To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely.

1. Today, many people use their religions as their escapism - those who claim to be religious and try to appear so and think that they know better about their religion than any other person who does not belong to the same group as them.

2 . They thrive on mocking and criticising other people or group. They let their egos ride them - the very thing that the creed (tauhid) helps you be rid of.

3. And yes, since my concern is about the muslim ummah, my focus is obviously the muslims. So when I wrote point 1 and 2 above, it is them, us, that I have in mind.

4. They forget the very basic teachings of the Prophet s.a.w. Or maybe they were never properly acquainted with the basics.

5. And when people treat religion as an escapism to their inability to conquer oneself, religion becomes nothing more than an opium. It is merely an illusion that is being spoken of without any real positive effect that better the lives of the people.

6. What Muhammad did was, in a nutshell, he elevated the status of the people to human being - he moulded them into being humane. He made them realise their potentials of being the best creation and the purpose of their creation.

7. During his 23 years of struggle, he did nothing but to turn the worst society ever known to mankind (the Arabs) into a socially and economically just society.

8. People were liberated from the shackles of darkness - of the rich oppressing the poor, of the burying of female babies alive, of the passing down of the mothers to the sons when the fathers died, of treating the women like property, of the tribal wars over trivial matters and of other barbaric acts which were their way of life.

9. Muhammad's fight was against injustice and inhumanity.

10. The fight would not have been won had he not taught the people how to tame their egoistic self.

11. And thus, those of today who claim to be following his footsteps and yet themselves are dominated and driven by their egos, desires and greed should really look into the mirror. Perhaps they will be able to see what their reflections are exactly like.