1. The document discusses the role of Muslims in Western societies, particularly America. It outlines 19 key points about properly understanding Islam and a Muslim's role as a successor or representative of God. 2. The points emphasize living according to the Quran and teachings of Muhammad, which promote justice, balance in life, non-violence, kindness towards all, and avoiding extremism. 3. Maintaining moderation and not exceeding limits is vital, as fanaticism can lead believers astray and cause harm.

1. Courses on Islamic Studies
Designed and Taught By
Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Siddiqi, Ph.D.
Professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic
Language
In Several American Community Colleges
The Role of a Muslim
In Western Societies in general and in American
Society in Particular

2. In the name of Allah the Most
Compassionate the Most Merciful
In order to do justice to this topic we must
understand our status, recognize
ourselves, and find out all about the role
with which we were created.
(1) Allah swt/God, glorified and exalted
made an announcement to the angels
when He was about to create His most
honorable creation, the humankind,

3. “And remember when your Cherisher
Lord said to the angels, surely, I am
about to place on earth a
Khalifah/vicegerent” The Holy Qur’an
2/30
Khalifah also means: Successive
authority, to remind The humankind
their role of transferring the heritage
to their children

4. who will succeed this authority of
teaching the divine message to their
children who will succeed them, and
so on and so forth.
(2) Whose Khalifah/Viceroy? Khalifah
of Allah swt, the Arabic word Khalifah
comes from a root word Khalafa
which means: to succeed, to follow,
to come after, to take the place of.

5. The Islamic Caliphate system
(Khilafah) comes from the same root
word to define Islamic political system
in which a ruler is called as Khalifah
to indicate that in this system
sovereignty belongs to Allah/God and
not to the ruler who is a caretaker
and implementer of Divine Law.

6. (3) What are the qualifications of a
Khalifah? The number one
qualification of Khalifah is to be the
most knowledgeable in his group to
deserve the leadership position, as
mentioned in 2/31 of the Holy Qur’an:
“ And He (Allah) taught Adam all the
names, then He presented
them(same knowledge) to the angels
(giving them equal opportunity to learn
them) then He said:

7. tell me the names of these, if you are
right”. So, among the angels and Jinn
who were present there and were
given equal opportunity to learn the
science of names which explains the
nature and function of the things
behind each and every name, only
Adam was able to learn and thus he
became the most qualified among
them.

8. (4) Adam had to give a test of his
knowledge by informing the angels and
jinn what he has learned, who were
present there as mentioned in 2/33 of the
Holy Qur’an.
(5) Then Allah swt created for Adam his
wife (4/1), and sent both of them to the
(4
Paradise (2/35), to train him on three other
(2 35),
important qualities of a leader/Khalifah:
(A) Self-control: to teach that, He
Selfprohibited both of them to approach a
particular tree (2/35)
(2 35)

9. (B) Don’t let Satan who is your
declared enemy misguide you (2/34)
(2 34)
(C) Perfection only belongs to
Allah/God, if you made a mistake,
repent to Allah swt, don’t insist on
your mistake like Satan did by
disobeying Allah swt (3/135 & 7/23),
(3
23),
Now Adam is trained as a Khalifah of
Allah swt and ready to go to earth.

10. (6) When Allah swt accepted the
repentance of Adam and Eve, he sent
them to earth, and made Adam as His
first Prophet:
Then His Lord chose him (for His
grace), He accepted his repentance
and gave him guidance. He said: go
down both (Jinn & Human) of you all
together with enmity one to another,

11. then if, as is sure, guidance comes
to you from me, then whosoever
follows my guidance, will not lose
his way, nor fall into misery. But
whosoever turns away from my
message, surely his will be a
narrow life and We shall raise him
blind on the Judgment Day. He will
say: O my Lord! Why have you
raised me up

12. Blind while I had sight (before), He
(Allah) will say: so (it must be). Our
revelations came unto you but you did
forget them, in like manner you are
forgotten this Day. 20/122-126
20/122(7) The woman was not blamed for
eating from the forbidden tree
according to the Holy Qur’an,

13. Adam was the one, being the head
of the family, blamed for this sin:
So, they both ate from it (tree), so
their nakedness appeared to them
and they began to sew for their
covering leaves from the Garden,
thus did Adam disobey his Lord
and so he fell into error. 20/121
20/

14. (8) Allah kept sending His prophets
and messengers to guide the
humanity throughout the ages, and He
perfected His message when
humanity reached the highest level of
intellectual maturity on the hands of
His last, final and universal Prophet
Muhammad pbuh. To address the
human mind the Holy Qur’an was
revealed as the greatest divine
miracle.

15. The last Testament: Qur’an will be a
source of guidance for the entire
humankind up to the Day of
Judgment. The Holy Qur’an will not
only remain modern for all future
generations but the humanity will
continue find in it answers to all their
questions and solutions to all their
problems.

16. (9) The most important next duty is
to teach people about Tawheed: the
foundation of Islam upon which the
building of Islam stands, it is very
powerful concept of oneness with
its three basic dimensions as
mentioned in 2/163, 49/13 and
163, 49/
42/13,
42/13, they are:

17. (A) Belief in one universal God, who
enjoys all perfect attributes and does
not suffer any imperfection of any kind
(B) Belief in one universal humanity,
who is given freedom of choice as
very basic and fundamental human
right, so, people can see beauty in
diversity
(C) One universal divine message
conveyed by all the prophets and
messengers.

18. 10)
(10) You must very frequently convey
this message to all Muslims and nonnonMuslims that: (A) There is no room for
terrorism of any kind in Islam, Islamic
legal system will punish a terrorist with
capital punishment, 5/32 (B) It is
unlawful to commit suicide or suicide
bombing, 4/29, 2/195
29,

19. (C) The Holy Qur’an promotes love
and kindness, justice and fairness for
all non-Muslims, (60/8), and not the
non(60/
violence. (D) In Islam hurting a nonnonMuslim who lives in a Muslim country
will amount to hurting Prophet
Muhammad pbuh, and Prophet
Muhammad will fight the case of a
nonnon-Muslim victim on judgment day as
a lawyer, in front of Allah swt.

20. (E) No where in the Holy Qur’an the
killing of any innocent people is
allowed, on the contrary, killing an
innocent person amounts to killing the
whole of humankind and saving an
innocent life amounts to saving the
entire humankind 5/32 (F) Islam was
the first one in entire human history to
design

21. the rules and regulations of wars and
battles by prohibiting and making
unlawful killing of women, children,
babies, disabled people, old people,
animals, civilians, people who have
gone into any religious building,
cutting of a shadow or fruit tree and
destroying any human assets under
any circumstances.

22. (G) It is unlawful to engage into violent
demonstrations, under any
circumstances even if someone
insults the Prophet Muhammad pbuh,
or treats Qur’an disrespectfully, our
role model Prophet Muhammad pbuh,
treated Thumamah ibn Aasal, who
came to kill him, with generous
hosting, compassion, and kindness
which resulted in his conversion to
Islam.

23. (H) A Muslim is not allowed to hold
any grudge and enmity against any
Muslim or non-Muslim, on the
noncontrary it teaches them to help
them if they can, otherwise spare
all other people from harm of your
tongue, hand or in any other way.

24. (I) The just balance between material and
spiritual aspects of Islam is the point of
distinction of Islam:
But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that
which Allah has given you and neglect not
your portion of the world and do good to
others as Allah has done good to you, and
do not seek to make mischief in the land,
surely Allah does not love mischief
makers. The Holy Qur’an 28/77
28/

25. (J) A Muslim is not allowed to fail to do
justice under any circumstances by the
commandment of Allah swt: O you who
believe! Stand out firmly for justice as
witnesses to Allah even as against
yourselves,
yourselves, or your parents, or your kin,
parents,
kin,
and whether it be (against) rich or poor
for Allah can best protect both. Follow not
the lust (of your hearts), lest you swerve,

26. And if you distort (justice) or decline to do
justice verily Allah is well-acquainted with
wellall that you do. (4/135), another aspect of
(4 135),
establishing equal justice for all is
discussed in the Holy Qur’an in glorious
words of God:
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for
Allah as witnesses to fair dealing, and let
not the hatred of others to you make you
swerve to wrong and depart from justice,

27. be just, that is next to piety and fear
(the wrath of) Allah, for Allah is wellwellacquainted with all that you do. (5/8).
(5
In the light of these and many other
verses, justice must be our number
one priority in life, with all, even if we
suffer with material losses by
establishing justice, we will still be
winners in the sight of Allah swt,
despite our losses.

28. We are required to follow the
Qur’anic method whenever we speak
about Islam: (K) Invite (all) to the way
of your Cherisher Lord with wisdom
and beautiful exhortation and reason
with them in the most beautiful way
for your Lord knows best who have
strayed from His path and He is best
aware of those who go aright. 16/125
16/

29. The good deed and evil deed are not
equal, repel (evil) with what is most
beautiful, then he between whom and
you there was enmity (will become) as
though he was friend and intimate,
and no one will be granted such
goodness except those who exercise
patience and self restraint, none but
persons of the greatest good fortune.
41/3441/34-35

30. (L) And argue not with the people of
the Book except with the means
better than (mere disputation) unless
it be with those of them who inflict
wrong (and injury) but say we believe
in the revelation which has come
down to us and in that which came
down to you, our God and your God
is one and unto Him we surrender.
29/
29/46

31. 11)
(11) One of the most important part of our
role is to try to successfully convey the
message that we are not different from
any previous community of believers who
followed their prophet in his teachings
which he received from Allah/God, the
glorified and exalted: We did not send any
Prophet before you but we revealed to
him (saying): there is no God but me, so
worship me. (21/25).
(21/25).

32. 12)
(12) The truth from Allah swt
establishes the connection of earth
with the heaven: Did you not see how
Allah coins a similitude: a goodly
word is like a goodly tree, its root is
firmly fixed and its branches reaching
the heaven, giving its fruit at every
season by permission of its Lord,
Allah sets forth parables for mankind
in order that they may reflect.

33. And the parable of an evil word is that
of an evil tree up-rooted from upon
upthe earth possessing no stability,
Allah will establish in strength those
who believe with the word that stands
firm in this world and in the hereafter,
and Allah will leave to stray those
who do wrong and Allah does what
He wills. (14/24-27).
(14/24-27).

34. 13)
(13) Reaching out to the people of Book in
particular and others in general through
interinter-religious activities is very important
and required by Allah swt: Say O People
of Scripture! Come to common term as
between us and you that we worship none
but Allah, and that we join no partners to
Him, and that none of us take others for
lords beside Allah, and if they turn away,
then say: Bear witness that we are they
who have surrendered (unto Him) (3/64).
(3 64).

35. 14)
(14) Why do you say what you do not do?
It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that
you say that which you do not do. 61/2-3
61/
Actions speak louder than words, practice
before you preach or teach. In Islam mere
belief without deeds is a sign of weak
faith.
The true commitment to Allah reflects in
your Dealings: honest and fair dealings
with Muslims and non-Muslims, with
nonfriends and foes, are the proofs of valid
righteousness.

36. 15) AsAl(15) As-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem: in the
Opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an is
a constant reminder to a Muslim to
stick to a straight path, which is path
of justice, moderation, and away from
extremism and fanaticism. It is a path
of those whom Allah swt favored with
His bounties, not the path of those
who earned His anger nor of those
whe went astray (by their fanaticism).

37. 16)
(16) Whenever a Muslim will deviate
from the moderation and will disturb
the just balance in all aspects of life,
particularly between material and
spiritual ways, he will come out of the
way of Allah and will enter the way of
Satan, therefore, Allah swt has
mentioned in His glorious words in
the Holy Qur’an, the importance of
moderation repeatedly.

38. One of those powerful verses is this:
Thus we have made you a justly
balanced nation that you may be
witnesses over the humankind and
the Messenger (as) a witness over
you. (2/143). It means, Islam is a
(2 143).
system which equally caters for Deen
and Dunya (Spiritual and material) for
Allah has created us in this world for a
test to find out who maintains the
balance and who disturbs it, (67/2).
(67/

39. 17)
(17) One of the best supplications of
the Holy Qur’an teaches us the
balance we are talking about: “And
there are people who say: Our Lord,
give us good in the world and give us
good in the hereafter and save us
from the punishment of fire, for them
there is in store a goodly portion out of
that which they have earned, Allah is
swift at reckoning” (2/201-202).
(2 201-202).

40. 18)
(18) Islam covers all previous Prophets
and Messengers with same guidance of
moderation and balance and prohibits
them from exceeding their limits as in this
verse: Say O people of the Scripture!
Exceed not in your religion the limits of
(what is proper) trespassing beyond the
truth, nor follow the vain desires of people
who went astray before, and misled many,
and strayed from a plain road, (5/77).
(5 77).

41. 18)
(18) There are many warnings of
Prophet Muhammad pbuh against
fanaticism and exceeding limits to
take you to destruction, in one of them
he (pbuh) said three times: AlAlMutanatti’un (Fanatics) got destroyed
(Muslim). Imam Nawawi explained
this Hadith saying: going beyond the
limits in their speeches and actions
which results into the loss of spiritual
and material (benefits).

42. 19)
(19) The greatest damage of
exceeding the limits, it creates hatred,
dispute, harm to others, and difficulty,
that is why our beloved Prophet
Muhammad pbuh said to his 2
companions (Mu’adh and Abu Musa)
on their departure to Yemen:
Yassira…..make it easy, don’t make it
difficult, and give glad tidings, don’t
create hatred, obey and don’t dispute
(Bukhari & Muslim).

43. 20)
(20) The real solution to the problem of
fanaticism is to refer to the sources of
Islam as advised in 4/59, and keep away
59,
from personal interpretations and
opinions. This verse is very clear in
enjoining obedience to Allah, the Prophet
and the leaders, but if you differ in any
thing among yourselves, refer it to Allah
and the Messenger, if you do believe in
Allah and the last day, that is best and
most suitable for final determination.
There is no basis for fanaticism in Islam.

44. We were able to cover just a few
important points of this vast
subject in this lecture because of
the shortage of time and
whatever we were able explain
boils down to just one thing:
Islam is a religion of just balance
in every single aspect of human
life and must not be disturbed by
extremism and fanaticism to fully
benefit from it.

45. Wa Aakhiru Da’wana
‘AnilHamduLillahi
Rabbil’Aalameen:
Rabbil’Aalameen: We close
with praising Allah, the
Cherisher Lord of the worlds.