Two Saudis were discussing the state of affairs of the Islamic world over Turkish coffee.
“You know it’s really sad,” began Muhammad. “I mean if you take a look around the world, we are living under very sorry circumstances.”
“What do you mean?” asked Abdul Rahman.
“Just look at the Muslims outside of the Arab world. They simply don’t have a clue. I think that the only good Muslims we have nowadays are Arabs,” Muhammad concluded.
“Yes,” agreed his friend. “You’re absolutely right. Thank God for us Arabs. Without us what would have become of this great faith?”
“But even among us Arabs,” reasoned Muhammad, “there are so many who are just so un-Islamic. They have been seduced by Western ideology and have become so-called ‘modernists.’”
“That’s true,” concurred Abdul Rahman. “It’s really terrible how taken they are with things that are so alien to our religion. In fact, if you really look closely, many of the Arabs have also strayed from the true path. This has become a real problem.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” replied Muhammad. “It’s actually no longer fair to say that it is the Arabs who are the true Muslims. All things considered, this country is the birthplace of Islam and if you really think about it, it’s only us Saudis who have maintained the true spirit of our great faith.”
“Absolutely!” exclaimed Abdul Rahman. “Thank God for us Saudis! But you know what?” he asked pensively.
“What?” replied Muhammad.
“Look at what’s going on in Jeddah. I mean when I was there last month there was live music in one of the restaurants.”
“You’re joking surely?” retorted Muhammad astonished.
“No. Even the women there wore multicolored abayas. It was really terrible,” Abdul Rahman recalled gravely.
“That’s the problem there,” said his friend. “They are just too liberal. All mixed with external influences. It’s not right at all.”
“I guess then, all things considered, true Islam really only belongs here. At least here in this region we are practicing our faith properly,” Abdul Rahman said with finality.
“But hang on a minute. What about this city? It’s not an Islamic place at all. You see satellite television shops all over the place and all sorts of other deviations. No, no, no. In my opinion the only true Muslims are those who are with us,” Muhammad corrected his friend emphatically.
“Aha!” replied Abdul Rahman. “You have hit the nail on the head. This is where Islam is practiced in its purest form.”
“But we can’t really say that because if you look at elsewhere they are really too far from it. I mean they have their own brand of famous music and dancing. Just ridiculous,” remarked Muhammad.
“Ah yes. You are right. I guess that only leaves our city.”
“Yeeeessss. Our city. This is definitely where the true Muslims are my brother. But you know there are cassette shops that have opened up and this is really not part of what we believe in. I guess that only leaves our street. This is really where all the good Muslims are,” ventured Muhammad.
“Yes but even when you have a look around, I mean many of the men have short beards and wear regular thobes. Not like us,” commented Abdul Rahman.
“You know what?” piped up Muhammad. “You are absolutely right Abdul Rahman. I guess we are the only true Muslims that exist.”
“Well,” sighed Abdul Rahman. “Frankly speaking, I don’t always see you in the mosque for Fajr ya Muhammad. So I guess the only true Muslim in the world must be me.”
For some reason, many of us behave like Muhammad and Abdul Rahman firmly believing that we have been bestowed with the divine right to judge people according to their piety. Since the publication of my articles pertaining to why women should be afforded the basic right to travel I have been on the receiving end of hundreds of e-mails voicing thinly disguised sanctimonious overtones. I have been called an infidel, a borderline apostate and many other names by the only “true Muslims” that exist.
It always amazes me how people use religion to suit their own convenience and more especially as a weapon to criticize others. All religions have the inherent noble objective of achieving the betterment of not only the individual per se but also the society he belongs to. I, therefore, wonder why it is that Islam, a faith that fundamentally preaches tolerance and respect, is constantly used by its ill-informed practitioners as a means to do just the opposite. It really sickens and depresses me to watch impotently as people with very little knowledge and understanding of the essence of this great egalitarian religion and an evident lack of compassion toward others take it upon themselves to masquerade as self-appointed vigilantes using their outward appearance as a pretext to damn everybody else. It seems that the length of the beard and the thobe is the ultimate qualification of closeness to God. Short thobe long beard equates to great proximity whereas the opposite indicates great distance. I find the whole concept appalling. So far removed from our belief and spirituality that it is actually quite shocking.
A distinguished Turkish gentleman said to me recently, “I have no problem with beards or veils or religious symbols. The most important thing for me is to worship God with my heart and soul.”
If we weren’t so busy judging others we might have the time and inclination to do just that.
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(Lubna Hussain is a Saudi writer. She is based in Riyadh.)
