Many centuries ago a man in his forties stood in front of the most powerful people of Makkah and proclaimed to them that he had been chosen by the Creator of the universe to be His prophet to spread His divine message to them so that they leave the life of polytheism, invited them to monotheism and to start worshiping none but one and the only Allah. He was not only mocked and laughed at by his audience but was severely ridiculed, teased and bodily harmed along with his meager companions to an extent that he was forced to leave Makkah and emigrated to Medina. And from then on, his small group of devotees who chose to follow their new faith started to swell and a time came that they all under the patronage of that lone man, now called Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the prophet of Allah, entered Makkah to make it home of Islam. And from then on, there has been no stopping people from embracing Islam and today, Alhamdollilah, Islam is not only the second largest religion after Christianity, but many non Muslims fear that one day it may overtake the Christianity - and the day doesn't seem to be very far. In a series of posts on personal accounts of non Muslims reverting to Islam, I have tried to put across personal experiences and reasons why they chose to be Muslims. Each personal account is worth reading. While I shared experiences of ordinary people, I also shared personal account of famous Irish singer Sinead O'Connor. Today I am adding one more celebrity with a moving account from how from a top TV anchor and DJ of famous MTV Europe, the German born Kristiane Verena Backer, who proudly embraced Islam.
At the age of 24 Kristiane became one of the leading presenters on MTV Europe where she interviewed many celebrities, major artists and musicians of her time. But then came one person who changed the entire complexion of her future life.
This man is Imran Khan, then a young talented cricketer and captain of Pakistan cricket team, and presently the prime minister of Pakistan. During their three years' association, Imran Khan gave her a number of books on Islam and she even traveled to Pakistan with him. And reading the books on Islam made her change and take shahada in 1995 and converted to Sunni branch of Islam after living here previous life as a devout Protestant.
“I was convinced. I converted because I wanted to bring God into my life, and I wanted to purify myself to taste the spiritual fruits I was reading about,” she once told the HuffingtonPost.
I could narrate her experience and how she reached at this critical decision of her life, but it would be much better if you listen to her telling an audience about her journey to Islam. Her life experience provides a jump pad for those who have been inspired by Islam through reading books on Islam or interacting with Muslims, to take their decision to find the ultimate truth of their lives in Islam. Please watch a video of Kristiane Verena Backer in which she reveals her journey form her hay days of early life to the pinnacle of career with MTV and then taking her ultimate decision to become a Muslimah. And this video can is so adsorbing, listening to a high profile show biz presenter and celebrity to bow down to oneness of Allah and change her high profile life to that of a devout Muslim. I would say it is a must listen-to video for those who are aspiring to embrace to Islam - this will surely guide them how it feels like taking one big step of their lives into the realm of blessings of Allah. Please watch the video:
In 2001, she performed Umrah when she visited Madinah and in 2006 performed Hajj rituals after which she wrote her famous book “From MTV to Makkah: How Islam Inspired My Life,” she wrote about her eventful journey from entertainment to ‘inner-tainment’.. And she very proudly claims that she feel elevated and blessed for being a Muslim. Backer now lives in London and works as a fine art consultant. I commend her for her boldness to step down from the ladder of show biz and start climbing another ladder at the end of which is shining the heavenly light that changes one's life for ever and for good. For whenever takes the first step on the ladder, the entire perspective of life changes and a new meaning is given to one's aspirations, life and goals. May Allah bless her the best of both worlds. Aameen.
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Charity is one of the main pillars of Islam to ensure sustenance of those who cannot make their ends meet. Thus by means of charity those who have been blessed with wealth can look after those who cannot live a life and sustain their families. In fact, in Islam, charity is a way to bring balance in society, among poor and the riches. Charity thus is a responsibility of every Muslim to share his wealth with his poor Muslim brethren so that they too could live their lives comfortably. By sacrificing part of one’s wealth and giving it in charity, an individual can not only help in aiding needy from tragedy and misfortune, but can also hope to be protected from difficult times. In the Holy Qur'an the Divine commandment reads:
“Those who spend their wealth in Allah’s cause are like grains of corn which produce seven ears, each bearing a hundred grains.” (Surah Al Baqarah, 2:261)
Zakat is an obligatory charity incumbent upon all those who earn wealth up to a certain threshold level or have gold, silver or property which is above a prescribed limit, which must be given to the state for equal distribution among the needy. Zakat amounts to 2.5% of all net yearly savings which includes the worth of jewelery. However, one must NOT restrict oneself to obligatory charity only, rather one who has any amount above one's needs should give away charity in the name of Allah to those who need it badly more than one himself. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), though hard pressed himself many a times, did not restrict his giving hand and always tried to help the poor Muslims around him. The Prophet of Allah has been oft quoted as saying:
“Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
“A charity is due for every joint in each person on every day the sun comes up: to act justly between two people is a charity; to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity; a good word is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
“Even Your smile for your brother is a charity. Your removal of stones, thorns or bones from the paths of people is a charity. Your guidance of a person who is lost is a charity.” (Bukhari)
Even a glass of drinking water to your thirsty brother is charity.
The above hadith says it all. One doesn't have to be rich to give charity; even smiling at one's brother can be a charity or even removing a hurdle from a thoroughfare with the intention of paving way for others also comes under the purview of charity. And every act done to help other will have a reward in the hereafter. The Prophet said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” (Al-Tirmidhi).
So this is the spirit of giving charity in Islam that paves way to bring financial justice in any Muslim society. In one case one of the the governors in Caliph Umer's time started sending the money collected through zakat to the central treasury. The Caliph got annoyed on such reimbursement and asked the governor as to why he was not spending the charity money on his own people. The governor replied that he had been doing so but those receiving the charity have become so well off that they have themselves started giving charity. Sine there was no more people to be given charity to, he was reimbursing the surplus money so that it could be sued elsewhere. This is the very concept and philosophy of charity in Islam, which teaches us to look after each other, should make our giving hands always expendable to the poor and be thankful to Allah for being so fortunate that they are in a position to help others rather than always vying to fill up our coffers. and such acts of charity should be done quietly without boasting one's act of giving away as a show off of ones wealth. Rather such acts be undertaken in extreme humbleness for the rewards rests with Allah and no one else.
"O believers! Void not your charities by boasting of your favours conferred and injuring, like him who spent his wealth for showing to people and believes not in Allah and Last Day. Then the example of him is like that of a smooth rock on which is dust of earth; now a heavy rain fell upon it leaving it a bare stone. They shall have no control on anything of what they have earned and Allah guides not the infidels."[Surah Al Baqarah 2: 264]
There are many charity organizations around the world which receive charity, whether obligatory (zakat) or voluntary, and spend on the welfare of poor in some down trodden areas and even the war torn countries of the Muslim world. Some are doing very notable and admirable job. However, care must be taken to not to give charity to organizations which support terrorism, for supporting terrorism has never been propagated by Islam. Recently I came across a video I am sharing below of a woman in Pakistan, who is sustaining poor people entirely on her own for last 35 years - something that I haven't seen well to do people who have money that can feed thousands of people everyday. These are the people who have their rewards resting with Allah and will be honoured for their charitable acts merely to please Allah and serve His people.
Watch in wonder how this woman feeds hundreds of hungry people from her home, watch the video below with English captions:
Remember, it's not too late, we should be giving - give it a try !! Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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It has been awhile that I have been sharing the presence of Islam and Muslims in Non Muslims countries and to share their experiences as minority and their emergence with main stream dominating population. Recently a friend reading my series on the subject, shared a documentary by BBC about life and living of Muslims in Cuba, which gave me a cue to write about Muslims in Cuba. The very opening scene of the documentary shows a man, clad in shalwar and qameez - the traditional dress of Pakistan, leading the prayer of a very small group of Muslims further intensified my interest in Cuba and I was amazed to find that it were the students from Pakistan which first became a sizable Muslim community in Cuba.
The Muslims first stepped on the Cuban soil in the 16th century, generally Moors from Muslim Spain. The Muslims, mostly traders from the Middle East started doing business of sugar for many generating. Many stayed, mostly in Havana or around Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city at the far east of the island. While Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in 1959 and instituted a communist government, all other religions and their religious places were were shuttered and religious schools of all kinds were forced to pack up and leave the island and everyday Cubans took to praying to God in private. In recent years, there has been some relaxations and religious freedom is creeping in at a slow pace. The presence of Muslims today in Cuba is mostly attributed to students that came to Cuba for higher studies. A large group of students from Pakistan, besides Rwanda and Nigeria, served as the vanguard for other students to follow the suit in the 1970s. It is said that the dominant population that went to study at Cuba was the Pakistani students who were about 936 in strength. During the 2005 massive earthquake in Pakistan, in which over a hundred thousand perished, Cuba sent more than 2,000 doctors and other medical specialists to help the earthquake affected areas. The following year, it offered 1,000 scholarships for young people from across Pakistan and were given scholarships by the government. According to a 2011 Pew Research Center report, out of a total population of 11 million, there were then 10,000 Muslims in Cuba who constitute 0.1% of the population. By 2012, most of the 10,000 Cuban Muslims were converts to the religion. Ninety-nine percent of Cuban Muslims are converted to Islam and not descendants of Arabs. This journey of Islam in Cuba has not been easy. Hajji Isa, formerly Jorge Elias Gil Viant, a Cuban convert and artist, a Cuban revert says very proudly:
"Many brothers from other countries have said to me that we Cuban Muslims are the real Muslims, because it is so much harder to observe here than in a country where many people share the same beliefs and practices."
Embracing Islam by former Froilan Reyes, now Hassan Jan, 43, is interesting. For a fun loving audio technician at the University of Medical Sciences in Santa Clara, his life changed in 2010 when during month of Ramadan, he was required to work with a group of Pakistani medical students studying at the university. "At first I was very uncomfortable working with them," he admits. But his interaction with the Pakistani students induced in him a quest to embrace Islam.Seven months later, he converted and changed his name. "Allah showed me through the way they behaved that Islam was something else: Islam is peace, it's the will of God. Allah gave me the opportunity to understand that. It was a gift for me," says Hassan. The first reaction came from his wife who was first hesitant. "I didn't want to convert because of the things people said - that they abused the women. But I read, I read a lot, I looked for books so that I could understand better," she says. She converted five months after her husband and changed her name to Shabana. For one Ahmed Abuero, 48, the transition was a difficult one who converted after reading Malcolm X's biography 17 years ago. "It was difficult at the beginning because I had to stop drinking alcohol, seeing women, playing, eating pork and drinking rum, things every Cuban does," he said. "The night I converted to Islam, I could not sleep. I knew the following day my life would change forever."
Hajji Jamal who reverted to Islam in 2009 shares his experience of embracing Islam after living a life of a Christian all along: "I was a member of the Baptist church. I knew a lot about Christianity, but I could never really understand the Holy Trinity. Then I met a Cuban Muslim who'd been Muslim for many years, and started to talk with him about Islam. He gave me a Quran to read:
"It took me a while, but then eventually I did read it and I could see a logic there, it seemed very sincere, very real and it was this which attracted me to Islam."
Jamal is now an informal representative of Santiago's Muslim community. "We're trying to give the best possible example of Islam, for at the moment there's a lot of negative messages in the media. People generalize, thinking, 'If you're Muslim, you must be a terrorist'," says Jamil Due to scanty information about Islam, it is difficult for the Cuban reverts to face numerous face challenges, specially the non availability of the halal meat. Thus a Muslim confess: "Food is difficult because everything's forbidden. The meat we eat most is pork, though forbidden in Islam but we do no have any choice. To be honest, it is a bit difficult, but Allah gives you the strength to go on." Hijab has always been a challenge to Muslim women anywhere in the world and so in Cuba. Some of the Cuban Muslim women who wear a headscarf have faced objections and discrimination from the authorities in their workplace or universities. According to Shabana, mentioned above, "such situations are usually resolved through discussion and explanations of what Islam is about." Shabana, however, says that for her "it got complicated" and she left her job. She now provides childcare at home for the son of a Muslim student.
Masjid Abdalla, Cuba
Jorge Miguel Garcia, whose Muslim name is Khaled, is a part owner of a café in Santiago which serves as an informal meeting place for the Muslim community besides also being popular with the non-Muslim Cubans. "Unlike other cafés, we don't serve alcohol and that's never been a problem," says Khaled.
"People who come for the first time always ask me about Islam and I like that, that they are interested. Many come back specifically because they see it as a healthy place where everyone is treated with respect. Those are the principles of Islam: peace, love and submission to Allah."
However, Khaled sells dishes which include pork, but believes that one day to run the café completely in accordance with Islamic precepts. In 2015, a museum in Calle Oficios in Old Havana was turned into a prayer house with the support of the Office of the Historian, the body responsible for the restoration of central Havana. The makeshift mosque allows Muslims in Havana Friday prayers. Elsewhere, Muslims have shared small places in their homes where Muslims can come and offer prayers. Pedro Lazo Torres, known as the Imam Yahya, said there used to be so few Muslims in Cuba that they could hold their prayers inside someone's home. As they grew, their prayers spilled out into the street. Torres is now president of Cuba's Islamic League and says the number of Cubans asking to convert continues to increase. Yahya is presently Imam of a mosque that was inaugurated in June of 2015 thanks to funding from Turkey's president, Erdoğan. Located in Old Havana, the mosque sits next to an Islamic museum, known as The Arab House, and has brand new Spanish-Arabic copies of the Koran. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are in forefronts to help the Cuban Muslims. a Saudi funded language lab operates in both Havana and Santiago and in 2014 had a stand at the Havana Book Fair where literature about Islam and copies of the Quran in Spanish were distributed. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in January last year, sponsored five Cubans to make the Hajj pilgrimage in 2014 - something a near-impossible dream for most Cuban Muslims. Jamal and Isa (mentioned above) were fortunate to be among the five. "When I arrived at Jeddah, at the airport, the first thing I heard was the sound of prayer, I began to cry, "Jamal recalls. Despite indifferences and lack of information about Islam and media blasting of "radical Islam", Muslims are continuing their efforts of blending Islamic values and Latin American customs in Cuba by regularly celebrating Islamic festivals of Eid which follows after a month long fasting in Islamic month of Ramadan. You may like to watch the documentary by BBC on What is it like to be a Muslim in Cuba, which inspired me to write this post:
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
