Islam is a complete and perfect religion. But we who want to practise it are far from perfect. But we can only strive towards perfection. This is the reality of our humanity.

However, this is no excuse whatsoever to think that complete and perfect Islam is meant only for some set of people. This is a misconception. And I think this is why I often feel irritated (and sad too) when some of us muslims have now wrongly believed that when you as a muslim brother keeps your beard and wears a pair of trousers below the ankle you must be a Tablig. How misleading! For Allah's sake! This is purely a sound practice of the sunnah. How many times have we read the Qur'an and come across Allah's command on us to obey and follow strictly that which the Prophet asks us to do! How many times has Allah told us that the best and perfect example for us, all of us, in terms of emulation that will lead us to true success and happiness both in this world and the next is Prophet Muhammad (SAW)! How many times!

Hey, brother. You said we should leave the issue of appearance because to you it's a non-issue, as there are many more important aspects of the deen. But have you forgotten that Allah SWT doesn't just command us to enter Islam, but He wants us to enter it wholeheartedly, completely? Could we have forgotten the meaning of 'wholeheartedly?' Subhannallah! By Allah, one of the numerous challenges plaguing this ummah is our disappearance in appearance. Yes, and that isn't just a play on words. Call it pun, if you like. But the sad fact remains that we muslims of today have been so carried away by this duniyah that we now flagrantly major in the minor: selling our real appearance for a piece of cake, be it for our livelihood; our jobs, our social life, our political life including all that we term success in this fleeting world.

Meanwhile, we've forgotten that our identity forms a very veritable means of striving towards the true, perfect Islam. Two muslims brothers, for instance, walking separate sides of the road passing a hotel, where lust is conspicuously on display for sale. One brother is dressed full beard on, trousers beneath the ankle, the other no trace of Islam except in his heart and name (that's only if you move closer to him anyway). Tell me: which of them will one of these agents of shaytan persuade to patronise her lust? Your guest is as good as mine. Truth is, even if the the 'appearance' brother is not sinless (who is, after all?), his appearance has helped him escape that fitnah for that moment, at least. Whosoever does an evil deed even equivalent to an atom in significance shall definitely account for it! Subhannallah!

Brothers and sisters in Islam! As earlier said, while Islam is perfect we the muslims aren't. Buh is that enough justification for not wanting to strive towards the perfect Islam? It is a fact that most students who often are able to finish with first class at the university must have aimed at nothing less than first class. Same with those who end up on a 2:1. Point is, better to aim at nothing but the peak, so that even if you fail to get to the peak, you don't find yourself at the bottom either. Get the gist?
That should be the perfect formular for every muslim anticipating the Pleasure of Allah. While we cannot practically attain moral perfection because we're human, striving towards it is really what distinguishes us from the unbelievers. Not to strive at all is fatal, both for our duniya and akhirah. And not to strive at all is simply not to work towards the complete deen. Complete. Wholeheartedly. And enough of those flimpsy excuses that everyone cannot be an Alfa! What misleading utterances! Subhannallah.

O you brothers in Islam! When you see a sister dressed nearly unclad, not drawing her jalabibihina all over her body as commanded by Allah, you're always too quick to condemn her and preach that she should use her Ijab. Meanwhile, you too have been oblivious of your own unclothedness. Yes, nudity, I dearsay, is that for a muslim brother who deliberately goes beardless, except he is naturally beardless. Same with the trousers below the ankle -- because this is what the Prophet of Allah (SAW) practised. Need I reiterate that whatever the Prophet said or did is Allah's commandment and whatever the Prophet (SAW) said or did, we muslims MUST follow. And yet, sadly, we muslims of today often hide behind this straying alibi, that since it's sunnah, it's not compulsory. ''Afala taqilun?''

O beautiful brothers and sisters in Islam! I leave you with these thoughts:

Since even the struggles of this world require a lot of suffering and sacrifices, how much more Allah's promise thus:
''Allah has promised to the believers - men and women, - Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of Adn (Eden Paradise). But the greatest bliss is the Pleasure of Allah. That is the supreme success.'' Q9 vs 72

Hmmm. THAT IS THE SUPREME SUCCESS. Now the ball is in your court. Which do you prefer: The supreme success or the ephemeral success?

#Itbeginswithyou#

Salamun alaykum!

Ramadan Mubarak to the Nairaland Muslim community.

wa alaykum salaam warahmatuLlah
JazaakaLlahu khayr....

dragnet: wa alaykum salaam warahmatuLlah
JazaakaLlahu khayr....

wa iyakum, bro.

May Allah make it easy for us all.

comsoy: May Allah make it easy for us all.

Amin