FususAlHikam

From time to time in our college we used to run into non Muslims who are interested in Islam. This often happened in irreligious circles more than the religious ones. I don't know what the Divine Decree was behind it but it was a strange phenomenon. So these non Muslims were close friends of non practicing Muslims. I don't know where the term "non practicing" is in Quran and Hadith, I don't know what the equivalent of that term would be. Not once but many times I heard these non Muslims complain, "I want to be Muslim but I can't pray 5 times a day." The response from their friends was shocking, they would respond with, "You don't have to pray 5 times a day, look at me, I am Muslim and I don't pray 5 times a day." Sometimes I heard, "I want to become Muslim but I can't leave my girlfriend." The response would be, "You don't have to leave her, I have a girlfriend and I am Muslim."

Now a days this type of conversion ideology has grown by leaps and bounds with "Islamic music" and rap concerts, "Islamic poetry slams" with jazz music, complete open and mixed gatherings in "Islamic street fest" and such things which in my opinion only cater to the nafs, the vain desires, of the people. To me its like saying, "Just so that you don't feel the burden of Islam, the burden to control your desires, here's a mixed gathering, the sisters are in hijab but you can still mix with them at a distance, here's some music, the curse words are taken out and we say salaam throughout it, here is a cheeseburger just say 'bismillah' and eat its ok, see this life isn't so restrictive!" It left me with a big question mark; is this something I should be happy and proud of, that 100 people entered Islam this month? Or should I be sad that 100 people were listening to mainstream rap music yesterday and today they are bobbing their heads to "Islamic rap music"? And moreso was this the type of conversion ideology of Sahaba? They used the same terms didn't they - look at me. Sahaba used to say, "become like us" and the deal was done. And in todays age we are saying, "I have a girlfriend and I am also Muslim, you too can become like me." What is this culture? Is this a blessed rainfall or a terrible storm on the horizon? Is this dawah on the same platform as the dawah of Sahaba and the dawah of our pious predecessors? Did they strip their taqwa and their deen down to its last shreds and then call people to Islam just content that at least the person took shahadah? I don't know. I would have to ask a history scholar about that but my heart says they didn't. Any thoughts/answers?