بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ISLAM AND ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE

Dr. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad

الله اكبر الله اكبر لا إله إلا الله والله اكبر الله اكبر ولله الحمد

إن الحمد لله – نحمده و نستعينه - - -

نعوذ بالله من شرور انفسنا ومن سئيآت اعمالنا – و من يهده الله فلا مضل له - - -

و نشهد ان لا إله إلا الله وحده - - -

أما بعد – فأعوذ بالله - - - بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

يآ ايها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله حق تقاته - - - واعتص&موا بحبل الله جميعا و لا تفرقوا

Dear Brothers and Sisters Assalamo Alaikum

Man by nature is a creation which likes to live in community of its own and socialize.

Islam is a religion of nature. It then naturally requires humans to develop a society or organization of their own with certain civic laws dictated by their Lord and some laws made by themselves according to their needs but within the frame work defined by their Lord i.e. Allah.

To emphasize the importance of such organizational life, I would like to quote here some verses of the Qur’an and instructions of the Last Prophet Muhammad (s).

I have already mentioned a part of a verse that requires believers to hold fast the rope of Allah together collectively, and not to disintegrate into groups on the basis of differences.

At another place, the Qur’an emphasizes the importance of community life or organizational unity in a different way when it says:

يآايهاالناس إنا خلقناكم من ذكر و انثى و جعلناكم شعوبا وقبآئل

Studying some ahadith here on this topic strengthens the point: The Prophet (s) has said:

إنَّ لِجسدِ ك عليك حقاً و إنَّ َ لعينيك عليك حقا و إنّ َ لِزوجِك حقا وإنّ َ لِزورِك حقا (بخارى)

This hadith clearly negates the concept of monastic or individual life when it emphasizes the point that our bodies, our consorts, and our visitors have their rights over us.

In another hadith, the Prophet (s) asks his followers to remain attached with Muslim organization, and warns them of division among them (Tirmizi).

Yet in another hadith, he clearly orders of five things: 1. to remain attached to Islamic community, 2. to listen, 3. to obey, 4. to migrate, and 5. to struggle in the path of Allah (Tirmizi). Here the first three points clearly order the Muslim community to live as a truly knit organization with performing duties of listening and obeying to leadership.

The Prophet (s) has told us a great benefit and advantage of remaining with the community. He said, “Hand of Allah is with the organization” (Tirmizi). This means peoples who are living in this word in the form of an organization have Allah’s support and help.

Even all rites of worship not only teach us importance of organization and collective life but they teach us also how to run such organization. For sake of saving time, I will discuss here only salat as an example.

In salat, all of us collectively face to one direction i.e. the House of Allah. It means all of us not only have one objective i.e. the pleasure of Allah, but we try to achieve it in an organized way as well. When we have to respond to call of Allah as a duty, we have to do this collectively in an organized way, because the Prophet (s) has said, “The reward of salat in congregation is twenty-seven times that of offered individually” (Bukhari). We thus form an organization. We elect a leader. We listen and obey all commands of our leader. We are not even allowed to precede our leader in any priory determined and known action. For example, we know in advance that after reciting certain zikr in sajdah, our leader will raise his head and proceed to next priory determined action. Can we then, after reciting the required zikr in sajdah, raise our heads and sit down or stand up before the command of our leader? Suppose also that the sajdah of our leader is too long to bear for our senses and body. Can we then precede the imam in rising from sajdah? Let us see what our beloved Guide (s) has said in this regard. He said, “Is that person, who raises his head before his imam raises his head, not afraid of getting his head changed to that of a donkey?” (Muslim). This clearly teaches us to obey our leader in righteous deeds no matter how painful these might be.

Even when we are praying individually, we talk to our Lord in collective terms. We say:

ربنا لك الحمد - السلام علينا و على عبادالله الصالحين

Thus, salat not only teaches us how to physically form an organization, but teaches us to always wish and promote kind deeds to our fellow members whether in collective duties or private ones.

Now we know that all Muslims must lead their lives attached with a Islamic community organization whose goal is to seek pleasure of Allah. Let us then pause here a little bit and ponder over the consequences of living an individual life in this world, even as a practicing Muslim, without being part of an Islamic organization.

Allah warns:

و لا تكونوا كالذين قالوا سمعنا وهم لا يسمعون

Do not be like those who say we have heard but they hear not. What does this mean?

It clearly implies that day and night peoples are warned of danger and harm of leading individual life outside the fold of an Islamic community, but they do not give a hoot to this knowledge. The Prophet (s) has explained the dangers which such people suffer from not only in this world but in the Hereafter as well.

In this world, according to a hadith, peoples, who shun community or organization in their lives, are like sheep that has strayed out of its flock, and got caught by a wolf (Abu Dawood). How true and prophetic are these words! It is not difficult to see the truth. To day all those who did not give a hoot to unity of ummah are falling prey, one by one, to a wolf of time.

For the life of Hereafter of such advocates of individual and independent interest and policy, the Prophet (s) has said:

من خرج من الطاعة و فارق الجماعة فمات مات ميتة جاهلية

One, who came out of obedience i.e. refused to obey and left the organization and then dies, dies a death of ignorance (Muslim) i.e. like the deaths of those who have not embraced Islam.

In another hadith, the Prophet (s) has warned, “He, who calls people to ignorance, has reserved a place for himself in Hell, even though he fasts, offers salat, and calls himself a Muslim” (Ahmad, Tirmizi).

Without organizational life, relationship with Allah becomes weaker and weaker. In organizational life one has to sacrifice for other fellow members. One has to fulfill rights of others. This then strengthens morality and character. Also, this leaves a strong religious base for our next generation; otherwise it will be lost to life of ignorance.

Allah calls believers to assemble five times a day to practice discipline of an organization, talk to each other, and take interest in each other’s affaires. He then commands all such small communities to become a larger organization and meet once a week in a larger place.

He then commands that at least two times a year all such larger communities merge together in an organized way and show gratitude to their Lord.

Dear brother and sisters:

Let us then resolve today that we will try our best to lead our lives in an Islamic organization to achieve objectives of our lives as prescribed by our Lord Allah.

و آخردعوانا ان الحمد لله رب العالمين

واصلا ة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

و سآئرالمسلمين والمسلمات من أحيآء منهم والاموات

الله اكبر الله اكبر لا إله إلا الله والله اكبر الله اكبر و لله الحمد

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

This Eid celebration tells us that we are one. We are united. We know how to fulfill our duties under one leader. We know how to show our gratitude to our Allah.

Why not then pray to Allah to make all these permanent?

إن الله وملآئكته يصلون على النبى -----

اللهم سلم على السابقون والأولون من المهاجرين والأنصار

خصوصا سيدنا أبى بكر الصد يق --- - -

O Allah! You are our Lord. We worship you alone, and we seek only your help. Guide us to the right path, the path of those on whom you have bestowed your blessings, the path of your prophets, the truthfuls, the martyrs, and the righteous.

O Allah! Keep us all united; help us in leading our lives as practicing Muslims within fold of a Jamaat.

O Allah! Forgive our sins, our short- comings, our mistakes, and our wrong-doings. O Allah! None forgives our sins except you. You are Oft-Forgiving. You are Merciful. You are Generous. You are loving and beneficent. Show us your love and compassion.

O Allah! Accept our fasts. Accept our zakat. Accept our infaq. Accept our night prayers. Accept our recitation of your Book.

O Allah! Make your Book, and Your Last Prophet to intercede on our behalf on the Day when no one will be able to do that except your permission.

O Allah! You are the Giver. We are your beggars. Give us our needs without any consideration. Give us sustenance. Give us health. Give us honor. Give us power.

Give us knowledge.

O Allah! You have made us handsome and beautiful. Make our morals and conducts beautiful as well.

O Allah! Fulfill the needs of needy. Give children to those who need them. Give good consort to those who stand in need of one. Give cure and shifa to sick. Award your mercy and blessings to those who have died from your servants. Give patience and reward to those who have lost their near and dear ones.

ربنا آتنا فى االدنيا حسنة - - -

ربنا ظلمنا أنفسنا و إن - - -

ربنا لا تزغ قلوبنا بعد -- - -

ربنا فغفر لنا ذنوبنا و كفر - - -

اللهم انصر من نصر دين - - -

اللهم انصر إسلام و المسلمين فى فلسطين واالشيشان

اللهم انصر --- - - فى كشمير والباكستان

اللهم انصر - - - فى العراق والأفغانستان

اللهم انصر --- - فى أمريكا والسودان

اللهم انصر - - - فى كل مكان

إن الله يامر بالعدل والإحسان و----