A Saudi guy walks into a bar, decked out in his thobe and kufi. (He doesn’t believe in the meat of the People of the Book arguement.) He walks up to the bar and says “Bartender, I want a chicken sandwich.”
The bartender looks at him, nods, and turns to fill the order.
A desi guy who sits nearby stares. The Saudi guy turns to the desi guy. Black spiked hair, leather jacket, one hand clamps around the handle of a half-filled mug of beer. The other curls around his girlfriend.
The desi guy says: “Hey man, you know that’s not halal, right?”
…
Who’s more messed up, the Saudi guy, or the desi guy?
…
This is no joke. This happens in real life.
Who’s this desi brother to speak, you might ask, when he’s totally into haram? Isn’t that hypocritical?
Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) blesses certain nations with certain things. The Saudis, they’re blessed by being looked up to. When they enjoin good, other people follow their example. But when they enjoin evil, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) can punish them more for all the people they misguide by their example.
When the potential for reward increases, the potential for punishment increases.
Quite often, not-quite-practicing brothers and sisters say things like “It’s ok if I mix, I’m not hurting anyone” or “it’s only a beer, nobody will know,” or “I’m not representing Islam since I don’t observe beard/hijab.” But people do see the examples, and get misguided.
Wallahu ‘alim.
May Allah protect us from misguiding people with our actions, ameen.
Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Conquest: History of the Khulafa. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2005.