A Question of PriorityJumma' KhutbahA Question of PriorityThe concepts of individualism and benefit have affected some Muslims to such an extent that they have clouded the what actions are pursued & when. Thus, some Muslims prioritize their actions based on their ability to achieve the action and the benefit derived from it, & not on whether it is Fard or not.This can be illustrated by the contracts that we are privy to.  Let us consider the contract of trading, the contract of marriage and the contract of the Khilafah.  All three contracts require Ijab & Qabool (offer and acceptance).  In the case of trading, there is an offer and acceptance from those who buy and those who sell.  The benefit for those who sell is the material compensation, while the benefit for those who buy is the good or service itself.  In the case of marriage, there is an offer and acceptance between the man and woman.  The benefit for both man and woman is the physical and emotional fulfillment which results from this union.  In the case of the Khilafah, there is an offer from the Ummah and acceptance from the man who will become Khalifah.  The benefit is the complete implementation of Islam, and the ensuing justice.We find all Muslims rigorously engaging in the contract of trading, with the understanding that this contract carries the status of Mubah, i.e. it is permissible.  Allah (swt) has given us the choice to engage in commerce.  We also find most expending efforts in looking for marriage partners and thus engaging in the marriage contract, even though this contract carries the verdict of Mandub, i.e. we are rewarded for fulfilling this contract, but not sinful if we don t.  In both examples, there are tangible benefits for the individual.  However, the contract of Khilafah carries the status of Fard, which means that all Muslims should have this contract on their neck or be actively seeking  to establish the Khilafah so that they can fulfill the contract.  However, to establish this contract requires us to seek to change the ideas of other people for no perceived physical benefit. This stands in clear contrast to the other two types of contracts. Sadly, the real benefits for fulfilling the contract of Khilafah in terms of the sanctity of life and protection of our values is weighed against our rational perception of whether we can achieve it or not.  Hence, it gets knocked down in the pecking order & is stigmatized with a very low priority.  From the viewpoint of verdict, we should be expending as much effort on working to fulfill the Khilafah contract, for it is obligatory upon the entire Ummah to do so.  Yet, it can be witnessed that the priority assigned to this obligatory contract by some Muslims is that of either Mubah (permissible), Mandub (recommended), or completely oblivious to the fact that this contract is Fard (obligatory).This mindset is deeply rooted in the concept of individualism, where high priority is assigned to those actions that we are attainable and where lies tangible benefits.  This individualism induces people to perform those actions in which the least amount of effort is required and from which maximum possible benefit is realized.In concordance with this mentality, the concept of correcting oneself before correcting others is borne. It is an alien concept to Islam, for we are obliged to abide by the commandments from Islam, whether that requires a corrective action upon ourselves or upon others. Unfortunately, the concept is pushed by sincere Muslims because they hold the concept of individualism and then use this basis to interpret Islam.  Thus, the Hadeeth related to the individuals  actions are quoted in isolation of other Hadeeth to support the correction of oneself. Those Hadeeth that discuss the correction of the society are shelved or are relegated to low importance because they may require too much effort or even controversy.A classic example of this is the Hadeeth states: None of you believes until you wish for your brother what you wish for yourselves.   [Muslim]This Hadeeth is normally narrated to help our Muslim brothers and sisters who are needy for money and food.  It is used often to encourage Muslims to donate for the Muslims of Bosnia or Chechnya. Yet, why is the interpretation limited to food and money ? Why not wish for our brothers in Bosnia the sanctity of life and honor ? This would require not only the donation of money and food, but actions that speak to physically changing their situation through the reestablishment of the Islamic State, the Khilafah. Yet we find that this much neglected duty is recognized as an interpretation of the Hadeeth, because the it is interpreted from an individualistic viewpoint.  This manner of reading into the Hadeeth will confine the vision of change to donating food and money.As Muslims, it is our responsibility to evaluate all our actions from the view point of Fard and Haram and fulfill the requirements of each, independent of any benefit associated with it or the effort that is required.
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