Piety and activism

Conventional thinking is that piety is becoming gosha-nasheen, removing yourself completely from the world and becoming one with Allah. This verse in Surah Baqarah explains piety: "It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing." [Surah Baqarah: 177] Islam has a strong social justice and activism theme in its teachings which is clearly visible in Prophet's life. We need to focus on it and build movements and networks to achieve social justice for as many people as possible. Peace will follow justice.

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