“O’ you who believe! Stand firm for justice even against your own selves ” {Surah An-Nisa}
Being born into a prominent family or marrying into a prominent family comes with its fair share of pros and cons.
Carrying a particular name has the potential to make heads turn, make a person’s heart desire fame, recognition, acceptance, and to be among the well known all just for the sake of ‘a name.’
It certainly comes with the territory that you will automatically play a prominent role in society.
You will receive compliments, have the privilege of receiving special treatment and people will become exceptionally receptive of you and will not accept criticism of you.
It also has the ability to make an individual become ignorant, ungrateful, unmindful and egotistical.
It makes that individual feel superior over others.
They suddenly develop status over others, they feel that they have the right to belittle and judge others based on their background, lineage, etc.
That name gets embedded in their head, sunk in so deep that it blinds them from looking at life with a broad mindset. They simply forget and feel exempt from making ikram of a fellow Muslim.
Today, I got declined for working in an Islamic environment just because of a SURNAME.
At first they confirmed I would be doing that particular work for them and once I got home, I received a call notifying me that it won't work out.
I was told my surname would become a hot gossip topic if people found out that I'm doing work for them.
They denied me an income yet astonishingly, they were ignorant enough to ask me to find someone else to do the work.
The person who interviewed me, although very Islamically inclined, had asked me to remove my purdah( veil), he needed to see my face! I was dumbstruck!
This was the first time in my history of working that I was asked to removed my purdah.
To say I was disgusted is an understatement.
Today, I realised how absurd, ignorant, and absolutely narrow minded some of our Muslims are.
They will deny someone the opportunity of earning a halaal income just because of a name.
Is this what Islam teaches us?
We propagate deen, we give long lectures, but in the end, the reality is that it's all talk and no action.
Today, I realised why so many people are in opposition to us and are against certain aspects of Islam and without a doubt, it is our very own muslims that should be accountable for this poor example.
They actually have the audacity to judge people based on their last name. They behave as if that particular surname will be their entry ticket to Jannah whereas this mindset couldn’t me more further from Islam.
Unfortunately, it is the very same people who are learned, who have so much knowledge but who have become detrimentally ignorant to the core.
“Islam is a religion of tolerance, but also a religion of justice.” Sheikh Anwar Al-Awlaki
May Allah grant us all true understanding of deen.
Ameen
R. Pàđiá
