Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him): The furor over the deplorable remarks of some senior Indian political party representatives against Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) refuses to die or slow down. Despite efforts of leaders representing the party, the anger in the form of protests is only increasing. The scenario is no more confined to the country of origin. It has swelled and reached several states from South Asia to West Asia and North Africa.
The Indian government is sheepishly under pressure how to deal with the anger in the wider Muslim world where it has business relations, diplomatic and other ties. Many blame the Prime Minister’s silence for encouraging such obnoxious remarks coming from leaders holding responsible positions.
Despite the fact that some action has been taken as the concerned office-bearers have been suspended and now, even FIRs registered, the protests are escalating every day. When will this end is no one’s guess.
A country capable of big leadership role, India fears its relations with its western neighbours might take an ugly shape if the issue not appropriately addressed. Hence, appeals are being made to mollify the outraged Muslims. As independent members of international community, Muslim states do not interfere in the internal affairs of India, but this time, it is not merely an internal issue. That is why it has resulted into the rising rage.
For Muslims across the world, life of Prophet Muhammad holds the central position. A Muslim can bear any loss of wealth, reputation or position, but he or she cannot bear any insult to Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him), or any Prophet at all. Therefore, anything said or done against the dignity of the Prophet causes an instant reaction.
Whether in anger or protest, a Muslim will not, in response, abuse any other faith or their faith-heads, because it is against Qur’anic and Prophetic teachings. A Muslim expects the same when it comes to Allah or Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him). Muslims’ love for the Prophet is based not just on the foundational ideas of their belief but historically rooted in verities that mark testimony to the sanctity of his life and the sacrifices he made for humanity.
Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) treated the whole humanity as one family, preaching what he was instructed to but using no force to accept his teachings. He rose from Arabia, but left his message for the entire world. It was the ideal approach of Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) that German writer, painter, biologist and polymath Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe remarked:
“I have searched throughout history for a role model to man and I found none but the Prophet Mohammad.”
His life was so open and crystal that even those who rejected his message, honoured his righteousness and piety, confided in him their top secrets and declared that:
“Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) was ‘the most truthful and reliable person’ with whom they could keep their treasure.”
So loving, kind and trustworthy was he in his varied positions that Prof K S Ramakrishna Rao noted that:
“In all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like, a hero…”
Muslims’ belief is centred around the persona of Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) as a reformer, a leader, a father, a son, a preacher, a thinker, a statesman, a liberator of slaves, a women’s emancipator, a husband; positions that places him before his age as a humanist, though he was an Arab by birth. “For Mohammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) without a shadow of doubt”, writes Major Arthur Glyn Leonard “was centuries before his age.”
At the nerve centre of a Muslim’s life lies the dignity of Prophet Muhammad (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him), still no Muslim can claim a monopoly on the Prophet as he was sent to guide the humanity and passionately love all human beings. It was for this reason that he asked those present in Makkah during his historic farewell sermon:
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.
So worried was the Prophet (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) about hunger and poverty – still the biggest challenge for the world in the 21st century – that he said, as Ibn Abbas reports:
“He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while the neighbor to his side goes hungry.”
Truly, he (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) stood for humanity.
(The author is a graduate of Darul Uloom Deoband and a Ph.D. scholar at Jamia Millia Islamia)
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