Unless They Change Themselves

We are so concerned with the state of affairs in which we, Muslims, find ourselves today. Who wouldn't be? But for some reason we are blind to the reason that we're failing in every way possible. We are not failing materially – on the contrary, many Muslims in North America are accomplished, educated people. We're failing in our faith. Perhaps, we say, it is more difficult for us to practice our Islam in this society. But that's only because we are weak. And I remind myself first, because I have great faults that I am trying to rectify. We cannot change the state we are in – only God can do this. And as God says in the Qur'an: "God will not change the state of a people unless they change themselves" [13:11]. This doesn't mean complaining or holding protests - although this is important. It means, getting closer to Allah. It means being educated in our religion, knowing truth from falsehood and following the straight path. If we were truly following the path of the rightly guided, we wouldn’t be in the trouble we are in today. We wouldn't be vulnerable, floundering excuses for Muslims. People underestimate the effect of faith on our lives and on our conditions. It is difficult, no doubt. But our struggle against the challenge of our environment is our jihad – perhaps the reason that the prophet called us his "brothers" that "will believe in me without ever having seen me." And speaking of us, said "There shall come to God some people on the day of resurrection whose light is like sunlight." Emerging on the day of resurrection with light on our faces, like sunlight – a dream we all have.