A preacher named Amr ibn Khaled has come among us, the people of the Kingdom. Amr, an Egyptian graduate in accounting, is here to instruct us in Islamic principles. He will unveil miraculous aspects of verses in the Holy Qur’an, hitherto unknown to us. He will explain to us the deeper significance of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry has evidently been convinced that we lag behind in religious knowledge, including understanding the Holy Qur’an. The chamber authorities must believe that our great religious scholars have failed to discharge their religious duties. After Amr’s visit we will discover that the land of the sacred message, where the Holy Qur’an was revealed and the Holy Prophet, rightly guided khalifas and other pious scholars lived and taught, was in pressing need of Amr’s religious knowledge which he gained in an American university and perfected in some other place outside the United States. Though I have written about him earlier, I am now compelled to do so again for three reasons: Comments about him in an Egyptian newspaper, an article about him in a local daily and a lecture to be given by him organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Muhammad Al-Baz wrote in an Egyptian newspaper that Khaled was just a microphone exploited by someone else. The task entrusted to him is to keep people quiet with honeyed words. He has advanced theories such as that Jerusalem can be liberated by prayers. He also said that Muslim women should wear the veil in order to achieve this goal. People are relieved to find a preacher saying that they need not take up arms or donate their hard-earned money for the liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine. They need only perform their obligatory prayers, devoutly supported by other special prayers. Also their women should always cover themselves religiously. If they scrupulously follow these two requirements, Muslims will wake up one fine morning to find that Israel has been defeated, Ariel Sharon humbled and Jerusalem liberated. These are the ideas that make him popular among the people. This is the message of the man the chamber has been gracious enough to invite for a lecture.
As Muhammad Al-Baz has pointed out, Amr’s religious knowledge goes no deeper than that of a primary or secondary school student. Another thing he noted was that the preacher had been trained in theatrical methods which would naturally impress the average Muslim man or woman in the street.
Would it not be far better if the time for his lecture was given to one of the great scholars in the Kingdom such as Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, Sheikh Saleh Al-Sadlan and Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manie?
What nonsense is the Jeddah chamber up to! Under these extraordinary circumstances, I call upon those in charge of religious propagation to stop this graduate in accounting from ascending the platform of Islamic propagation in the land of the Two Holy Mosques.
***
A salesman in a downtown Jeddah shopping center said in a letter that he had been delighted to see me in the shopping center recently because my writings had been an inspiration to him. He wrote in his letter: “All of us are at times victims of a cold or flu. Fortunately with proper medicines, we are usually able to cure ourselves in a few days. But I have noticed that some times, human relations also suffer from a kind of sickness similar to flu or cold. The symptom of this fast spreading disease in society is people’s reluctance to express thanks for the small services they receive. Words such as ‘thank you’ or ‘you are welcome’ seem — sadly — to have been removed from the dictionary of relations.
“A cold glance or a hurried nod has replaced the warm expressions of recognition for one’s service to others. Most of us willingly offer help to others and are not compelled by any other factor. When I help someone who is carrying a large bag, for example, the recipient evidently believes that a word of thanks is too high a reward. Instead he simply nods his head, keeping his lip tightly closed as though I have performed one of my obligatory duties. My spirits are then dampened and I feel depressed. I ask myself why I helped him. I should not have done it. I decide not to offer help to others.”
He described further how strangely people behave. “It is disturbing to see how a stranger reacts when he receives my help. He may stop me on the road seeking my help in locating an office or a house. I explain to him clearly how to reach that place. Or even at times, I take him there to make sure that he does not lose the way. Then, he nods his head and says: ‘Yes, Yes I knew this place well,’ and walks away! When I give the taxi driver a little extra in addition to the usual fare, he gives me a cold look as though the extra sum was common practice which deserves no thanks or sign of appreciation.”
He also warned about the danger involved in the lack of recognition of small kind acts. “It will lead to coldness and rudeness in human relations.”
Most of the things the man mentioned in his letter are no doubt true. At the same time, we should remember that we do not perform good acts in hopes of a reward. Of course, I agree with him that a lack of recognition may lead to unhealthy human relations but it does not lead to unhealthy relations with your Lord. My advice to him is never to stop being kind to others, whatever their reactions.
