There are approximately 195 countries in the world today, and Muslims can perhaps be found in every single one of them. Yet, the unfortunate reality today is that most Muslims live in countries dominated by non-Muslims. Though there may be some degree of freedom to practice Islam, there are very few – if any – places left in the world where a pure 100% Islamic environment can be found. On account of living as a minority among the disbelievers, many Muslims have lost a large portion of their Islamic identity.
In these trying times, the best that the average person can do, to safeguard his Islamic identity and imaan, and that of his household, is to try and ensure that his home becomes a safe haven and sanctuary in which the values of imaan and Islam dominate and reign supreme. It is for this reason that many parents, with the hope of shielding their children from the fitnahs (Deeni challenges) of the time, choose to home-school their children.
In contrast to these parents are some people who feel that since we live as a minority among non-Muslims, it is important for our children to attend school with them so that they can learn how to conduct with non-Muslims. In fact, one person even mentioned, “I feel very comfortable dealing with a Hindu, as I went to school with Hindus. If our Muslim children do not mix and interact with non-Muslim kids, how will they learn to deal with them?”
The answer is that a Muslim will deal with a non-Muslim in the manner taught by Islam. A Muslim will not befriend a non-Muslim or have any love for him, though when dealing with him, he will deal with him in a just and kind manner, according to the command of Islam, fulfilling his rights (e.g. when doing business with him, or if he is a neighbour, employee, etc.).
These are ISLAMIC values which require an ISLAMIC environment to be taught and learnt. On the contrary, when a Muslim child attends school with non-Muslim children, then instead of learning Islamic values, he learns to become “comfortable dealing with a Hindu”, and thus he compromises in his Deeni obligations and values. At times, the child even mixes with Hindus, Christians, and Jews and they share their food with each other. The friendship then grows, till the likes and dislikes of these disbelievers become part of the lifestyle of the child, which is then seen in his conduct, dressing and lifestyle.
Sharee‘ah allows us to deal with disbelievers, but to the point of necessity. Hence, when dealing with a Hindu or any other non-Muslim out of necessity, one will show him good character, but a believer will not feel comfortable in his presence. The reason is that a person of imaan cannot feel comfortable in the presence of an idol worshipper or disbeliever, just as he would feel uncomfortable and uneasy if he was in the presence of wine or pork.
When we view the lives of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) who are our role-models and from whom we learn true Islam, we find that the values of Islam and imaan had permeated their every pore, until it was woven into the very fabric of their being. Hence, when they dealt with the disbelievers, they did so according to the teaching of Islam which they had learnt from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). The result of this was that they reflected the purity and beauty of Islam, due to which many non-Muslims who met them and interacted with them were attracted to Islam.
It is mentioned that on the occasion when Sayyiduna ‘Amr bin ‘Aas (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) was waging jihaad in Egypt, during the khilaafah of Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the ruler of Alexandria offered to surrender to the Muslims in lieu of paying the jizyah (the tax levied from non-Muslim citizens living under Muslim rule). However, he had one condition – the non-Muslim prisoners held captive by the Muslims should be released and allowed to return to the non-Muslims.
Sayyiduna ‘Amr bin ‘Aas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the Muslim commander in Egypt, wrote a letter to the khaleefah, Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), informing him of the offer made by the ruler of Alexandria. Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) responded with the instruction that Sayyiduna ‘Amr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) should tell the ruler of Alexandria that the Muslims would allow them to surrender in lieu of the jizyah, however the Muslims would place two choices before the non-Muslim captives – embrace Islam and enjoy the full rights of a Muslim, or remain a Christian, but pay the jizyah. Either way, the captive would gain his freedom.
Hearing this, the ruler accepted the proposal, and thereafter, the process commenced. One by one, the non-Muslim captives were brought forward and the offer to go free and rejoin their non-Muslim brethren, or go free, embrace Islam and join the Muslims, was placed before them.
On this occasion, many of the captives chose to embrace Islam and join the Muslims, rather than rejoin their non-Muslim family and friends. Among the captives was a man named Abu Maryam, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdir Rahmaan. Despite his mother, father and brothers all being Christian, he chose to embrace Islam and join the Muslims. His family attempted to pull him towards the Christians by force, even tearing his clothes in the process, but he insisted on embracing Islam. (Taareekh Tabari vol. 5, pg. 86)
This was purely on account of the true Islam, and the beautiful qualities and values of the sunnah, which the non-Muslims had witnessed firsthand in the lives of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum). The non-Muslims were captives, held as prisoners, yet they fell in love with Islam. The reason is that the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were embodiments of the Sunnah and beacons of hidaayah (guidance), due to them having learnt Deen from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
If a Muslim child grows up in an Islamic home, and is shielded from the influence of the non-Muslims by not attending schools run by disbelievers, there is hope that the values of Islam will become firmly and deeply entrenched in his heart, and he will insha-Allah reflect the beauty and purity of Islam wherever he goes in the world.
However, when a Muslim child attends a school with non-Muslims, then he should understand the disastrous consequence that comes with it. Instead of the non-Muslims learning the names of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) – our Muslim children learn the names of sports and film stars.
Rather than the non-Muslims becoming attracted to Islamic clothing, our children become attracted to their fashions, styles and culture, as reflected by the dressing and hairstyles.
Instead of the non-Muslims learning to conduct with the justice and kindness of Islam, our children learn to conduct duplicitously, deceptively and even learn the slang terms spoken by the non-Muslims!
The crux of the matter is that a strong Islamic environment must be created at home, and the child, as far as possible, must be shielded from the alien influence of the non-Muslims, so that he can imbibe the true values of imaan and Islam, and reflect them through his actions and words in his life.
May Allah Ta‘ala make our homes sanctuaries of imaan, and bless us with true Islam, aameen.