Exploding in rage is not the answer!
While Muslims once again fall into the reactionary trap set for them and confirm the thesis of the offending cartoons by exploding in rage and violence, we would do well to reflect upon the Prophet's supplication in Taif. This is the dua he recited with shoes full of blood, wounds all over his body and after having been insulted and abused by the people of Taif. What's more, this all occurs after three years of suffering a boycott at the hands of the Quraysh as a result of which Muslims were reduced to eating grass and leaves off of trees.
The Prophet prays as he walks out of Taif: "O God! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and my humiliation before the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful. O Lord of the weak and my Lord too. To whom have you entrusted me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair? So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your favor is of more abundance to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or your displeasure descend upon me. I desire your pleasure and satisfaction until you are pleased. There is no power and no might except by You."
If those who claim to love the Prophet so much that they are willing to infringe upon prophetic conduct with their blind rage and fury would reflect upon this prayer, it would be a guiding light for them and a clear instruction as to how a Muslim should respond to our current situation. It is also the only salve by which troubled hearts and souls will find peace. It will not be found on pickets and demonstrations - not that these may not be useful in making clear our reverence for the sacred and the divine.
Reflecting on the above will cool the hearts of many, but I know there are some who will not be able to look beyond the cloud of anger. To them I ask, for whom does the Prophet's saying: 'Islam is good character' mean anything anymore? Are we to revert to pre-Islamic tribal norms of vengeance and retribution rather than see this as an opportunity to turn hearts by sharing the example of our beloved Prophet's tolerance and compassion in the face of hate and enmity with those whose hearts are open. Are we to fall into the major sin of despair-fuelled violence rather than maintain hope as the Prophet did when angel Gabriel met him outside mountains of Ta'if following his supplication and offered to cause the mountains surrounding Taif to explode over the town and obliterate it to which the Prophet replied 'No, I hope that these people will one day come to worship only God and Him alone'?
Unless we have the tolerance and the God-consciousness of the Prophet by which every event whether favorable or unfavorable (in material terms) offers us the opportunity of strengthening our relationship with God, we will continue to be the victim of every ruse and ploy. Rather than reacting with violence and rage we should intensify our work to share the beautiful and merciful message of the Deen especially now that the Prophet is headline news. Let the Prophet's prayer of Taif be printed in European newspapers as the example of his supreme magnanimity and patience. Violence, death threats and fury only betray a lack of trust in the power and light of the sacred which is illustrated in the Prophet's experience in the garden outside Taif when persons who overheard his prayer were moved by it to come to Islam. Moreover, on the way back to Mecca after this experience, many jinn who happened to hear the Prophet's recitation of the Qur'an in his night prayer also came to Islam. And not long thereafter the Prophet was conveyed on his night journey and ascent to heaven. Verily with difficulty comes ease.
Yet with today's announcement of 'eminent' Muslim scholars of a 'Day of Outrage', I fear we have become nothing but saboteurs. Why not a Day of Remembrance of the Prophet, Why not a Day of Tremendous Prophetic Character? Why not a Day of the Prayer of Taif?
I recommend that we circulate the Prayer of Taif at this time as an antidote to all of the madness and poison of emotional maelstroms. May God guide us to that which is right and grant us the tremendous fortune of seeing our enemies as our close friends to whom we have the duty of conveying the love of God and his Prophet . Ameen.
Allah knows best.
Luqman Ali is the imam of a Masjid in Luton, UK
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Allah knows the best.
We have to become thinkers. We should turn a seemingly disadvantage or insult into an opportunity or advantage to spread the message of Islam and the true character of our Prophet (saw). How could we ever become defeated if we are true in spirit and deed to the message? Allah (swa) has promised never to place the believers in a state of defeat. If we are believers we must win, so if we are losing the struggle for the minds and hearts (and this is the real issue) what does that suggest?
Our violent response has been disappointing and it demonstrates that some of us are defeated in spirit. It is because we have become ourselves disconnected from the true message of Islam that we continue our downward spiral. However, there is help, reject extremism and ignorant scholars who legitimize violence and return to the true message of our deen.
Muslims have to rethink why and what the causes are rather than just blame rest of the world for all the problems of Islamiat.
One should move on with other important things in life.
resources and strength we can response back appropriately against the sinful offence, secondly the Danes initiate the offence with full knowledge of the consequence.
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25:63 And the servants of ((Allah)) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!";
Comparing the events of Taif to today's situation is not right, firstly because only the person on who suffers can forgive not anyone else not even Allah. For example Abubakr would not have said so to people of Taif that he forgive them for what they did with prophet. Secondly, we are not good a Muslim until we love prophet more than our ownself, we might not practice all his sunnah in our day to day life, but we have so much love to him that we cannot let any filthy lowlife to insult him in front of us. This would be the same even if these were to happen at Salaf time or now.
Now, your reaction, is more sound like how a Christian do, like if someone slap you on your right cheek give them left. Well Christians allow this and we know what happen, its so common and ever where to see insult to prophet Issa and his mother. This filthy people will never stop if you don't response back strongly. I don't want to see them treating prophet Mohammed as they do to Prophet Issa. And that what they west want us to do, to be quiet and get used to it so they can do this kind of things more offen.
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Munir Belt
would be a religion to be proud of.
And Allah knows best
The Prophet may have been in an inferior condition, about which he complained to Allah, but he was anything but weak inside. When Muslims stop feeling inferior to others, then we will see a big change in the way they react to the superior forces opposing them in this world.
"43:7 And never came there a prophet to them but they mocked him."
"3:146 How many of the prophets fought (in Allah's way), and with them (fought) Large bands of godly men? but they never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah's way, nor did they weaken (in will) nor give in. And Allah Loves those who are firm and steadfast."
Anger and rage only open door for Shataan to take control of a person mind and shutdown rational thinking. No wonder anger is harm in Islam if we are forgetting this as well.
I believe a lot of muslims are falling into the traps of these small hostelities just to further expose our lack of leadership, strategic thought, and self control. How we will ever present Islam as peaceful religion if the believers of this faith have no self control and vision.
The virtue and respect is always for those who stand by the principals and truth without fear.
Yes there are many wrongs in west but we are not perfect either. May Allah give us strength to control our run away anger.
when Prophet was thrown garbage & thrown stones, he did not hold his head high and said that I am the Prophet of Allah instead he was humble, & patient & prayed more to God & did not ask for punishment for those people.In the end the women who insulted the Prophet converted to Islam knowing that he came to visit her when she was ill & she was amazed my his character that eventhough i threw rubbish on you but you came to visit me in illness!! this is our Prophet (S.A.W.).Voilence & burning down buildings is not what Prophet did to his enemies!!He instead invited the AMBASSADORS !!
WalahuAlam!
Only God Can Protect His Prophet!
thanks for the good piece, Imam!