The first initiation to this was entering a masjiid just before Eid-ul-Fitr, weeks after I became Muslim and trying to collect some money for child victims of a flood landslide in latin-America. I was asked by one sister …”Are they Muslims in that country?” I said “No, but these are children, and surely All children Muslims” She said “There are Muslim children all over the world that we need to raise money for first” I sat in the wudhu area sobbing my heart out….my heart broken.

I have so many stories to share, but I fear your hearts will be broken. My conclusion is this: I am a Muslim, not to please ANYONE except Allah. I don’t care what other people think, as long as Allah is happy with me. I belong to the family of MANKIND, and being a Muslim should make me an example of compassion and kindness to others. I don’t judge anyone. What I do is for Allah, and I walk in kindness, peace and love towards every human being that I encounter.

I don’t judge because the only judge of everyone is ALLAH!!

Get to know your brothers and sisters.

Here’s a quick story for you, that is a REVERSE- the impious guiding the pious (I was going to write it out but found the story with a quick search):

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal was imprisoned during strife in Jordan, he used to say that he does not fear being imprisoned or being killed since he will be martyred. But he feared being whipped. When he was taken to be whipped, an imprisoned thief saw him and said: “Imam, be steady on the truth; if you live you will be praised, and if you die you will be martyred. Imam, I have been whipped in this prison eighteen thousand lashes for the sake of Satan, so you be steady for the sake of The Merciful God (Ar-rahman).”

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal says the words of the thief made him a new person and his internal power was released. They began whipping the Imam but he was steady to the extent that his hangman said: “I have whipped him severely; if he was an elephant he would have collapsed by now, I kept saying to myself the next lash will penetrate his back and come out of his mouth”. When the Imam fell down, someone offered him water, the Imam replied: “I am fasting”.

As a result, Imam Ahmad (rahimullah) stood firm on the truth and this is why we know of him as our Imam. In case you are wondering, the thief’s name was Abi Haytham and Imam Ahmad (rahimullah) would make a great deal of dua for Allah to forgive Abi Haytham to be shown mercy. Imagine! With those words a sinner strengthened a mujtahid Imam!

So you never know who is from among the soldiers of Allah!!

And jazakAllah khair brother MR for relating that story from the Prophet saws’s life. A couple of other stories that can help people learn the “how” of teaching others is the story of where someone sneezed and someone else said yarhamakAllah while in prayer and the prophet saws taught him. Or the story of imam hasan and husain (as) who taught the elderly man to make wudu properly. or the response of the prophet saws to usama b.zaid who wanted the prophet saws to forgive a woman for stealing because she came from a noble family. etc etc etc

Learning the sunnah is the solution to all of our problems, not just this one, walhamdulillah.

In addressing one point about a male wearing ear rings. The Quran prohibits a man to dress as a woman. This can be very subjective according to culture. If you look around the world there are styles of dress for a man that in other countries might be viewed as similar to a woman in their culture.

For example a Whirling Dervish looks like he is wearing a dress to an American or European. In both Europe and Northa America bothe Men and Women can wear Ear jewlery. The style of ear jewlery worn may be considered femanin, masculin or neutral however.

A Scotish Kilt may look like a skirt/dress to another culture but only men wear them.

In summary the interpretation of what is the dress of a man or woman is subjective to time, place, and circumstance. These all need to be taken into account before one should even think of approaching someone in a mood of love and guidance.

Another problem is that so many Muslims view “western” customs as ALL corrupt. This is an incorrect assesment. If the Quran or Sunnah said men should not wear ear jewlery then it would be clear. It states a man should not dress as a woman. It is so much better that way as Allah (swt) and his Messanger (saw) knew that there are differences in the world so time,place,circumstance need to be taken into account.

Islam is beautiful and full of color it is not black and white.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgLQp4dcbBo

And Zookeeper its not a matter of just the sunnah but that this will be a major problem for them on the day of judgment.