by: Asghar Bukhari
Apolitical
practicing Muslims claim that the first and highest priority of a Muslim has
always been the rituals they perform and the great ethical causes of the world
are of secondary importance.
Although
I usually stay clear of theological debates, I am drawn to this particular
argument, because of the damage it has done to the revolutionary message of
Islam and how today this argument is used to undermine any political awakening
of the Muslims.
Muslims
are taught to spend their lives on the impossible task of perfecting themselves
through ritualistic worship and never wake up to the true cause of Islam.
This
theological concept was implanted in the minds of our religious leadership by
those who unjustly ruled us. They feared that the ethics of Islam would
undermine their authority. So they allowed Muslims to pray — just as long as
they were silent on injustice. Over time that is exactly what we did.
Are
rituals the first and most important thing a Muslim should do? Was perfecting
ones rituals our mission on this earth? Or did ethics take precedence? Perhaps
history could give us an insight and an answer to this troublesome argument
about priorities.