Green Medina

I read an Islamic Reddit thread a few years ago that asked, “What is the biggest mistake that Muslims make?”

The comment near the top was, “Muslims worship Islam rather than God.”

What does this mean? To me, it means treating faith like a checklist of do’s and dont’s, rather than orienting our lives around serving the universal force of compassion and mercy.

And yet almost every chapter of the Quran (except for chapter 9) starts with: Bismillah-ir-Rahman ir-Raheem (In the Name of God, the most Gracious, the most Merciful).

The divine attributes Rahman and Raheem are from the root “rhm,” which is an Arabic verbal stem for “womb.” The mother’s womb is a place for nurturing and deep caring.

The suffix –an in Arabic can be used to convey intensity. (Intense love)

The suffix –eem can be used to convey permanence. (Unending love)

The Bismillah-ir-Rahman ir-Raheem that starts (almost) every chapter is key to understanding the nature of God. If you think that God is an angry bearded man in a toga and sandals who will throw lightning bolts at you for failing to achieve your checklist, then the idea that there is a real god might start to seem a little silly.

Other religions have this problem as well.

But if you see God as the source of all love, goodness, compassion, and mercy in the universe—then that is quite a different story.

When people ask me if I feel silly believing in a “magical sky daddy,” I ask them what the focus of their life is. Sometimes, this catches them off guard for a second, because they haven’t really thought about it on a conscious level. Then maybe they might mutter something about their job, or their marriage, or their friends, or their kids.

But what happens when you lose that job that was the center of your universe? That marriage? Those friends. Or what happens when you and your kids grow apart? Yes, it happens sometimes unfortunately. But when these things happen, does life end? Does one fall into a pit of crevasse of endless despair, drug, and drink?

Then for others, life is an endless competition to get more than the other guy.

I’m sure some of you have seen the license plate, “The man who dies with the most toys wins.”

The great irony of our age is that we have more material wealth than has ever existed before (the Pharaohs must be rolling in their graves wishing they had the luxuries of the average Westerner), and yet we’re so empty inside. Depression, anxiety, and loneliness are all on the rise. For many of us, the only way to fill the black hole of a void inside our hearts is by trying to plug it up with ever more and more pleasure. And yet it’s much like a thirsty person drinking salt water. The more you drink, the thirstier you get.

Endless consumption is also a mindset that is literally destroying the planet.

But the point is, we all worship something, whether consciously or unconsciously.

So what if instead of worshiping transient things that will eventually disappear and make us depressed, what if instead we turn our focus to worshiping the all permanent source of love and goodness? This is the wisdom found in most of the religions and philosophies of the world that have endured the test of time.

To me, the importance of the Bismillah-ir-Rahman ir-Raheem in the Quran is that in almost every chapter, it is identifying what God is, much like a mathematic text identifying the value of a variable in an equation. In this equation, God is the sum of all mercy and love in existence. To live a life unplugged from the source of all goodness, is a life of desperation, darkness, and endless wanting that can never truly be filled.

When I tell many people that being a Muslim (which in Arabic, just translates to a person who serves God) means centering love and compassion in my life, they get surprised and then they say, “But why do you have to follow so many rules?”

My perspective first off, is that the Quran doesn’t actually ask that much of us. An overwhelming majority of the text (some 95%) is about the nature of God. But maybe 5% of the Quran comes with prescribed practices such as prayer, fasting, and giving to charity. And then the prohibited behaviors: consuming intoxicants, gambling, fornication (uncommitted sex), and cruelty to animals.

These prescribed practices are part of building a disciplined life where one can do the maximum amount of good and the least amount of evil before they die. Afterall, how much good can you do in your life if you are too busy getting drunk/high, or incurring a lot drama from thoughtless hookups, or losing all your money in an online poker game? Prayer, on the other hand, connects you to the source of all mercy. Fasting builds up your willpower (much like going the gym builds muscles) and to charity—that speaks for itself.

So in terms of understanding Islam, or religion in general, it’s important to lead with Compassion—with a capital C. Some people get lost in the importance of putting Scholar So-and-So first, or doing something a certain way because it was always done that way.

But remember that the Quran implores us to use our own thought and reason. “…And He places defilement upon those who will not use reason (10:100).”

The Quran also warns against those who have hardened their hearts, emphasizing the importance of compassion, mercy, and love. “Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder (2:74).”

The whole, “But we have to do it this way because it’s always been done this way,” is defeated by the following Quranic argument: “And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say, “Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing.” Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided? (2:170).” It warns against blindly following tradition simply because it is what our forefathers practiced

For those who are not Muslim, but are interested in building a relationship with God, this is also an important take away. Always lead with compassion.

I’d love to hear your thoughts below. What is one sustainable, small act of compassion you can practice in your daily life?

One great idea is to carry a few small bills so one can offer something to people experiencing homelessness on the street.

Compassion is one of the clearest signs of a heart that is still open. And the world always needs more open hearts.