| By Idris Tawfiq - The Egyptian Gazette Monday, October 17, 2011 08:08:23 PM
With an average land height of just one and a
half metres above sea level, the Republic of Maldives in the Indian
Ocean is the lowest country in the world. It is also, probably the most
beautiful place on earth I have ever visited. The highest point on any
of the country's nearly one thousand idyllic islands is just 2.3 metres
above sea level. Little wonder, then, that Climate Change and Global
Warming are a cause for real concern, since it would take only a very
small rise in sea level to make the islands disappear altogether.
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Whilst the government of the Maldives
is doing everything possible to make the world aware of their plight,
there is another consideration which puts all of this into its true
perspective. For Muslims, all things come from Allah. In everything they
do they declare, "inshallah." Even the sun coming up in the morning
depends on His will. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) urged his followers to
"tie your camel, then trust in Allah." In other words, Muslims should do
everything they possibly can, and then when they have done everything
they put their trust and their faith in the One who controls all things.
On approaching Male, the capital of the Maldives, from the air, the
most immediate impression is how beautiful the islands are. Upon arrival
at the airport, visitors are reminded of this in a peculiar way. In
most of the world's airports, travelers are asked to declare if they are
bringing drugs or alcohol into the country. In the Maldives, they are
not only asked this, but also if they are carrying idols of worship,
which, being anathema to Muslims, are similarly banned.
Islam came to the Maldive islands in the twelfth century. It was another
of those countries never approached by Muslim armies, but by traders
from the Arab world. Their example eventually led the whole population
to embrace Islam. In a country which rejoices in being one hundred per
cent Muslim, one of the first things visitors see as they travel by boat
to the nation's capital is the splendid golden dome of the Sultan
Mosque.
Egypt’s Al-Azhar has always played a central role in
leading and guiding the Muslim world. The Islamic Centre in Male, which
is a truly impressive building and which incorporates the country's
largest Mosque, was built with the help of many Arab and Muslim
nations.
This is a visible sign of the unity and brotherhood which
exists among Muslims. The Opening Ceremony was attended by the late
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Jadul-Haqq, who traveled to the Maldives
in November 1984 especially for this. Even today there is an Al-Azhar
school in Male.
There is only one Islam. The beauty of Islam,
though, is that it has so many beautiful faces throughout the world.
These faces don't change Islam, since Islam is at home in every country
and in every culture, but they do show its colours and its diversity. In
fact, they show how practical and sensible Islam has been throughout
the centuries in making its message relevant to all people on the face
of this earth. The Maldivian people have their own very beautiful
portrayal of Islam.
In fact, no matter how beautiful the sea
or how white the sand, or even how peaceful the atmosphere, the real
treasure of the Maldive islands is the friendliness and simplicity of
its people. As Muslims we should never forget the real treasure of
ordinary Muslims that is always in our midst.
The Maldives,
like every country, has its own particular problems. Sometimes, as
Muslims, we get distracted by our own national situation and forget to
look at the bigger picture. The bigger picture shows us that Islam is
alive and well and that Muslims are thriving. Perhaps this is why Islam
is now the fastest growing religion in the West.
In a sense,
the people of the Maldives can cling so closely to Islam because of
their very way of life. This way of life has something to teach us all.
Many of its people are fishermen, at one with the sea and its seasons,
and they are in tune with their Creator. It is when we become so
sophisticated and so caught up with the affairs of this world that we
begin to lose something of Islam's simplicity.
Islam is indeed simple, but we have managed to make it seem
so complicated. Anyone staying in the Maldives for even a short time is
reminded just by being there that we need to remain focused on Allah,
not on the things of this world. When we do remain focused on Allah, all
things fall quite naturally into perspective and we see that all things
come to us from the hand of Allah. With such an attitude, there is
nothing that can overcome us – not even Climate Change and Global
Warming!
The author of eight books about Islam, British Muslim
writer, IdrisTawfiq, divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a
speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com
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