I was asked recently to speak at the reunion for Association of Longhorn Muslim Alumni on the topic of "Importance of Unity in the Ummah" but the person who wrote up the printed schedule for the event forgot to write the unity part in the title. So what the organizers wanted me to talk about, what I actually talked about and what attendees thought I would talk about was probably way different.
First of all we must understanding the terms being used...
Ummah, Unity, Important
What is the ummah?
Who is in it?
What is the basis of their inclusion or exclusion?
What is Unity?
Is it the coming together of a diverse people?
What are they coming together to do?
Or is it making people the same in some way?
In what way? What is that one thing we must all become?
How important is it?
Is it important in and of itself? why?
or is it important because it is a pre-requisite
for something? for what?
are there other pre-requisites that are more important?
Instead of abstract things like Ummah,
lets think instead of real interaction between
people that can lead to the building of the
most basic elements of human community.
it starts with an interaction.
an interaction that can lead to an creation of a bond
It starts with simply acknowledging each other.
Then getting to learn about each other.
Progresses to accepting each other.
And finding a shared value.
Culminating into a bond of friendship.
Acknowledgement is the beginning of tolerance.
tolerating a person with all their goodnesses
and faults can lead to acceptance.
accepting each other and our rights
is the beginning of being a good neighbor.
being a good neighbor is considered by Imam Ghazali
as fundamental
and synonimous with being a Muslim.
to not cause harm and to help when help is needed.
is the basic characteristic of one who has submitted
to following Allah's way.
In his Ihya, he goes on to describe a level above muslim.
A mu'min,
one who is a good fellow,
a good companion,
a good friend.
beyond just being a passive neigbor.
one who is in a relationship with another person
where there is a commitment.
a bond of brother/sisterhood. Fullfill the rights to your fellow companion,
and you are one who has true faith in Allah.....
