Islamic Thinking

A member of a certain mosque, who previously had started attending the mosque to perform his Salaah (prayer), suddenly stopped attending. After a few weeks, the imam decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The imam found the man alone at home, sitting before a blazing fire.  Guessing the reason for his imam’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace…and waited.

The imam made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the imam took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone, then he sat
back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.  Soon it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.  The imam glanced at his watch and realised it was time to leave.  He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the
burning coals around it.

As the imam reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, ‘Shukran for your visit and especially for the firey sermon. I will be attending mosque again tomorrow starting with the Fajr Salaah, InshaAllah’.

قُلْ هَٰذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي ۖ وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Say, “This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah ; and I am not of those who associate others with Him.” (Quran 12:108)

Our best Dawah (invitation to Islam) is our example. Our actions speak louder than words. We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen.  Sometimes the best bayaans (sermons) are the ones “given silently”.