People converted in Islam need support from coreligionists: a seminar in Odessa

On March 9, 2013, the Islamic Cultural Center in Odessa hosted a seminar for converted Muslims from several Ukrainian regions. It is well known that converted Muslims have been a “target group” for members of various radical sects, because the one who is dissociated from the Islamic environment and has not yet learnt basic religious knowledge can be much easier pulled into them. Therefore, the All-Ukrainian Association of Public Organizations” Alraid” regularly organizes cultural and educative events for those who comes to Islam from non-Muslim environment.

This year seminar was visited by nearly 100 persons from Odessa, Kiev, Lvov, Vinnitsa, and even from Chişinău (Moldova). They were seeking for Islamic knowledge, but also ways for social self-realization and attaining harmony between their Slavic and Islamic identities, advice from those who had already faced similar challenges and could deal with them. 

Sincerity resulting from fear of God

A person announcing his/her obedience to the Most High must be seeking for His pleasure by performing good deeds, improving his/her morals and bringing as mush as possible benefit to the community in which he/she lives, irrespective of ideologies and beliefs of the surrounding people. Because a Muslim must be aware that he/she is to be responsible his/her actions, words and thoughts, and that injustice of other people cannot be an excuse of our injustice towards them.

The Most High shall grant a God-fearing person sincerity and inner feeling that will keep him/her away from reproved things. Whenever approaching a sin, a believer has a feeling of alarm and anxiety in the soul, which stops him/her.

The highest degree of faith is found in those who have loved the Most High and His Messenger most of all and seeks for God’s pleasure. A visible sign of sincere faith is love for other creatures of the Most High, which are not only human beings, but animals, birds, water inhabitants, and keeping them safe from unreasonable harm. 

Wishes of peace and Allah’s mercy should be not only on the lips, but in the heart of the one who says this greeting. A supplication for someone with wishing him good is an indicator of purity in the heart of the one who supplicates.  

Unity rather than division

Sheikh Imad Aby Al-Rubb explicated an extremely important issue, ethics of discord. According to him, the Most High made distinctions in everything around us, from fruits with their distinct tastes or forms to humans with distinctions in languages, skin colors or ideologies. Sheikh emphasizes that it is but a mercy of our Lord, and the interpretation of Sunnah of the last Messenger, peace be upon him, is broad as well.

The basis for ethic norms in Islam is sincere intention and unity of Muslims. Muslims should hear others or, at least, be able to listen to their opinions. Showing off own excellence or superiority is not a behavior pertaining to a faithful one, because if the Most High did not honored him/her with His mercy, he/she would live in disbelief or misguidance in various matters. When communicating with people, common points should be sought, which will bring together followers of different ideas and cultures rather than bring confusion or deepen their discord.