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our own salvation, I believe we also have some responsibility to help others do the same for themselves (16:125, 22:67, 103:3).
This other responsibility is not as easy as it may seem because we have to think quite differently from our selfish selves. Unless we have a compassionate attitude and understand other people’s challenges and circumstances, how will we be able to help them effectively? While everyone is responsible for their own actions, we must be careful that we invite correctly, not give people reasons to be repelled from following God’s rules to succeed. Satan will try all sorts of tricks, sometimes using even inmates who are closest to us to see that we don’t get out of prison successfully.
Submitters
[41:33] Who can utter better words than one who invites to GOD, works righteousness, and says, “I am one of the submitters”?
[41:34] Not equal is the good response and the bad response. You shall resort to the nicest possible response. Thus, the one who used to be your enemy, may become your best friend.
[41:35] None can attain this except those who steadfastly persevere. None can attain this except those who are extremely fortunate.
Helping our fellow inmates succeed
To help others, it really works to first be perceived as mature, sane, truthful people to whom others can turn for advice. Do you not want to be that wise go-to person and thus become one of God’s favorite inmates?
[10:16] Say, “Had GOD willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would you have known anything about it. I have lived among you a whole life before this (and you have known me as a sane, truthful person). Do you not understand?”
An example in the Quran of a wise prisoner is Joseph (Sura 12). He put his trust in God, and used the wisdom, knowledge and righteousness to help himself and his prison mates. Then, like Joseph, you can be successful on earth and eventually in the Hereafter.
You are free to play your role as an advocator of peace and righteousness as you wish. Keep in mind that God exalts the strivers over the sedentary, so recognize the fantastic opportunity to become a premium servant of God.
Your first step should start with helping a person understand the need to worship God alone. God’s system of Submission can then be introduced at the right time to supercharge the growth.
Always deliver your communication in the most polite and relevant manner. I’m emphasizing relevant because unless what you say resonates with a person, you will not get that person’s interest. For example, you may repel people if you attack them saying their religion is wrong and yours is right or better. Instead, use a neutral approach and say that you have learned that we humans must turn to God alone and follow the same truth that exists in all His scriptures. Let them know that our god and their god is the same (29:46), and you believe in what God revealed to us and to “their messengers” (e.g., Abraham, Moses, Jesus) and you make no distinction among them.
Three ideas to prepare for the responsibility
1. First come to terms with your own weaknesses and biases then be ready to exit your CZIT (Comfort Zone / Ivory Tower). The people who will come your way may not be like you. Submission is an international religion which is not tied to a culture or language. Traditional Muslims already know the system, so they only need to switch to worshipping God alone and drop a few bad habits. Help them exit their strong culture bias and “being Muslim is best” attitude which ends up repelling people from the word “Islam”. On the other hand, the rest of the world has to adopt a whole new system and overcome all the cultural barriers and behaviors that they associate with “Muslims”. These are two different markets that need two different approaches.
2. At every stage, make compassion a condition for dialogue so your head is clear to see the world from the other person’s view. Submitters often talk about tolerance but that can simply mean just forcing themselves to be nice or patient. Compassion is way beyond that. It means engaging with a person in a manner that he or she feels you understand their position and genuinely want to help them find a solution. Remember that you started out like them and they will go through years and years of unique circumstances to learn what God wants them to learn. I know people who were repelled from, or delayed accepting Submission, because of the judgmental, intolerant, and holier-than-thou attitude shown by some submitters with an outward appearance of being nice.
3. Use wisdom – which includes the refined application of knowledge. One of the toughest hurdles for people to overcome is everything associated with traditional Muslims.
How to Spread God's Message
[16:125] You shall invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and kind enlightenment, and debate with them in the best possible manner. Your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He knows best who are the guided ones.
If you try to sell the words Islam, Muslim, Arabic, Salat, Allah, or cultural habits of traditional Muslims, people may be hesitant to listen to you. In many parts of the world, the word Muslim repels people from the idea of God and religion, so use the most logical path to help people overcome their biases. Educate people slowly by creating content that is local and relevant to them. Don’t hesitate to use neutral and international terms like Submission, God, Peace, etc. Remember God told us (through his messenger, Rashad Khalifa) that “Submission” will prevail, which may be more relevant to the future world that will have no familiarity with traditional Islam. At the Messenger of the Covenant’s original Masjid in Tucson,
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