It Is All about Knowledge and Ignorance

Muslims in non-muslim countries often face situations when they are mistreated or misunderstood. It is a well known fact that Muslims with hijab or beard are labeled terrorists. It is not surprising for me to be stopped by a policeman and asked for documents, or to be followed everywhere by a watchman in a mall. Such situations were quite upsetting for me before, especially when I have just started wearing hijab. But now my attitude has changed and I treat such cases with humor. I know it is all about knowledge and the level of ignorance of people.

There are only two categories of people who can give such labels to Muslims: first are enemies of Islam - the brainwashers, and the second are those poor victims of brainwashing.

I would like to stop at the second category of people who represent majority of the population. Unfortunately the main source of information for them is television and Internet. In spite of proclaimed freedom of press mass media give biased coverage of political events according to the principle “He who pays the piper calls the tune”. The information in the official sources is carefully filtered and dosed. Politicians are able to manipulate social opinion by representing this or that event from different sides; they are able to make mass media serve their interests to reach a special aim.

The second source of information is Internet. Everyone tells what he wants and that is why this source contains plenty of “trash” information. The sad thing is that even Muslims distort image of Islam by spreading doubtful facts which they have heard from someone else or have read in some site. There appeared a great number of Muslims who introduce themselves as scholars without having necessary education. They give explanations of Quran verses and Hadeeth without having rights to it. Unfortunately there are even some non-Muslims who are busy with taking a single ayat or a part of an ayat and trying to interpret the meaning of it in a completely wrong way. They mislead themselves and distort the image of Islam. This is the reason of why there is misunderstanding, a big number of sects and lack of unity between Muslims.

Moreover there is a great number of anti Islamic sites, blogs, forums where some people’s hatred against this beautiful religion finds its realization.

There is an ayat in Quran, “O people, ask the people of knowledge if you do not know” (An-Nahl:43)

There is law in every country. All people know about their rights in general, but when they find themselves in a difficult situation they prefer to ask a lawyer for advice and defend themselves from mistakes. One would not even have an idea to ask a doctor or a stylist for a professional advice about law. And if we have health problem we would not consult a lawyer about it.

Because those who know are not equal to those who are ignorant about the subjects.

“Are the knowledgeable and the ignorant equal?” It is only the men of intellect who heed advice. (Az-Zumar: 9)

The same thing is with Islam. There are scholars, who study the religion, who do a tremendous task fighting with ignorance of the rest of people by highlighting the way to wisdom to them.

So why not ask a scholar about some issues of Islam? Why listen to strangers from the streets and taking to consideration their explanations if the is a chance to get a professional reliable advice.

Of course it is easier to write a question in a forum and discuss it there with other ordinary people, learn each other’s opinion, choose the most preferable one than to spend time and money and make efforts to seek knowledge in a right place.

Let’s be wiser and learn about the law from lawyers, about medicine from doctors, about style from designers, and about Islam from ulems (Islamic scholars). And let’s not forget that there are still books exist which are much better then TV as they enrich horizons and awaken desire to seek knowledge.