Success! Pursuing Greener Pasture?
This article is inspired by Naveed Masood Hashmi's "Diar-e-Ghir Ki Dour- Rush Towards Foreign Lands". This writing is an invitation to think about the implications of migrating to non-Islamic countries. This is an English translation of the main text and commenry thereon. Every person is free to choose the options according to his nature. We have to face the pros and cons of our actions and decisions ourselves. It can happen in this life as well as in the life hereafter; because "We belong to ALLAH and to Him we shall return".
Success! Pursuing Greener Pasture?
This article is inspired by Naveed Masood Hashmi's "Diar-e-Ghir Ki Dour-
"Rush Towards Foreign Lands"
Today, Muslims are rapidly migrating to Western and European countries. This has been a practice since long; but sadly, their next generations are slipping out of their hands and various families are becoming apostate; because their foundation in faith is not strong.
An eye-catching, thought-provoking and heart-wrenching report in this regard by the granddaughter of the famous Egyptian scholar Sheikh Ali Al-Tantawi is being discussed in the following:-
She says that her grandfather, Sheikh Tantawi, was a renowned scholar, with a bright mind and a visionary. They had many opportunities to go to Europe because of grandfather's international fame, visas were easy to get. But, he-the grandfather always discouraged them from settling abroad.
She said that " I used to get very angry that this is a stereotype, all people are migrating, enjoying the luxuries of life. But our religious family has imposed a strange restriction on us". "But as I grew up, traveled to Europe, and happened to meet many immigrant families, then prayers for Grandpa were made from my heart and I had to salute his foresight. His fear turned out to be 100% true."
He would say that "living in the lands of unbelief, and taking shelter in unbelieving countries is a great threat to the faith and belief of future generations". "You may save the faith of your children, but there is no guarantee of what will happen after them, and what will happen to their grandchildren's children."
Many religious people claim that Alhamdulillah their family were strong believers; it doesn't matter to them where they go or live on any land. But unfortunately "No", it has proved otherwise, and time has proved that a big difference has happened.
Momina al-Adham says that a decade ago, she was assigned to investigate about current situation of immigrant families, especially the famous Beirut's religious "Ramadan family". When she started researching, tracing their trees and looking at the members of the family spread around the world, she counted them to about 5,000 people. But the story of the destruction of their generations' religious belief was heartbreaking and heartbreaking.
Then she prepared a concise report about the families who migrated to Europe which revealed that:-
About 96% of those who emigrated 100 years ago became non-Muslims.
About 75% of those who migrated 80 years ago have apostatized.
And those who migrated 60 years ago, about 40% of them have become Christians.
About 25% of those who emigrated 40 years ago have left Islam.
She further stated that about 80 years ago, a famous sheikh migrated to Ecuador, a country in South America, and founded the first mosque there. He kept the home environment religious and gave religious education to the children strictly. But today, unfortunately, none of his grandchildren are Muslims. Such is the case with many migrant families. Why to go far? The very family of her own have been living in America for almost forty years and are legal citizens; and sixteen of the grandchildren of her grandfather Sheikh Ali al-Tantawi have become non-Muslims.
Analyzing the Ramadan family, of which 98 persons are living in Ecuador. Their ancestors migrated there in 1923. Today they have all become Christians. Among them she also met George, Christian, and Emilio Ramadan. She informed them about their brilliant Muslim family background and tried to help them in every way to somehow return to Islam, but unfortunately all did not agree.
This report was read many years ago, and it was very sad to see that how accidents and incidents keep happening in the world.
* Then the matter went out of mind. * Just a few days ago, she went to the revival of Sufism conference held in Kanauj, and there she met a sheikh, a well-known scholar of Hyderabad, India (whose book is still taught in the elementary class of Dars-e-Nizami) and during the conversation, when he narrated a heartbreaking story of his children migrating to America, then suddenly the above report, which she read years ago, came to her mind.
Sheikh Sahib said that Maulana's two children lived in America for a long time, they became citizens there, they also had children there and they did not have any connection with the ancestral home. However, very recently when they remembered their soil, and one of them came to visit India. When he spoke about his American family, the audience was shocked that his own two sons had left the fold of Islam. One became a Christian and the other an atheist. He was crying over spilt milk a lot, but to no avail.
Indeed, rearing children and keeping their faith strong on religion is the most difficult, which requires patience but is the most important task of parenting. One has to be worried about the faith in true religion of self and the children. It is the Sunnah of the Prophets (PBUH) to be concerned about the faith and belief of their children and to provide them with the best religious and Islamic environment. May ALLAH Almighty have mercy on us and keep the light of true faith and belief in our generations. Ameen.
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Dear beloved ones; this worldly life of ours is just a deception as the Quran has said
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا ۖ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۚ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ (20 سورۃ الحدید )
Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual boasting, and competition in wealth and children. This is like rain that causes plants to grow, to the delight of the planters. But later the plants dry up and you see them wither, then they are reduced to chaff. And in the Hereafter there will be either severe punishment or forgiveness and pleasure of Allah, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.
Quran has also narrated in verse 14 of Surah Al-e-Imran:-
The enjoyment of ˹worldly˺ desires—women, children, treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and fertile land—has been made appealing to people. These are the pleasures of this worldly life, but with Allah is the finest destination.
(People are seduced by the love of desirable things such as wives and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and branded horses and cattle and crops, this is the benefit of the life of this world and with Allah is the best abode).
The worldly life is nothing but a ploy masked as fun and as the delightful flavor but is actually a deception. It's a pleasure that attracts as if it’s perpetual; but it cheats. Every human being has to believe that any dwelling in here is a temporary settlement; No earthly abode is permanent; All this has to be left behind and returned to the real life in hereafter, which will be eternal whether success or failure. And the home of the hereafter is the real eternal place compared to which the abode of this earthly world is as insignificant as a bubble.
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrated: The Messenger of ALLAH (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said; "A litter in heaven is better than the world and everything in it". [Bukhari 2796]
Hazrat Sahl (RA) narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH (may peace be upon him) said; "The small place of a litter in heaven, is better than all the best available in this world and even walking a little in the morning or in the evening in the way of ALLAH is better than everything "al-duniya wa ma fiha". [Bukhari 6415]
Are we disappointed with the mercy of ALLAH Subhan Taala?
ALLAH Almighty has said in verse 54 of Surah al-Rum:
It is ALLAH Who created you in a state of weakness, then developed ˹your˺ weakness into strength, and then developed ˹your˺ strength into weakness and old age. He creates whatever He wills. For He is the All-Knowing, Most Capable.
How beautifully ALLAH has explained that we are temporarily weak only because of ALLAH's wisdom. Then ALLAH makes us powerful in every way; and then we also become weak again; That is, the journey from birth to the grave, which changes constantly. So in the same way human's rise or fall is also not permanent.
It should also be understood that we who settle in non-Islamic countries in search of a golden future in lust for greener pasture; and take refuge in necessity of sustenance in this world as an excuse. We are blindly handing over the next generation to non-Islamic civilization, under non-Islamic laws and non-Islamic environment and lifestyle. We are doing injustice to them for which we will have to be answerable on the Day of Judgment.
Read the verse 20 of Surah Al-Hadid and understand how we get blessed after the rain. And if our next generation fall victim to apostasy, it will be the dry harvest that will happen later. So it will be pale, which will be shredded. This will become a straight path to disaster in the grave and will be a source of shame on the Day of Reckoning; which will lead to severe punishment. Do we approve of this? Is it the success in search of greener pasture? Can this be a goal for eternal prosperity and golden future?
( وَمَا عَلَيْنَا إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ ) And we are responsible for conveying it clearly.
