Best of Both Worlds

Muslims today face the challenge of a perceived duality. One where progress means leaving the old ways, where the old ways are defined as all that is religious and spiritual. We are ingrained with the idea that this duality consists of two opposing forces that can never meet, rather than a synergy of sorts.

My aunt and I have been fascinated by a certain young man for quite some time now. He's the founder of an e-commerce company in Egypt, who later re-discovered his faith and became an (almost) overnight religious talkshow wonderboy.

"Parables of the Qur'an" and "Stairway to Heaven" were hits mainly due to its youth appeal. Moez discusses Islam in a way that is relevant to the young - everything from how we view the religion to how we lead our lives - and he does it by interspersing Qur'anic verses with honest, lively and at times, emotional dialogue with the panel.

What fascinates me is that Moez Massoud is real - he's not some sheltered person who spews platitudes and tells us that it's possible just because it is. He has lived the transformation, from depths that most of us will (hopefully) never see to heights we assumed only the untainted could hope for.

"You can have both worlds," insists Massoud. "In fact, I think that this duality is precisely what the Islamic world needs in order to advance and overcome some of the negative images that have been cast upon it. Being religious doesn't mean shutting yourself off from the world. I'd love to see people sit in a makra'a [a gathering for Quranic recitation] in the evening and the next morning conduct a board meeting or give a Power Point presentation," says Massoud, who has been trying to convey this message through his television show.

An example of an interesting 'marriage' of the two worlds was something Noreen saw on her way to the surau recently - a notice for a mass prayer (solat hajat) before the exploration guys ventured off on a project.

Examples like these give me hope that the world is not so crummy after all (despite what the doomsayers seem to consistently spout in those mass emails). That there's more to the Message than ageing Ustazs talking to themselves. That Islam in this century can still mean progressive ideas, tolerant mindsets and rational discourse.

"The 'do-this-don't-do-that' approach is something that I try to avoid," he explains. "It's definitely not my place to pass judgment on anyone. There is a whole verse in the Quran that says when you meet people who you may deem not as religiously versed as you, don't call them nonbelievers. Don't think that you are superior to them. Allah says that you too were once like this until He bestowed his blessings. I want to bring back the spirit of the Quran itself, not people's interpretations of it. A lot of times during the show when we talk about various issues I'll stop and say, 'Please don't feel intimidated if you are not doing this yet. You can get there someday.'"

Full article here.