Letter to a
Muslim Student Going to Study in the West
Hassan Al Banna
[Hassan al Banna was born in
1906 in Egypt into a family of scholars.
In 1928, he formed Ikhwan al
Muslimeen (the Muslim Brotherhood organization). This movement for the revival
of Islam soon spread across Egypt and the region. In December 1948, the Muslim
Brotherhood organization was suppressed and thousands of its members arrested. Hassan
al Banna was spared arrest only to be assassinated in February 1949.]
Dearest brother,
|
Y |
ou will be
amongst people you have not known before and characters you are not accustomed
to. In you they will see the example of a Muslim. So make sure they see in you
the best example and the finest image, in order for them to understand that the
word 'Muslim' embodies virtue and nobility. With you is a precious trust, that
is your righteous wife, appreciate this. Towards her be a trustworthy companion.
Provide her with comfort
and
happiness. Share with her felicity, without being careless in acquiring your
rights and negligent in performing your duties.
1.O my brother, excel in your observance of Allah (swt) in all
your dealings. Understand that He (swt) keeps watch over you, sees you and
encompasses all that is of concern to you - wherever you are. He knows the
treachery of your eyes and all that your heart conceals. Strive not to let
Allah (swt) see you, except that He is pleased with you. So, consolidate your heart with the
observance of Allah and in vigil seek refuge from your surroundings and do not
be among the unmindful.
2. Perform
the obligatory duties which Allah has enjoined upon you, at their appointed
times. Do not neglect them by relying on performing them at a later time,
because you are busy with work or resorting to other excuses for justification.
3.Spend whatever time you can in performing supererogatory
works a duties of obedience. Perform the sunna prayers. Increase your appeal
for forgiveness and the praising of your Glorified Lord. Remember, that ones
supplication, during travel or in expatriation, will be answered; hence,
increase your supplication in secret and in humility. Continue your remembrance
of Allah (swt). The remembrance of
Allah amongst the unmindful nations is like a shining light.
4.Increase your recitation of the Glorious Quran with
understanding and deliberation. It is a healing for the soul and a comfort to
the heart. Designate from it a portion to read at the beginning of the day and
a portion to read at the end of it, hence the best beginning and the best end.
5.In the
delights of life and pleasures of the world, you will see that which inclines
the heart, impresses the mind, attracts the eye and bewilders those whose
spirits are weak. Do not let these seduce you away from virtue and cause you to
forget the Hereafter: Do not turn your eyes covetously towards the
embellishments of worldly life that We have bestowed upon various kinds of
people to test them. But the clean provision bestowed upon you by your Lord is
better and more enduring. (Taha 20: 131-2).
6.Dearest brother, what Allah has made Haram (unlawful) for us,
those people consider it as Halal (lawful) for them. Hence, when they commit a
Haram (unlawful) act, they will neither feel ashamed nor will they refrain from
perpetrating it. You should neither agree with their whims nor mix with them in
their sins.
7.Do not take their girls for company, and do not let there
develop between you and them, any special friendship or any emotional
relationship. If this kind of socializing is a sin for those other than you, then it is a sin twice as great
for you and you know well the meaning of this.
8.As for alcohol, do not approach it and do not use the climate
as an excuse, because when Allah made it Haram (unlawful), He had full
knowledge about all types of climate but did not exclude one country from
another or one nation from another from this prohibition.
9.Do not taste anything in those restaurants which serve Haram
(unlawful) food, like pork and dead meat. In that which is Halal (lawful) you
have a substitute and enough for contentment. So do not taste the Haram
(unlawful) and do not let your flesh grow on it, otherwise fire is what it
deserves.
10.As for casinos, night-clubs, and other such places of vanity,
your time is far too precious to be wasted in them. Dearest brother, be
stringent with your time and do not spend it except in that which is
significant, and acquire pleasure in that which is lawful.
11.Be
critical, with insight, and be just and well acquainted with people. Encompass
with knowledge all of their affairs, and then with an eye of insight,
scrutinize it all.Present back the good that you find to your people and
nation, and return with it victorious and supported. Other than that, throw it
back on them and do not come back until you have dusted off your hands and
emptied your mind of it all.
12-You will find there a group of people dishonoring your
Prophet (saw), faulting your Quran and disgracing your people. Do not sit with
such people, until they turn to a different theme, even if it is necessary for
you to enter into a dialogue with them. Argue with them in the best manner.
Explain to them the good that you know and avoid controversies that lead to
hatred and sedition (fitnah). Dearest brother, be aware that calling the people
through practical example is far better than calling them through speech.
Whenever an opportunity arises for you to deliver a speech or a lecture at one
of their meeting places or societies, prepare yourself for it. Choose that
which will not stir disorder and that which will not offend integrity. Do not
be apprehended by their stance, because Allah's aid is with those who are
sincere. Be positive and do not insult other people's beliefs instead,
elucidate to them their innate goodness and reveal to them our beliefs. By
doing so, you will have adequately promoted awareness and incentive.
Finally, and there is still so much
for me to say and I would have loved to continue this advice with you, yet my
concern is that if I prolong this discourse any more, you may forget most of
what I have said; for over speaking does distract one from what is being said.
I entrust to Allah your religion, your obligations and the outcome of your actions. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon
you. Ameen
