Impressions of a Convert

Impressions of a Convert

1988 8 August 14-15 Impressions of a Convert (663) Maryam Jamila (formerly Margaret Marcus, New York) is an American neo-convert, now living in Pakistan. She has written several books on Islam one of which is “Islam in Theory and Practice.” One of the chapters of this book, called, ‘Islam and Cleanliness’ starts with.

The excessive dirtiness which characterizes the Muslim countries of the present-day more than any other single factor, disgusts outsiders and spoils their reputation. Ask any American or European traveler what he thinks of the countries and peoples of the Muslim world and he will invariably reply, “How dirty they are!” The sad fact is that this criticism is in most cases justified to such an extent that even new converts of Islam of European origin are sometimes driven to the brink of apostasy for this very reason. As an illustration, one good friend of mine – a German convert – remarked in a letter to me while she and her husband were trying their best to live an Islamic life in a Muslim land:

“My husband is utterly disgusted with the filth in this country where the walls in his office, especially on the stairs, are dark red with spat-out pan (betel nut), where men don’t button up their trousers in the bathroom but rather only in walking back to their desks, where on the same tap he has to make ablutions for prayers, while others clean their artificial teeth leaving everything around red from pan, where at the same time the servants refill the bottles with drinking water and where on Fridays instead of coming neat and clean to the mosque, men with stinking clothes gather together... As the conditions are in Pakistan, my husband thinks that to keep his idealism in Islam alive, he must separate from the Muslims as soon as possible because in Germany he might be more useful in his missionary attempts….”

(Personal letter to me by Begum Fatima Heeren-Sarka dated August 11, 1964.)

After making a desperate effort to live in the Muslim society of Pakistan without success, the writer of the above lines returned with her husband to her native land the following year.

What a sad paradox it is that while Muslim countries of the present day are notorious for their filth, no faith lays so much stress on the necessity for cleanliness both in person and in surroundings than Islam.

Abu Malik said, “The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said, ‘Purification is half the faith.” – Muslim – Mishkat al-Masabih 3

Jabir said, “The Messenger of God said, ‘The key to Paradise is prayer and the key to prayer is purification.’” – Musnad of Ahmad Ibn Hambal, Mishkat al-Masabih 3 Ibn Umar said, “The Messenger of God said, ‘Prayer is not accepted without purification nor is charity accepted out of what is acquired by unlawful means.’” – Muslim – Mishkat al-Masabih 3:1

Abd Allah ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of God said, ‘ “When one of you comes to the Friday prayers, he should take a bath.” – Bukhari 11:2

Amr ibn Sulaim said, “‘The Messenger of God said, ‘Taking a bath on Friday is incumbent on everyone who has attained puberty and he should use the toothbrush and scent if he can find it.’” – Bukhari 11:3

In Pakistan, as well as in other Muslim countries, there has been a great furore over the “establishment of the Islamic system.” Yet a convert has to take refuge in non-Muslim countries in order to keep his faith intact.

The responsibility for this state of affairs falls on those so-called Muslim leaders who have committed the unpardonable blunder of taking commandments which were meant to be acted upon and treating them as if they were meant only to be imposed upon others, or as if they were meant for everyone but themselves and their own bands of followers. For instance, the Quran gives us the imperative: “establish religion!” But this commandment has been conveniently misconstrued to mean, “Let religion be established upon the rulers!”