Ramadan Diaries - Islam, Muslims and the Haram Benefits Culture
Politics / Religion Jul 27, 2013 - 03:14 AM GMTBy: Nadeem_Walayat
Channel 4 TV has been busy this past month broadcasting short 5 minute videos illustrating the experience of muslims during the Islamic Lunar calendar (that is 11-12 days shorter than the solar year) month of Ramadan that started the day after sighting of the first crescent of the new moon. The focus for muslims is on the dawn till dusk fasting as one of the five pillars of Islam for every muslim to follow in pursuit of their objective of gaining a place in heaven / paradise as it is said all those who fast will have all of their past sins forgiven.
Many muslims fast during ramadan to show their discipline and commitment to Islam towards other muslims which can take the form of competition of who has kept all of the fasts and to the wider non muslim society as an example of the degree of personal commitment to faith, and as the Channel 4 Ramadan Diaries series implies, something to be applauded, commended, held in high regard by the wider community.
However, Islam, as is the case with all of the worlds major religions was born in a different era, in fact a different world. Today's world in no way shape or form resembles the world of 1400 years ago, when the known world barely encompassed 50% of the actual worlds land mass, a population of little more than 100 million people compared to near 8 billion today, nor was society ordered as many western societies are today for it would take the welfare states another 1300 years to emerge.
The Quran on Work (amal )
Work (amal) is mentioned in 360 verses in the Quran, which stress the need to not waste time and to work. Islam itself is considered to be an ideology of action rather than in-action where work is considered as an act of worship. Furthermore work is deemed to be even more important than worship as stressed by the Prophet's companion Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who stated “Never should anyone of you think that du`aa’ (worship) for sustenance without work will avail him, for heaven never rains gold nor silver”
The Quran considers idleness, or lack of work to be lack of faith or unbelief. God calls on man to utilise time in pursuit of work as a means of seeking sustenance. God expects all able bodied persons to work and earn a living. No able bodied person should be allowed to become a liability to their family or state through idleness. In fact God ONLY rewards as a result of the work done during ones life time (Quran 99:6-8).
Islam as a religion orders its followers to be part and parcel of a working and productive society.
The Prophet Muhammad himself, used to pray seeking God’s refuge from laziness or idleness. Even before he was chosen as a messenger of God, he was a hardworking person. This earned him the respect of his employer, Khadijah.
In his instructions to Muslims on this aspect, the Prophet Muhammad strikes a balance between worship and work. So, as Muslims have to be constant in their acts of worship, they also have to work hard to make a living, as it is recorded in one of the famous sayings of scholars: “Work hard (for making a living and survival) as if you are going to die” (Al-Albani, Series of Weak and Fabricated Hadiths). Also, in exhorting Muslims on the importance of work, the Prophet Muhammad made it clear that getting one’s sustenance from one’s work is one of the praiseworthy acts of worship. It is recorded in his traditions how he turned a man who came to him begging into a productive member of the society by teaching him how to work and provide for himself.
One of the scholars of Islam, Imam Hasan Al-Basri, was asked one day the secret behind his asceticism. The imam mentioned four things in reply: “One, I believe that my sustenance will never be hijacked by anybody (so I work to attain it). Two, I know that a work that is mine must be performed by me, so I do not decrease my efforts in performing it. Three, I believe that my Lord is Omnipresent (watching me), so I do not like Him seeing me committing sins. Four, I know that death is somewhere waiting for me, so I prepare for it (through good deeds).”
In this way, Islam lays down a practical framework for life by making these principles and guidance. Islam strives to eradicate social ills and vices that result from unemployment, idleness, and poverty, by instructing the youth to rise up to the challenge of shouldering responsibility at an early age, and also for the old not to give up their efforts in benefiting the society with their experience and working skills. Thus, the true message of Islam is not just for a Muslim to profess faith and do nothing for his or her society. Rather, Islam teaches that the true faith is what is demonstrated through sincere deeds that make a noticeable addition to the progress of society.
References
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/295/
http://turntoislam.com/community/threads/the-concept-of-work-in-islam-work-hard.66190/
Today's 200,000 strong, idle, benefits claiming for life, sat at home, fasting whilst watching Sky TV HD+ British muslims would not be recognisable as muslims to the Prophet Mohammed, and neither would the several hundred thousand working tax credits claiming 'muslims'.
When confronted with such truths that the actions of most muslims are contrary to the teachings of Islam, many muslims do what many of other religions do which is not only to just play pick and mix with the teachings of Islam but in fact seek justification to what amounts to out and out fraud against the state in terms of perceiving themselves to have been given the green light by their respective religions such as in fraudulently claiming benefits whilst working in the black economy.
Such justification for fraud against the state is illustrated by reliance on religious sermons of self professed preachers / leaders as illustrated by the Daily Telegraph -
Daily Telegraph - Muslim preacher urges followers to claim 'Jihad Seeker's Allowance' A Muslim preacher is secretly filmed urging followers to take benefits from the state to fund a holy war.
Anjem Choudary was secretly filmed mocking non-Muslims for working in 9-5 jobs their whole lives, and told followers that some revered Islamic figures had only ever worked one or two days a year.
“The rest of the year they were busy with jihad [holy war] and things like that,” he said. “People will say, ‘Ah, but you are not working’.
“But the normal situation is for you to take money from the kuffar [non-believers].
“So we take Jihad Seeker’s Allowance. You need to get support.”
He went on to tell a 30-strong crowd: “We are going to take England — the Muslims are coming.”
Ridiculing the daily lives of UK workers, Choudary said: “You find people are busy working the whole of their life. They wake up at 7 o’clock. They go to work at 9 o’clock.
“They work for eight, nine hours a day. They come home at 7 o’clock, watch EastEnders, sleep, and they do that for 40 years of their life. That is called slavery.”
Choudary, a father-of-four, claims more than £25,000 a year in benefits, £8,000 more than the take-home pay of some soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, according to the Sun, which covertly filmed the preacher at three meetings.
Such subversion of religious beliefs in the pursuit of self interest results in outright criminal fraud against the state which is prevalent amongst ALL of Britain's ghettoed immigrant communities that amounts to undermining of the state from within which over time is contributing towards the social and economic decay of Britain. Religion is used by Jews, Orthodox Christians, Hindu's, Sikhs, and Muslims to justify what amount to crimes against the state that range from claiming benefits that they are not entitled to far worse acts of subversion.
The Quran and Debt
Islam equates those in debt as being in a state of humiliation, prisoners to their debt, slaves.
The fuqaha’ define dayn (debt) as an obligation to be fulfilled, as it says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (21/102). The linguistic meaning of the word dayn (debt) in Arabic has to do with submission and humiliation. The connection between the shar’i meaning and the linguistic meaning is clear. The debtor is a prisoner, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Your companion is being detained by his debt.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3341; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Islam warns against debt and for muslims to avoid debt at all costs.
It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his prayer: “Allaahumma inni a’oodhi bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt).” Someone said to him: “How often you seek refuge from heavy debt!” He said: “When a man gets into debt, he speak and tells lies, and he makes a promise and breaks it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (832) and Muslim (589).
In fact being in debt will PREVENT muslims from entering heaven
It was narrated from Thawbaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whoever dies free from three things – arrogance, cheating and debt – will enter Paradise.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1572); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“The soul of the believer is suspended because of his debt until it is paid off.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1078).
Al-Mubaarakfoori said in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi (4/164):
The words “the soul of the believer is suspended” – al-Suyooti said: i.e., it is detained and kept from reaching its noble destination. Al-‘Iraaqi said: i.e., no judgement is passed as to whether it will be saved or doomed until it is determined whether his debt will be paid off or not. End quote.
It was also narrated that many of the salaf warned against debt:
It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
Beware of debt, for it starts with worry and it ends with war. Narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’ (2/770).
In Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq (3/57) it says:
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
O Humraan, fear Allaah and do not die in debt, lest it be taken from your good deeds when there will be no dinars and no dirhams.
Muslims as is the case for most people in the west carry a huge amount of debt with them throughout their adult lives, as by the time graduates leave university they will already have £60k of student debt, with additional personal debt of £10k, which will soon be added to by mortgage debt. Whereas Islam strictly states that muslims with debt will find that their debt will be counted against their life's good deeds and thus their debt could prevent them from entering heaven.
Reference: http://islamqa.info/en/ref/71183
Benefits, Tax Credits and Debt
Many hard working muslims having in large part may assume they have avoided idleness and debt, may be surprised to realise that they are in fact probably in receipt of debt money, which goes by the name of tax credits because £1 in every £5 the government spends is debt money borrowed from the banks that results in an annual deficit of £120 billion the consequences of which is an exponentially increasing debt mountain and interest burden.
Today's western AND Islamic societies swim in an ocean of debt, where 70% of the population is basically getting something for NOTHING. As approx 70% of the people of Britain and thus at least 70% of muslims in Britain are in receipt of state benefits for which they have NOT worked or fully contributed towards.
Many working muslims may argue as do many pensioners that they are just getting back what they put in and thus they are not in conflict with the teachings of Islam. However the truth is that 70% of the people ALWAYS RECIEVE MORE than they put in, for most workers this takes the form of tax credits and services the value of which far exceeds taxes paid. The only people on average that put more in than they receive are the approx 30% who consistently during their working lives fall into the upper tax bracket. Everyone else is in receipt of benefits, i.e. a form of idleness to receive money for no work.
Landlords and Renting
Islam considers wealth as the life blood of a community which must be in constant circulation and therefore excludes hoarding of wealth by individuals as illustrated by landlord portfolios (Quran 9:34-35).
Furthermore Islam lays many conditions on whom property should be rented to, especially for commercial purposes i.e. alcohol production or supply (off licences) are prohibited, or where sale of anything encourages sin which can include the likes of internet cafe's.
And off course the act of renting a mortgage property falls fowl of Islam's debt rules i.e. by paying rent you are in effect paying the mortgage interest which is haram.
References
http://islamqa.info/en/ref/98555
Therefore for muslim to actually be a muslim they :
1. Must Work (able bodied), as to work is to worship.
2. Must not borrow or lend money. Having debt will prevent muslims from entering heaven.
3. Must not claim benefits i.e. receive funds that they have not worked for - idleness is forbidden in Islam. All non higher rate tax payers are in receipt of debt money.
4. Must not rent debt backed properties, that includes all council, social housing and buy to let properties.
5. Must not be in receipt of debt money - Tax credits.
The teachings of Islam are that Muslims MUST work hard and not relay on UNEARNED income that they have NOT worked for which means BENEFITs and USARY (debt and interest).
Therefore the truth is that most of the people (90%) who call themselves muslims in Britain today, in actual fact are NOT following the teachings of Islam. So whilst many of today's ramadan fasting benefits claiming, debt borrowing and lending, and debt backed property renting landlord muslims can fantasise about going to heaven after they die, however if beliefs ever manifested into reality then when they turn up at the pearly gates, God will compare what they actually did on earth as opposed to what they were supposed to have done during their lives and say "But your not muslim, your a Khuffir"!
This illustrates the problem at the heart of virtually every major religion, which is that the Earth is not at the centre of the universe, instead it is orbited by the Moon and itself spins whilst orbiting the Sun, a common yellow star on the outskirts of one of the two spiral arms of a medium sized galaxy named the Milky Way that has over 100 billion stars that forms part of a cluster of galaxies amidst an expanding universe of over 200 billion galaxies. And as knowledge accrues so does the world we inhabit drift further away from that when the religions were founded when the sun was not even considered to be a star, which was only confirmed in the 19th century, after several hundreds of years of people being burned at the stake in denial (Christian history).
So that all that is left are rituals to go through the motions of without conscious awareness of the reality of the world of 1400 years ago, for instance the moon and the sun were perceived to be what people saw them to be i.e. similar sized and distant water mellon sized objects in the sky and not the 865k mile diameter, 93 million mile distant nuclear inferno that is the Sun vs a 2k Moon, something that we forget today because we all understand from an early age what the sun and the moon actually are.
Source and Comments: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article41596.html
Nadeem Walayat
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