Let's not monopolise God. He's not ours. We are His - Prose of Ramadhan Part 68

19. New Religion

When kindness, love and mercy

Become alien to faith,

They will come unto you and ask,

Is this a new religion of which you speak?

(note; poem was also referred in other earlier posting)

You speak of the non-Muslims as if it doesn't matter at all that they are not Muslims - Perhaps it is because I myself am fearful to claim that I am a Muslim. For I leave that for God to consider. In any event, I too would like to be judged by my actions and not by the religion that I claim to believe in. Especially when there are some who would be doing bad things in the name of the same religion. If we abhor profiling of Muslims, we must also abhor profiling of non-Muslims. Make sense, right?

You speak as if all the traditions of the non-Muslims are worthy as Muslim traditions - More often that not, those traditions came into existence for a reason. Some are good reasons and others may be not so good reason. But traditionally (and no puns intended here), traditions of people, especially when it comes to the family unit is absolutely essential to maintain a harmonious balance. And things like telling the truth, not stealing, being charitable are all traditional values of all races and religion. Because such sentiments arise from the human soul, and not the trappings of your religion or race. Religion merely augments them. In any event we must remember that even if some traditions are national, racial or regional in nature, growing parallel with the religious background, this doesn't however mean that such traditions are wrong. Indeed, it is my firm belief that if you are a Muslim, you must be a multiculturalist, if there is such a word. Hehehe.

If you are a Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Trekkie, you must... let's be honest here, admit that there may be a couple of your practices which appear alien and strange to others. Perhaps even abhorrent. Yet, if you believe in God, and that He encourages good deeds and discourages bad ones, how are you different from any other who believes the same? The only problem arises when people are interested to augment their lack of faith by denigrating others, by pointing out other people's weaknesses and differences. They may say they are Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims or Trekkies, but in truth they worship at the altar of the Religion of Hubris.

We are all resting under the shade of the Tree of God. You are looking up and seeing the different colours of the leaves and flowers in bloom as compared to me, and also different from the view perceived by Moses the cat. But what of it? It is still the life, love and shelter given by the same One God.

We cannot monopolise God. Indeed, when we do monopolise 'God', it is not God that we monopolise, but the idols that our own ego cradles in the spur of our most selfish and arrogant thoughts, words and action. And I know that you are so much better than that.

Thank you, sunshine, for reading the almanac today.

Have a wonderful Thursday.

Pax Taufiqa.