Show - True Spirit of Islam

SHOW - TRUE SPIRIT OF ISLAM:

From: Haq Foundation, Lucknow, India
Founder: Mr. Syed Haq (Former Physician at University of Lucknow)

When Allama Iqbal (ra) returned from his travels to Europe, he proclaimed: "I went to the West and saw Islam, but no Muslims; I got back to the East and saw Muslims, but no Islam."

The problem lies with the Muslim - who live in Muslim majority countries themselves but have lost sight of what Islam is. Muslims in Muslim majority countries ,do not know how to practice Islam in its true spirit Islam is not about just going mosque regularly to pray five times a day, going to Mecca - for Umrah frequently and displaying their wealth in form of donations to build and decorate mosques and throwing Iftar parties to the Ambassadors and high officials of Muslim countries and political leaders. This is the false image of Islam.

The most important things are the outcomes in the society and that is social and economic justice." The Prophet ( PBUH ) said that " if you have poverty in a society, that by definition is not. an Islamic society."

Half of global poverty reside in Muslim world while the Muslim population is 24% of the total global population, A recent study undertaken by the Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, has some shocking revelations. Just five of its 56 member countries - Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt account for over half a billion (528 million) of the world’s poor with incomes below $2 a day or below their national poverty lines.

On the other hand oil rich Arab world busy either in building empty skyscrapers in the desert, or destroying their wealth in the purchase of arms -ammunition and war equipments from US Europe and Israel and using it against their own brothers living in another muslim country. The huge capital out flows from oil/gas income to the Banks of US ,and Europe . Essentially, these investments don’t produce wealth; they’re just a way to store wealth.

The major problem in the Muslim world is socio-economic injustice done to majority of poor Muslims by their rich Muslim brothers. No efforts have been done to "improve the plight of the Muslim peoples,"in poor Muslim countries , there is no extensive economic cooperation among Muslim Nations ,pooling of resources and plugging of the development gaps all over the Muslim world."

Unless the Kings and heads of state and governments of the OIC renew their pledge to project economic co-operation among Muslim countries and wealthy citizens of Muslim countries do not realize the true spirit of Islam it will be difficult for the Muslims to remove poverty from the Muslim majority countries and distorted image of Islam from the world.