Burger King Religion

Imagine you walked into you job on Monday, and said to your boss,

“Hey listen, I know how you always like for me to get all of the work done that you give me to do, you have the whole work routine for us, but I was thinking that, instead, I would take care of some things that I need to take care of, some work I have to do, for myself, maybe do some texting, watch like five videos on YouTube, then I thought I would take a two hour lunch over at Fridays, I’m meeting some friends, and I mean, since I’ll be out that long anyway, I figure I’ll just stay out and hit the beach. I really gotta work on my tan. That’s not a problem, right?”

How do you think that would go over? Probably not to well. Would your boss accept your personalized work routine? Of course not. Would you still expect to get paid at the end of the day? Don’t count on it. See, when I it’s presented like this, it’s not hard to understand. So why, when it comes to religion, do people think that they can make up whatever religion they want, picking and choosing what THEY want to follow and what THEY want to ignore, and then think that at the end of their life, God will accept this from them? Does that make any sense?

In the Qur’an, Allah is very clear on this point:

“And whoever seeks a way of life other than Islam (Submission to Allah’s will on His terms), it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.”

Qur’an 3:85

I’ve heard people say things like, “God doesn’t care if you pray five times a day. You can just pray whenever you want,” or “God wont mind if you come out drinking.” Oh really? Who gave YOU the authority to speak on God’s behalf? Do you have any proof to back that up? In the Qur’an, Allah says,

“Say: The things that my Lord has forbidden are shameful deeds, whether done openly or in secret, and sin, and unjust oppression, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.”

Qur’an 7:33

We are certainly in no position to say that we know what Allah wants based on nothing but a guess, and we are not in a position to decide what is right and what is wrong. Some people think they should follow their own way of life, thinking, “I know what is best for me.” Do you think you know better than Allah? Doesn’t the Creator know what He created? Allah knows what’s best for you, and for me, and for everybody. Allah is giving you something that will benefit you; that will bring you peace and real satisfaction in this life and the next. Unfortunately, a lot of people actually hold themselves back from following Allah because of their own wants and desires.

See, these days, everybody wants Burger King Religion. Burger King Religion? You know, “Have it your way.” It’s all about what I want, what I get out of the deal. People are busy thinking, “how can my religion serve me?” When they should be asking, “how can I serve my Creator?”

Allah says:

“And I did not create the jinns and humankind except to serve Me.”

Qur’an 51:56

Allah created you, and gave you everything you have in your life, not just your XBOX 360 and your iPhone, but the parents who raised you, the food you eat, the bed you sleep in, and the air you breathe. After all that, don’t you think you owe it to Allah to follow the way of life that He has also created for you? Doesn’t Allah deserve to be worshipped, the way He wants to be worshipped?

This is part of the beauty of Islam; that Allah has made a perfect way of life for us, in that we can worship him constantly, but we don’t have to sit in a corner praying day and night. You don’t have to stop living your life to be a Muslim. Allah does not wish difficulty upon us. This is mentioned repeatedly in the Qur’an.

“Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.”

Qur’an 2:185

“Allah does not want to place you in difficulty”

Qur’an 5:6

Worship in Islam is not limited to prayer and fasting, but extends into every part of life. Everyday things like working hard to support your family, being kind to your parents, and even a smile can be worship. As long as you live your life, as Allah wants you to live, everything you do for the sake of Allah is a way of serving your Creator.

If this all makes sense to you, if it sounds right, and if you’re thinking, “You know, I might want this way of life for myself,” then I invite you to enter Islam, submission to Allah’s will on His terms, putting what He wants before what you want.

That’s it for this time. Make sure you subscribe to the YouTube Channel and stay tuned for more Dawah Addict videos coming soon insha’Allah. Thanks for reading, and watching. Peace! Assalaamu ‘alaikum.