By Hassan Masood,
One of the major challenges, the Muslim community in India face these days is, how to react to communal and inflammatory speeches. There are conflicting opinions within the community itself. But majority of Muslims’ blood ‘boils’ when they see someone defaming or abusing Islam or its Prophet (pbuh) or his wives (Mothers of Muslims), Qur’an, etc. They feel that first, their religious sentiments are tease and then the administration remains mute spectator.
Troubling Muslims continuously appears to be the life-time mandate of anti-Muslim forces. In order to succeed in their evil plans, they give inflammatory speeches or write such articles whereby Muslim community could be easily dragged into violence. The real motto behind such inflammatory speeches and statements is not to insult our religious personalities or Islam rather it’s an attempt to communally surcharge atmosphere and instigate innocent Muslims and non-Muslims.
Muslims, however, need to be logical too and apply mind rationally and not emotionally. No matter what is being said against our religious belief or personalities, we should always bear in mind that the status of our religion or our most respected personalities would never ever diminish to the least degree. Of course, our sentiments are badly hurt but none could ever fully dislodge or damage us. All these activities will continue until end of this world. These activities are not just limited to India alone; in fact they are spread across globe.
Holy Qur’an, Surah Muzammil (73:10-13) guides us as to what should be our response in such situations: “Be patient, whenever you hear from them, whatever (evils) they keep on uttering out of their mouths, distance yourself from them in the most beautiful manner. It’s for me (Allah) to handle them appropriately, hence let them continue with their evil utterances, of course, (they will continue) only for a short period (until their life-time). Certainly we have (prepared) for them (in Aaqhirah), heavy chains, blazing hell fire, (devastating) food that will choke their throats and grievous punishment (in The Hell)”.
Apart from desisting from any retaliation, we can also lodge our protest democratically. Even while protesting we should never cross limits. While referring our staunch enemies too, we should never ever use any indecent language. A leader of Jamiat-ul-ulama-e-Hind, while addressing media during protest in front of District collector’s office in Jalgaoun, he used the word “Kutta” or “Dog” against Kamlesh Tiwari and his associates. If we start behaving same like our opponents then what’s the difference left between us and those people. Those people are specifically trained to deliver inflammatory speeches while as Muslims we are supposed to abstain from doing so by Holy Qur’an and our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Holy Qur’an calls upon Muslims to keep away from such people in “most beautiful manners”. If we love Allah, if we have respect for Holy Qur’an then we should abide by the instructions of the Holy Qur’an. We should abstain from reacting in their same style. Not replying them back is not a sign of being cowardice rather it’s the demonstration of our religious discipline we have inherited from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). What’s the month long training we get in Ramadan? Even whatever is Halal is banned during day time in Ramadan? It is aimed at training us to be self-restrained and tolerant in obedience to Allah’s command.
India is a democratic country where people have right to speak out their mind. Whenever somebody exceeds the limitations of free speech, surely we can take legal action against them under sections, 124-A, 153-A & B and 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). But one should also remember that same laws apply on Muslims and our leaders as well.
Majority of Muslims, have strong apprehensions that even initiating legal action would be of no use. But, to believe in life after death is part of our faith, hence, we can’t expect delivery of cent percent justice in this world. Without least bothering about results, be it success or defeat, we must continue our protests, agitations and demonstrations, without taking law into our own hands.
Under Islamic jurisprudence “A Good deed” is comprised of two things (1) Doing a good act (2) Abstaining from bad act. During emotionally surcharged situations, not reacting emotionally is a Good Deed. Even for tolerating it, Allah has promised bountiful rewards.
Holy Qur’an further consoles Muslims in (3:195) “I shall not waste (the rewards of good) deeds of any of you, be it Men or Women, each one of you is from the other. Hence, as for those who forsake the domain of evil, and are driven out from their homelands, and suffer hurt for me (Allah), and those who kill (for Allah) and also get killed (in the path of Allah), I shall most certainly waive-off their bad deeds, and shall most certainly accommodate all of them into gardens (of Heaven) beneath of which are flowing rivers (of milk, honey), this would be your reward from Allah, (certainly) with Allah alone is the most beautiful reward (towards compensation for all your sufferings)”.
An important clarification is essential in the above verse, it’s discussing on Killing. While we can easily understand the word “to be killed”; but the other word “those who kill” looks as though Holy Qur’an is instigating Muslims to kill non-Muslims.
Let me clarify this, in order to understand this injunction of Holy Qur’an, we need to read section 96 of Indian Penal Code which says “Nothing is an offense which is done in the exercise of the right of private defense” which means if someone is trying to attack me with a sharp weapon, I have every right to protect myself, I fight back, as a result that weapon hits the attacker and he dies. I can’t be booked for murder because I was only trying to save myself as allowed under Section 96 of IPC.
Those who kill for Allah refers to those killed in self-defense or while fighting for justice. Definitely, Holy Qur’an is not instigating Muslims against non-Muslims. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his farewell sermon, categorically stated, human life and property is as honourable as the city of Makkah, day of Arafat and the pilgrimage of Hajj.
Thus while protesting peacefully is a democratic right, taking the route of violence is neither desirable nor allowed by law. One should learn to judiciously react to instigation and the community leaders must come forward.
(Originally from India, Hassan Masood currently works in Saudi Arabia)