How do I take pride in Islam and its dress when traveling abroad?
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The questioner : The questioner says: When I travel abroad, I find embarrassment, weakness, and a sense of inferiority when I try to wear Islamic clothing. I feel that when I am alone and the people around me are looking at me,
The Shaykh : What? And?
The questioner : And I feel.
The Shaykh : No, before, before.
The questioner : You say: When I travel abroad, I find embarrassment, weakness, and a sense of inferiority when I try to wear Islamic clothing. I feel that I am alone and the people around me are looking at me. I feel shy. How can I take pride in Islam, my personality, and the Muslim’s personality in the face of a society full of wealthy classes, foreigners, women, and advanced civilization?
The Shaykh : It is true what the questioner said, that unfortunately, we, who are the superior ones, find in ourselves a weakness of personality. We feel that we are the tails of others in reality and their followers. You find a person among us who, when he sees something useful, does not attribute it to himself or to any other Muslim, but rather says, “This is from Western or Eastern civilization.” And you find that he does not take pride in his personality in the face of the corruption of these people. If these people come to our countries in their indecent, naked, loose clothing, to the point that their women in Muslim countries come with half of their thigh exposed.
Yes, without a doubt, if we treat them in kind, we have treated them with justice. If they come to our countries in their clothing, not caring about our feelings, why should we not come with our clothing and not care about their feelings? However, someone I trust told me, and he is now a prisoner in his grave—I say what you will about him—that he traveled to a country, to the capital of a Western country. He was in his Islamic, national dress: a thawb, a shirt, a ghutrah, and an iqal. He said, “I found much honor from them, to the point that they would rush to open the car door for me when I wanted to get in.” Look, if a person takes pride in Allah the Exalted, Allah honors him. But as for being humiliated before them, that is not the affair of a Muslim. If we went back to history and to the treatment of the fighting Muslims toward their enemies in wars, we would find how the honor of these Muslims was with their enemies. The word is *hadharah* (civilization). No, the correct thing is to change the *dād* to a *qāf*: *hiqrāh* (baseness). And that is so, because the civilization that leads to the destruction of morals and to dissolution, and even to disbelief in Allah the Exalted—Allah, it is not correct to call it civilization no matter what. True civilization, which is beneficial progress, is only in holding fast to the religion of Islam and its morals. Why do we give these people the price so cheaply? So that we say, “You are the people of civilization, and we are the people of backwardness.”
Even though it is obligatory for us to progress with our Islam in belief, action, and methodology, so that civilization flows from us to them. Truth. Civilization, yes or no? It exists in Islam, and Islam encourages it:[At-Tawbah 9:119] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: But unfortunately, many Muslims have lost truthfulness.
Is that not so? Then we have not represented Islam in this great, major aspect. Did Islam bring advice and clarity in dealings, or not? Did Islam bring advice and clarity in dealings? Yes, Islam brought it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1532a Is this, meaning advice and clarity, present in the dealings of all Muslims?
In the dealings of all Muslims? No, rather it is missing in the dealings of some Muslims. Some Muslims do not tell the truth and do not clarify. Rather, he comes to you and says, “This item is worth one hundred riyals.” It is worth one hundred riyals, and the truth is that it is worth fifty riyals. Is this lying? Yes, is this a lie, or is it deception? It is deception. Islam forbids that, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1315Sahih (Darussalam)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) disavows it. But one of the Muslims comes and deceives, may Allah protect us from that. And if you consider our conditions, we Muslims, you find a shameful matter: that the Islamic teachings which command truthfulness, clarity, gentleness, and kindness are missing among us, and the opposite is what is present in many of us. Therefore, we can say that some Muslims drive people away from Islam by their behavior that contradicts Islam.
The Shaykh : What? And?
The questioner : And I feel.
The Shaykh : No, before, before.
The questioner : You say: When I travel abroad, I find embarrassment, weakness, and a sense of inferiority when I try to wear Islamic clothing. I feel that I am alone and the people around me are looking at me. I feel shy. How can I take pride in Islam, my personality, and the Muslim’s personality in the face of a society full of wealthy classes, foreigners, women, and advanced civilization?
The Shaykh : It is true what the questioner said, that unfortunately, we, who are the superior ones, find in ourselves a weakness of personality. We feel that we are the tails of others in reality and their followers. You find a person among us who, when he sees something useful, does not attribute it to himself or to any other Muslim, but rather says, “This is from Western or Eastern civilization.” And you find that he does not take pride in his personality in the face of the corruption of these people. If these people come to our countries in their indecent, naked, loose clothing, to the point that their women in Muslim countries come with half of their thigh exposed.
Yes, without a doubt, if we treat them in kind, we have treated them with justice. If they come to our countries in their clothing, not caring about our feelings, why should we not come with our clothing and not care about their feelings? However, someone I trust told me, and he is now a prisoner in his grave—I say what you will about him—that he traveled to a country, to the capital of a Western country. He was in his Islamic, national dress: a thawb, a shirt, a ghutrah, and an iqal. He said, “I found much honor from them, to the point that they would rush to open the car door for me when I wanted to get in.” Look, if a person takes pride in Allah the Exalted, Allah honors him. But as for being humiliated before them, that is not the affair of a Muslim. If we went back to history and to the treatment of the fighting Muslims toward their enemies in wars, we would find how the honor of these Muslims was with their enemies. The word is *hadharah* (civilization). No, the correct thing is to change the *dād* to a *qāf*: *hiqrāh* (baseness). And that is so, because the civilization that leads to the destruction of morals and to dissolution, and even to disbelief in Allah the Exalted—Allah, it is not correct to call it civilization no matter what. True civilization, which is beneficial progress, is only in holding fast to the religion of Islam and its morals. Why do we give these people the price so cheaply? So that we say, “You are the people of civilization, and we are the people of backwardness.”
Even though it is obligatory for us to progress with our Islam in belief, action, and methodology, so that civilization flows from us to them. Truth. Civilization, yes or no? It exists in Islam, and Islam encourages it:
O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَHold fast to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep telling the truth and seeking truthfulness until he is recorded by Allah as a truthful one. And beware of lying, for lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. A man will keep lying and seeking lies until he is recorded by Allah as a liar.
عليكم بالصدق فإن الصدق يهدي إلى البر وإن البر يهدي إلى الجنة، ولا يزال الرجل يصدق ويتحرى الصدق حتى يكتب عند الله صديقا، وإياكم والكذب فإن الكذب يهدي إلى الفجور، وإن الفجور يهدي إلى النار، ولا يزال الرجل يكذب ويتحرى الكذب حتى يكتب عند الله كذاباIs that not so? Then we have not represented Islam in this great, major aspect. Did Islam bring advice and clarity in dealings, or not? Did Islam bring advice and clarity in dealings? Yes, Islam brought it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Both parties in a business transaction have the right to annul it so long as they have not separated; and if they speak the truth and make everything clear they will be blessed in their transaction; but if they tell a lie and conceal anything the blessing on their transaction will be blotted out.
البيعان بالخيار ما لم يتفرقا فإن صدقا وبينا بورك لهما في بيعهما وإن كذبا وكتما محقت بركة بيعهماIn the dealings of all Muslims? No, rather it is missing in the dealings of some Muslims. Some Muslims do not tell the truth and do not clarify. Rather, he comes to you and says, “This item is worth one hundred riyals.” It is worth one hundred riyals, and the truth is that it is worth fifty riyals. Is this lying? Yes, is this a lie, or is it deception? It is deception. Islam forbids that, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever cheats, he is not one of us.
من غش فليس مناThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) disavows it. But one of the Muslims comes and deceives, may Allah protect us from that. And if you consider our conditions, we Muslims, you find a shameful matter: that the Islamic teachings which command truthfulness, clarity, gentleness, and kindness are missing among us, and the opposite is what is present in many of us. Therefore, we can say that some Muslims drive people away from Islam by their behavior that contradicts Islam.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 15 - 22 - دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام للعام 1408 هـ - الدرس الخامس عشر - الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين — youtube.com (42:07)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.