Almost everywhere you listen today you hear the very common phrase 'fundamentalist muslim.' I started wondering what exactly that means, and why is there always a huge negative connotation associated with those two words? The first place I turned to was the dictionary where I made a surprising discovery.
fundamental- serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying
fundamentalism- 1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a movement in American Protestantism that arose in the early part of the 20th century in reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming.
2.the beliefs held by those in this movement.
3.strict adherence to any setof basic ideas or principles
So at one time the word fundamentalism was associated with Christianity, and those who felt passionate about upholding the original religious teachings. Interesting that it's used now by people who favor, or follow Christianity as a way to negatively describe muslims.
I started thinking about the Prophets, peace be upon them, and realized something pretty powerful. All the Prophets were fundamentalists. Their main purpose in life was to submit to God's Will, not their peers' will. Abraham, (Ibrihim), peace be upon him, denounced the practice of idol worshiping when it was common and widely practiced among his people. Later, he proved his obediance to God again when he was willing to sacrifice his own son. Fundamentalist! Noah, peace be upon him, built the ark and waited about 350 years for the floods to come. Meanwhile he was ridiculed, outcast, and viewed as the most insane person. Yet he submitted to God's Will, and remained patient and faithful. As the floods came, he even left his son behind in order to obey God. Fundamentalist! Moses (Mousa), peace be upon him, challenged one of the most powerful rulers (pharoah) in order to follow God's Will. He endured many obsticles and challenges. Leaving his hometown and leading an entire population through the desert to safety wasn't easy, to put it lightly, and at any minute he could have thrown his hands up and said 'I give up.' Yet he remained faithful and obedient. Fundamentalist! Jesus (Isa), peace be upon him, was outcast by the very group of people he was sent to guide. The Jews denounced him and plotted against him. However, his goal was to follow God's Will. He was even willing to sacrifice his body as a sign of dedication to God. Fundamentalist! Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was teaching peace while people were plotting to kill him, throwing trash on his back as he was praying, leaving garbage on his doorstep. He spoke God's words proudly, and did not hesitate even when what was being said was very unpopular. Fundamentalist!
These 'fundamental muslims' are only people that strive to live their lives submitting to God's Will and obeying God. Anyone who follows a belief without the concern of the opinions of others around them could be described as a fundamentalist.
So what's all the fuss about? Why verbaly prosecute people whose only goal is to obey and submit to God? Take a look at present day western society. It's all about self-satisfaction and putting your needs before anyone else's. It's become a selfish, self-serving, materialistic era. Happiness depends on what you have and keeping up with and outdoing those around you. You have money and power? Then obviously you're the happiest person on earth. Yet if you ask those who have the money and power if they're happy, and they answer you honestly, the majority would say no. Why? Because materialistic things come and go. Everything materialistic has a shelf-life. Clothes, cars, video games, computers, etc. all may be 'in' for a while, but eventualy something better comes along. So it's a never-ending cycle of getting and replacing. The satisfaction or happiness that comes from owning these things is temporary. There's always going to be something out there better than what you have. People who do not place their happiness on consumerism are a threat and a danger, both financialy and ideologicaly.
Muslims believe it's ok to have nice things, but it's not important. What IS important is learning your religion, living your life in a pleasing way to God, submitting your life to God, and obeying Him. These 'fundamental muslims' are living this way. They seek what's good and best not only for themselves, but for those around them. They are selfless and generous, asking themselves 'Do I really need a new pair of shoes or would my money be put to a better use? Is it more important that I upgrade to the latest model of phone, or that I help my neighbor get new tires for his car? Or help my family member pay a bill.' The 'modern Islam' that's also becoming a popular phrase is a mixture of western culture and Islamic teachings. They take what they like from culture and combine it with what they like from the religion. In the process, compromises are being made. God didn't say anywhere in the Quran that what was good and right for the people during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was eventually going to become outdated and no longer applicable for generations to come. Instead He said "...This day, those who disbelieved have given up all hope of your religion, so fear them not, but fear Me. This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam (total submission to God) as your religion. ..." Quran 5:3 A perfect religion never expires or needs modified or adapted.
Islam teaches balance. It's more than ok to have nice things, to have fun, etc. But to place your happiness on possesions is not good. Islam teaches the value of the afterlife. This life on earth is temporary and wasting it on materialism is unacceptable. Instead, it's prefered to seek what's most beneficial not only in this life, but the hereafter... God's pleasure in you. If you sincerely do something pleasing to God, then in return He will reward you on the Day of Judgement.
Being a fundamentalist shouldn't be considered a horrible thing. In fact, when you consider all the great prophets, peace be upon them, it should be an honor. So next time you hear the phrase 'fundamental muslims' please turn off the tv or radio, close the paper or magazine, or correct the person saying it. There's nothing wrong with following your beliefs especially if it's not popular. God is above all else, and He is the One we will answer to in the end. I would hope that everyone sees the significance in submitting to God's Will, and not to their peer's will. Perhaps what the world needs is a few more 'fundamentalists.'
