Islam is a Way of Life, and Yes That Includes Politics
Most practicing Muslims are quite familiar with the phrase that Islam “is not a religion, but a way of life”. Indeed, one cannot claim to be a practicing Muslim without putting their forehead to the ground 34 times each day, while audibly glorifying Allah 102 times, at the very least, if not more. If that does not qualify as “a way of life”, then I’m afraid not much else does. Even beyond that, practicing Muslims also know that our very thoughts and intentions, from the moment we wake up, to the moment we sleep, should include constant whispers of remembrance. Unfortunately though, our “Islamic way of life” often forgets about joining the Parent-Teacher Organization at our children’s school, or the volunteer Fire Fighter Department down the street. Sometimes, we forget that public or political activism is part of our collective responsibility as an Ummah. We all know that the days of lying low and minding our own business in America are gone. The Prophet ﷺ said that our Ummah would one day be abundant and vast in numbers, but as weak as the foam of the sea, and that is undoubtedly because of our lack of activism in areas of society that matter most.
As a child, I often heard the constantly touted claim that “American values are almost identical to Islam’s values”, because in America you had justice, equality, the rule of law, and friendly neighbors. But today, it’s quite evident this claim is severely under threat. If we don’t get involved on school boards, city councils, and virtually every position available via the ballot box in this country, we risk living inside a dystopian society in the very near future; one that is entirely bereft of Islam’s values, and one where we can no longer claim that Islamic values are similar to the values of this great country. It is not all doom and gloom however, there is good news: a record 81 Muslim candidates ran for elected office in 2020 across the country, so we are on the right track, alhamdulillah. The total number of positions available by election are vastly greater though, so in shaa Allah this is just the start – and hopefully Guidance College will one day produce some of those (future) elected officials.
Mohamad Mouneimne
Guidance College Student Liason
studentscouncil@guidancecollege.org
