoral thesis and post-

doctoral projects on specific areas of interest may be funded by

the Academy. This will help us to leverage resources globally.State of the art communication, networking and data

processing facilities will be available for the research scholars to

work in a highly conducive and intellectually stimulating and

challenging environment.


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We recognize that learning does not come from books alone

but from the company of the learned. It was the company of

Rasoolullah that made the Sahaba the special generationthat they were. Consequently eminent scholars will be invited to

spend sabbaticals in the Academy and use our facilities and

mentor and guide our students in Tazkiyya and Tarbiyyat. Their

company will give the young minds benchmarks to measure

themselves against and standards to aspire to reach. Facilities

for research with a state-of-the-art library and all relevant

material will be available to those scholars who wish to conduct

research. The Academy will offer to publish such research at

their expense and to conduct international seminars at which

these scholars will have the opportunity to present their ideas

to an audience of peers and students to enhance learning.

Teachers Training College

We recognize that it is likely to be difficult to get teachers of

the kind we want i.e. with dedication, a sense of mission and

commitment to the long term goal and with the ability to teach

Islam and modern knowledge subjects in a seamless integrated

manner. Therefore we will train our own teachers; but with an

additional advantage. It is the fact that if we do it through a

training college and award a degree in education, then not only

can we skim the cream from the top for ourselves but we will in


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effect be seeding the global teaching landscape with teachers,

committed to being Standard Bearers of Islam themselves and

supportive of setting up institutions like the SBA all over theworld.

The effect of this hardly needs to be explained. Furthermore

teaching is a field that faces a shortage of committed and

competent people. High quality teachers are in demand all over

the world and are able to command their own salaries. Our

college will therefore also perform the service of creating

employable people and starting them off on a highly

remunerative and rewarding career.

The final Result InshaAllah

The Mufassir who is a cardiac surgeon The Muhaddith who is an industry head The Mufti who is an administrator The Haafidh who is a scientist

Our dream is that one day; a graduate of this Academy willbecome a cardiac surgeon. And that when he is about to do the

operation, he will ask Allah for His help as he knows that the

cure is from Allah alone. That when he holds the scalpel to

start the operation, his hand will be the hand about which

Allah said in the Hadith Qudsi, My slave comes so close to


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me with his obedience and nawaafil that I become the hand by

which he holds. And it is our dream that it is a Friday and

when the operation is over, this cardiac surgeon will go to themasjid, ascend the Minbar and deliver the Khutba. I ask Allah

to give us the dedication, resources and energy to make this

dream come true.

Conclusion

While writing this I am acutely aware of our insignificance and

weakness and inability to make any of this happen on our own.

Sura At-Talaaq: 2-3: And whosoever has taqwa and fears

Allah, Allah will make a way out (of every difficulty) for him.

And He will provide him from (sources/means) he could never

imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, He will be

sufficient for him.

For the one who has His help, nobody can overcome. I ask

Allah to guide us to do what is pleasing to Him. In the end

that is all that matters.

Standard Bearers of Islam - The Movement

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