Enjoining

Now we know that for the best of societies

it's best if everyone is doing it together,

which means not just getting everyone else to help me do good,

but also me helping other people to do good,

and that applies whether they are muslims or not.

So think of how others might help you do good

in ways that are part of the muslim way of life.

If we look, we find there are many ways of acting for the common good

set out in the Qur'an

and the teachings of Muhammad the Messenger.

We are guided to feed the hungry,

care for the needy and provide for the poor.

We need to protect the orphan,

shelter the homeless,

and prevent cruelty to children and animals.

We need to heal the sick,

and care for the old and dying.

We need to speak up for justice,

educate the community,

and defend it against aggressors.

And in Scotland, all these things

are taken care of by the community at large,

and many organisations would be grateful

for any kind of help.

And help is needed day by day,

part of a daily way of life,

not just the great occasions

when much of the country comes together

remembering those less well-off than ourselves,

like Comic Relief and Children in Need.

And contributing to the community

doesn't have to be just giving money

or volunteering time.

Some needs are so great,

and the organisations so big,

that it makes sense to pay people

to work that way for the common good.

We pay doctors and nurses to care for the sick,

teachers to educate us,

police to protect us,

and military personnel to defend us.

And if people are prepared to put their lives on the line

to defend us and keep us from harm,

or work long hours to heal or teach those around them,

they may be non-muslims but they display muslim values.

We can see within them the muslim nature

with which they were born,

their compassion, and their mercy,

their love and generosity.

They may not be muslim

in the way of knowing the teachings of Muhammad the Messenger,

but their principles are the same,

sharing that same spring of goodness that can be found

in the hearts of believers.

Good can be found in people who don't have muslim names.

That is why it is permitted

for muslims to have business partnerships with non-muslims,

and for marriage contracts to be drawn up

between muslims and non-muslims,

to share love and affection.

At the same time, there are many, many people with muslim names

who display very little of what one might expect

from those supposedly living a muslim way of life.

Any kind of crime imaginable

is as likely to be committed by someone with a muslim name as it is by someone without.

It is for this reason that not only are muslims asked to enjoin good,

but also to forbid evil,

and to try to prevent other muslims from doing harm.

And some with muslim names will openly show little concern for the teachings of Islam,

whereas some like to hide their misdeeds under a display of being religious,

and the Qur'an frequently warns the muslim community against the hypocrites

to be found making display of their pretend faith.

The muslim way of life is not just about belief,

but about behaviour.

As the Qur'an makes clear,

just because you have a muslim name

doesn't mean that you are doing good.