By Imane Fawzy Nofal
Photo by DMahendra
I have made it a point to not write about topics that I have no profound knowledge of, especially when it comes to religion and politics. It is for this same reason that I have not written about religion yet, and what I have written on politics solely illustrates my very personal perspectives. However, how would you really feel when you encounter such a comment as was left on a Huffington Post article entitled : ‘All-American Muslim’ is as American as Apple Dessert?
I cannot find religion a good thing, no matter how much I try. I think that it is divisive, it discourages independent thinking, and in the cases of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, it makes you hate your body and your natural instincts. People deprive themselves of sex, food, drinks, and all sorts of small pleasures because they are afraid of an imaginary dictator that they cannot see.
Well, as a matter of fact, choosing to or not to believe in God is a freedom we all have. You are free to call Him Allah, God or Elohim as in Islam, Christianity and Hebrew respectively. Or even, you’re free to not call Him at all. But what actually makes us … or me in particular believe that He exists?
I take it so simply just by answering the questions: “Who created this?” Inevitably, at some point, you will reach the conclusion that there is a Being that has created and was not created Himself.
And, before you even mention Darwin’s theory of evolution, I would just answer back that “I don’t like to think that I have once had an ape ancestor!” It is not a matter of despising apes, an apology to them is very much in line if they get this impression, because that line of thought is not different from following Hitler’s Nazis footsteps in believing that the Human race is the most honored, respected and dignified species on Earth.
So, what is the story of that Allah I believe in?
I was born a Muslim; I inherited the title before I could even understand the teachings of Islam. I have to admit that I barely do my five prayers a day and I find fasting such a difficult mission to accomplish. Yet, I DO believe in Allah. Why? It is somehow reassuring to behold a far-to-be justice and an after-death beauty. The world isn’t too perfect to believe that in its train we have our start as well as end stations. There should be somewhere else where Plato’s Utopia comes true and where every tyrant gets his due punishment. And for more assurance, there is a place where the good guys can have their ultimate rewards.
While I take my religion seriously, I sometimes contemplate the reasons behind worshiping Allah. Well, I am sorry, but isn’t it enough just to believe in His existence and be guided by Him? Why should I perform rituals? Why the ‘halal’ (Dos) and ‘haram’ (Don’ts)?
Unpleasant as it might seem, the answer is to be forever submissive and humble. I am not one of those who believe in the innate goodness of man, on the contrary, I strongly believe in the innate evil nature of man. Worshiping Allah makes us fear the punishment which though unseen, unknown and not experienced, remains great and forbidding. We worship Allah not for the sake of Allah. He doesn’t need our prayers! Worshiping is the first step towards coexistence. Otherwise, we would live in a jungle governed by all kinds of instincts and pride. Then, it’ll be all about survival for the fittest. This is not what God has meant for earth. He has created us and He is beholding and waiting to see which of us would deserve a place in His paradise and who would languish in His hell.
Well, I am certain of this seemingly blah blah blah for the fact that it gives me peace of mind and assurance of heart. To further clarify, I live on the probability that Allah exists. If He does exist, I will win the prize that those who brush Him off shall lose in the end. Think of it as when Carrefour offers lottery prizes for those who purchase a number of goodies. Those who enter the lottery have a probability of winning. Although I have never won anything, I didn’t like to miss the chance of being awarded the prize. Going into the lottery of worshiping Allah is a forever winning game after all; because I will miss nothing if Allah didn’t exist, yet my loss would be tremendous if He does.
Imane blogs at Express It 2 Live It
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As usual, your articles inspire me and even make me enter for a while in very sublime worlds. You always teach me to look at things from a very different perspective. Today, you succeeded to a great extent in expressing how we are, as humans, are in a bad need to worship Allah. Also, I got impressed with the metaphore of lotteries you used. By your simple words, you conveyed a message that many scholars in both religion and social sciences may fail to deliver in such a way. Keep on Iman. We are waiting for more articles.
Imane, what I like most about your articles is that they reflect real life and as a Christian, I am intrigued at how similar our worlds really are. I have had these same thoughts, ‘who is God?’ ‘What if He does/doesn’t exist?’ ‘How did He/we come about?’ etc … I came to the conclusion that just as no living being can tell us about life after death, it is better to choose the winning card and play by the rules JUST IN CASE! There are many mysteries in life we humans have never understood despite all kinds of research … that to me points to the existence of a Supreme Being – God as we call him. Christianity is based mainly on a commandment Christ left: ‘love one another’… and that’s what I personally do my best to follow. I am with you, I rather place myself in a win/win situation.
As an African-American Muslim female who consciously choose to be a Muslim, I'm often wary of "born Muslims." While it is great (I guess) to be born in an environment where the majority of the people are "Muslim" the Quran is VERY clear : there is no compulsion in religion. Islam is a way of life based on the Quran. The root definition of Quran is 'that which is to be read or studied intensely'. To my knowledge, many of the people who were "born Muslim" or born in "Muslim countries" are illiterate – especially of the Quran. If one is dependent upon a sheik or imam to tell them what is in the Quran or what they should be doing as Muslims–problems will ensue. One of the problems we have as African American Muslims who make a conscious decision to embrace Islam is Africans and Arabs promoting their culture as Islam. I was recently with a group in West Africa. We had a Muslim guide. Had I not been a Muslim and one who reads the Quran for myself – I would have had no attraction to it based on the nonsense the guide was saying.
In a nutshell – I appreciate your piece but it continues to be rare to find an article about religion practiced by the people who willingly and consciously embrace it.
P.S. I don't find fasting Ramadan to be "such a difficult mission to accomplish." I find it to be cleansing, physically and mentally. I find it to be re-focusing, making clear my needs versus my wants. I find that it increases my compassion for those who have nothing to eat before or after sundown. I find it to discipline me for times of hardship. And the great thing, I don't HAVE TO do it. But being a conscious Muslim makes me want to do it – makes me welcome it every year, even when it seems to sneak up on me.