“Establish prayer, and pay alms-tax. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will certainly find its reward with Allah. Surely Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.” (Baqarah, 2:110)
As Muslims, we will always be guided by the Quran. When read carefully, the Quran not only helps us improve our morals and strengthen our bond with Allah but also gives us the formula to change the world. The Almighty Allah commands: “Do good deeds!” In this regard, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) says:
“The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people.” (al-Muʻjam al-Awsaṭ 6/139)
These two messages best illustrate what Islam offers to humanity and how we can change the world for the better. So how can we internalize and practice them? In the stories of people who were inspired by Islam, they all made it a principle to transform their inner world and then the world outside. These are five beautiful stories featuring strong morals that will inspire you to be a better believer.
1) A Couple Dedicated to Raising the Children of the Ummah: Ahmet Kemal and Gulbahar Oncu
When a newly married couple found out that they couldn’t have children, they were both disappointed. However, they firmly believed in Allah’s mercy and continued steadfastly in prayer. They welcomed the fact that they were not able to have kids and thought:
"If Allah did not give us children of our own then we should raise the children of the ummah!"
Therefore, they devoted themselves to African children. For nearly 25 years, they have tirelessly carried out several activities regarding education of the children in dozens of countries and have managed to reach out to hundreds of thousands of people. Finally, Allah rewarded them with hundreds of children and grandchildren bearing their names in various countries.
2)A Life Dedicated to the Environment: Selim Petek
Selim Petek is one of the best examples of how a verse and a hadith can change humanity: “...He is the One Who produced you from the earth and settled you on it.” (Hud, 11:61) Petek, who has set the verse as a motto for himself, has made it his duty to have a good relationship with nature. “If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.” (Al Adab Al-Mufrad, Book 27, Hadith 479) Inspired by this hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), Mr. Petek has planted 8,500 seedlings in Sivas in 15 years.
3) The Imam Who Changed the History of Islam in Korea: Zubeyir Koc
In 1956, he was only 21 years old when he received the news that he was going to Korea. A young imam was sailing to a strange land with a mission to be a leader and a role model for the people. He boarded the ship saying Bismillah, and when he arrived in Korea, he strived to live in accordance with the universal message of Islam. Through his exemplary morals, he won the hearts and minds of many, and soon he had many brothers and sisters in Islam. He left two things behind when he returned from Korea after only one and a half years: More than 200 Korean Muslims who embraced Islam through his efforts and good memories with them. “We learned good manners from Zübeyir Hodja.”
4) A Man Who Taught Us Compassion: Mohamed Bzeek
A 64-year-old US citizen of Libyan descent, Mohamed Bzeek is otherwise known as “an angel walking on earth”. In 1978, he went to the USA for his university education, but a different educational adventure awaited him. In 1989, he was introduced to the concept of “foster family” and this phrase was to define the rest of his life.
In 1995, he and his wife made a decision to open the doors of their home to dozens of terminally ill, orphaned children, and so far, they have taken in about eighty children. Forty of these children were terminally ill, and there was no hope for them. Sadly, ten of them departed soon, but Bzeek and his wife helped seventy of them live with their love. Mohamed says, “Nothing but the compassion in my heart was what kept me going for all these years.”
“They are like my own children; I don’t see them as adopted children. When they die, my heart hurts... We are human beings, and we have mercy in our hearts, given to us by Allah.”
5) A Youth Building Her Paradise: Baraka Khan
Like everyone else, she was a student who attended classes regularly at the university and hoped that one day she would pursue the profession she dreamed of. However, there was one important aspect that set her apart from her friends. Her enthusiasm for charity projects. The latest one on her agenda was a mosque to be built in the city where she was studying. Yes, Europe’s first ecological mosque in England, the Cambridge Central Mosque, was being built, and it would be possible with donations. Knowing this, Baraka Khan rolled up her sleeves and started organizing various activities at the university to collect donations for the mosque. As a result of the fundraising campaign she started, she and her friends raised about £255,000 and donated it to the mosque project. During this time, she was diagnosed with last-stage cancer and unfortunately passed away before the construction of the mosque was completed. A section of the mosque was named after Baraka, and her friends dedicated a website in her name. Tens of thousands of people visited this website and shared their thoughts. Even though she passed away at a young age, her story continues to inspire many others.
All these examples remind us of one truth: Goodness will change the world.
