George Floyd: "Racism is Suffocating us" 7th June, 2020

GEORGE FLOYD: RACISM IS SUFFOCATING US 

An American black man, George Floyd, died last week after he was pinned to the pavement by a police officer who put his knee on the handcuffed man's neck until he stopped breathing. His killing set off protests that spread rapidly across the US. The world is echoing the sentiments: “Racism is suffocating us”. One would have thought the Americans took pride in their famous Hollywood blockbuster movies' statement that one is innocent till proven guilty. Or does it just remain what it is - a Hollywood movie mumbo jumbo?

BUILD UP:

Let me try to put across God’s perspective on the unfortunate incident. How does God look at it? Let us try to see His perspective. Firstly, He is the same God for every human being. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Provider. He has not run away after creating us all. He has not gone off on an extended vacation after this creation or has not gone off to slumber. God has spoken to us! This is the beauty of His existence. God has spoken to us through His messengers. We have the Divine Scriptures with us – The Torah, The Psalms of David, the Gospel,  and the Qur’an.

He says in the Qur’an Chapter 5, Verse 3:

” Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you,….”.

The ‘blessing part’ is that God has spoken to us and conveyed His expectations for our salvation. We do not have to go to the top of the Himalayas or the depths of the oceans or in the deserts or stand one-legged on the top of a tree for forty years for the elusive nirvana, or through other prescribed rigorous mental exercises to achieve a life of bliss or achieve enlightenment or blessedness for communion with the Creator.

His Divine messages (Torah/ Bible/ Qur’an) are easy to access. We only need to open them. Read them. Get connected with God. Connecting to the expectations of God is not rocket science. It is connected with the inner innate voice of our conscience.

Qur’an Chapter 91, Verses 7-10:

“And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, He has succeeded who purifies it, And he has failed who instills it [with corruption]”. 

The Qur’an’s message serves as a ‘reminder’ of this basic morality for us to realign ourselves with God.

Qur’an Chapter 15, Verse 9:

“Indeed, it is We who have revealed this reminder and it is We who will ensure its preservation."

MAIN THRUST:

George Floyd is dead. Let us look up some of the verses of God from His Divine Scriptures which address racism. I shall present God’s expectations from us, through the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an. It is worth noting that God’s expectations require half a sentence, one or at the most two verses. The reason is that His Scriptures are essentially reminders of our innate consciousness to differentiate between right and wrong. Only a referral is required for us to realign ourselves with His reminder.

The Torah says:

Deuteronomy 10:17:  “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes”.

     The Gospel says:

     John 10:10: “I came that all may have life and have life in abundance.”

Ephesians (the tenth book of the New Testament) 5:21: “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

John 22:2: “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all.”

Mark 12:33: “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

 Galatians 3:26–28 –“…for in Jesus Christ you are all children of God through faith, … There is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The Qur’an says: 

·    Qur’an (49:13): “Mankind! We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other. Indeed, the most honoured of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most God-conscious. And God is full of knowledge and well-acquainted.”

All the above verses are wisdom and ‘reminders’ from the same One Fountain! As mentioned above, it requires a sentence to remind us of our innate goodness.

What does the expression ‘God-conscious’ in the Qur’an verse mentioned above mean? It means being aware of the precincts of God’s expectations of us. One aspect of being God-conscious is to remain humble; and to consider all beings as equal. The human attribute which is most detestable in the eyes of God is exuding an arrogant demeanour. The last prophet, Muhammad, Alaihissalam, is reported to have said “The one who has the slightest hint of arrogance in his heart shall not enter the paradise.” When he was asked what exactly arrogance was, he replied “to reject the truth and consider others inferior.” The reason arrogance is unacceptable to God is that all humans are equal; they all are children of the same parents. Qur’an (32:7) mentions: “Who made all things He created excellently, and He started the creation of the human being from clay.” Therefore, if there is any criterion of superiority, it is God-consciousness and piety which is primarily an inner state of an individual. One has no basis for being arrogant.

Prophet Muhammad, Alaihissalam, in his last sermon before he passed away soon after, amongst other important matters shared as a ‘reminder’ to his companions, he also stressed all mankind being equal. That mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; white has no superiority over black, nor does a black have any superiority over white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action. Exactly in line with God’s message in the Qur’an! Prophets always reiterate God’s expectations. It is the very basis messengers are sent to convey God’s expectations conclusively to the addressees.

The world community recognizes this very fundamental human behaviour of treating human beings as equals. Please allow me to say it is a sub-human trait or an animal attribute where equality is not practiced. The adage ‘Might is Right’ or ‘Live and Let Die’ rules the jungles.

Humans innately thrive on ‘Right is Might’ or ’Lie and Let Live’. The UN post Second World War in 1948 laid its foundation on basic human rights which states: Human rights are meant for everyone equally, no matter what their race, religion, culture, nationality, age, sex, beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, or intelligence.

I have read American author Alex Haley’s famous book Roots as a young man in the early nineties. Mr. Haley traced his seven generations back to his ancestor Kunta Kinte, who was kidnapped from Africa to be shipped in chains like cattle to the shores of the US to be sold as slaves. I remember I cried helplessly several times while reading the book.

All human beings are equal and to be respected equally.

The great American peaceful activist Mr. Martin Luther King Junior made his great famous speech in 1960 in the very land in the US where George Floyd died, when he said,” I have a dream that my four little children shall not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”; again, exactly, conforming to the innate human nature of mutual respect as mentioned in God’s Divine Scriptures. It remains an enigma how one condones the acts of organizations like the Ku Klux Klan within America, the members who sought the restoration of white supremacy through intimidation and violence.

The diversity in human beings is God’s design. No one asked anyone where to be born what features to be born with or what abilities to be born with. These are elements of nature where no one has any say whatsoever. On the other hand, the innate sense of morality if recognized and paid heed can lift a person of any caste creed, colour, religion, or ability to great heights in the eyes of God Almighty. Yes! This (morality) is one playing field that is leveled for all denizens of the world. This is the 21^st century! Humanity should be competing on this end; not relegating to sub-human behaviours.

Last but not least let me point out a fact that is as deplorable, as intolerable, and as condemnable as the murder of George Floyd itself. No one in any religion or any form of government is allowed to take the law into one’s own hands. The looting and arson following this incident across the US is terrible and condemnable. Everyone has the right to protest but protest peacefully. The black Americans have a great example of peaceful protests amongst them – the great peaceful activist Mr. Martin Luther King Junior. He would have despised the looting and arson. Mr. King was a human being with the innate goodness in him which he exuded at all levels and under all circumstances and he was a fearing man of God. This looting and arson has to stop in the name of God.

God says in the Qur’an (4:29-30): “O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, God is to you ever Merciful. And whoever does that in aggression and injustice - then We will drive him into a Fire. And that, for God, is [always] easy.” God detests and abhors chaos and anarchy in the society. It ruins the very fabric of a peaceful environment where the life and property of peaceful citizens are at stake. God declares it a grave sin worse than murder!

Rest assured George Floyd has not died in vain. No death goes in vain. All deaths shall be accounted for, in the Hereafter, where the matters shall be settled with utmost fairness. The aggrieved shall be compensated. The aggressor shall be punished. It is plain as daylight.

Anon!

CONCLUSION:

My message to all around the world, and especially within the US would be to start healing each other. Even as I write saner elements in the US are calling for an end to this mayhem following this death. Let us not wait for the higher clergy to come up with healing statements. We are all masters of our destiny! The good common sense invokes us all to exercise restraint. Let us side with the peace-mongers and not the mischief-mongers! Tempers are soaring high. 

Resentment is at its peak. The emotions of people get the better of them. It is in these circumstances that one transgresses the boundaries of morality. One must relink with God and ensure not transgress His laid-out boundaries. It is always plausible to relink with God’s message for solace and guidance. That is why God claims His message as a REMINDER. One tends to forget the basic morality one is endowed with in such incidents.

My message too is meant as a Reminder!

Aamir Yazdani

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corona Virus and Muslim Adhan (Azan) 1st April, 2020

Coronavirus and Muslim Adhan (Azan) 

PREAMBLE: 

People are associating and negotiating with the coronavirus at interesting levels. With the age of social media at its peak, friends, relatives even family are sharing all sorts of videos, audio, and kinds of literature concerning different angles covering this dreaded virus.

 With the opinion of people relating the pandemic to the punishment of God, or perhaps the advent of the end of times, I wrote on that particular perspective, titled ‘Coronavirus and God’, putting forth my reasoning from the Qur’an’s perspective.

 As we are encountering the pandemic, the mosque's loudspeakers are blaring with the Adhan at odd hours, especially at night. The Muslim understanding generally is to associate making the Adhan during calamities to invoke God’s mercy. The Adhan is a Muslim call for prayer, which is only five times a day at appointed times.

MAIN THRUST OF TOPIC:

As Muslims, when we perform rituals or acts linked with religion, it is well advised to conform those rituals and acts to the recommended acts of the Prophet Muhammad, Alaihissalam.

Prophet Muhammad Alaihissalam’s way in such matters was simple. He did what was the natural thing to do. The Prophet used to offer two rakaat nafal and seek Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. He never resorted to making adhan at odd hours to invoke Allah’s mercy. This brings us to the very critical aspect of whether all religious practices of Muslims is Sunnah. The recommended acts of the Prophet Muhammad, Alaihissalam in matters of religion are called Sunnah. All other religious practices that do not originate from him are Bid'ah.

A Bid'ah is a strongly condemned practice because it is an attempt at adding to religion what doesn't belong to it. Only the Prophet had the authority to introduce a religious practice in the Sunnah. Like no one has the right to add a verse to the Qur'an or take away from it, no one can add a single religious practice in the corpus of Sunnah or take away from it.

Let me share a hadith of the Prophet Alaihissalam narrated by his companion Abdullah. He narrates: The Prophet said, "I will be your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar) and some men amongst you will be brought to me, and when I will try to hand them some water, they will be pulled away from me by force, whereupon I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' The Almighty will say, 'You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the religion after you.'” (Bukhari).

CONCLUSION:

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) states: Moral beliefs and attitudes should be held based on critical reflection rather than passive adoption (blind following) of the particular conventions of one’s society, church, or profession. This is often what is meant by “authenticity” in one’s commitment to moral values. Those beliefs and attitudes, moreover, must be integrated into the core of an individual’s personality in a manner that leads to committed action.

It is advisable to stay connected at an intellectual level with the source of our understanding. Associating to one’s faith at an emotional level belies human intelligence. Adhering to rituals, practices because of our ancestors, clerics, and scholars may not serve the purpose until and unless they have a valid reference to context. No one would advise this practice (of adhering to aspects in life at an emotional level) in any other field of knowledge. Confining ourselves to old scientific theories at an emotional level, only because our ancestors thought so would have relegated us to horse-drawn carts. No one is impressed with this approach.

Every field of knowledge owes its progress to the highest level of intellectualizing based on the use of human intellect. No one is prepared to absorb any reasoning that is presented at an emotional level. The reference to the context of the points presented at any level is part and parcel of the presentation. It is the only channel that the audience understands.  

God, too, like us, is desirous to employ the faculties of seeing, hearing, speech, and intellect to understand Him. Amongst all species, only humans can see beyond, hear truth, speak truth, and intellectualize truth. God has spoken to humans through His messengers. God’s last message, The Glorious Qur’an, and the practices of His last messenger, Prophet Muhammad Alaihissalam, in religious matters pave the way for our salvation in God’s eyes.

Aamir Yazdani

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coronavirus and God 13th March, 2020

Coronavirus and God 

Two approaches to life – one with no God and the other with a God. I will take the second approach: There is a God. God, our Creator, Sustainer, and Provider, has spoken to us. God hasn’t gone away after His creation or found His Creation burdensome or an afterthought.

 Background:

There are two predicaments regarding the apparent tangibility of God. One is that God says no eyes can grasp Him: Qur’an (6:103) “No vision can grasp Him while He grasps all visions. He is the Subtle, the Aware.” Secondly, He says that there is no one like Him: Qur’an (42:11) “There is no one like Him. He Alone hears all and sees all”. How does one deal with these predicaments? How can we relate to God? The Qur’an shows us that one should relate to God through His attributes.

 The Qur’an presents His attributes through which God has introduced Himself. Qur’an (7:180): “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do”.

 Let me share some of His attributes (names) to develop a clearer understanding of God. The attribute: Ar-Rahman means All-Compassionate. Ar-Rahim means All Merciful. Al-Malik: The Absolute Ruler. Al-Quddus: The Pure One. Al-Aziz: The Mighty. Al-Jabbar: The Powerful. Al-Mutakabbir: The Greatest. Al-Qahhar: The Subduer. Al-Alim: The All-Knowing. Al-Hakam: The Judge. Al-Adl: The Just. Al-Latif: The Subtle One. Al-Khabir: The All-Aware. Al-Hakim: The All-Wise. Al-Matin: The Forceful One. As-Samad: The Support. Al-Hadi: The Guide and more are mentioned in the Quran.

 The English language uses the article ‘the’ to describe its specific or absolute sense. The language of the Qur’an (Arabic) uses the suffix Ar- or Al- or As- as shown above to convey its absolute sense. The first attribute, ‘Rahman’ would ordinarily mean compassionate. We as humans are also compassionate, but with the suffix Ar- it would mean the ‘most’ compassionate in its absolute sense. If we scan through the names of God above, we start to have a fair idea of God.

 Main Theme: 

God terms His message as a Reminder: Qur’an (15:9) “We have revealed this Reminder (Qur’an), and We shall preserve it”. What does the Qur’an mean by Reminder? It means the fact of the certainty of the advent of the Hereafter, where each soul is to be accountable for its deeds in this world and subsequently rewarded and reprimanded. The Qur’an’s basic message and premise in its message is this very fact.

It calls it a Reminder based on three basic and innate instincts carried by each soul – the belief in God, the belief in the Hereafter: Qur’an (7:172) “When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful" - coupled, with the sense of morality: Qur’an (91:7-10) “ By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it; And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right; Truly he succeeds that purifies it, And he fails that corrupts it”! So, each soul on earth is bestowed with the consciousness of God, the certainty of the advent of the Hereafter based on the morality it carries innately.

God has planned to keep us mindful of the advent of the Hereafter, a fact people tend to eliminate from the ‘equation’ of their lives. The domain and the main thrust of the Qur’an’s message and subject matter revolve around the certainty of the advent of the Hereafter. God has carried out the manifestation of the advent of the Hereafter through His messengers by creating a ‘miniature day of judgment (Hereafter)’ on earth.

The Qur’an mentions the account of some eight messengers of God before Muhammad. These are Nuh, Lut, Hud, Saleh, Shoaib, Yunus, Musa, and Eesa (Alaihimussalaam). These are oft-repeated messengers in the Qur’an. If we read their account in all cases, we find that the first addressees of the messengers rejected the message of these messengers scornfully and arrogantly. Eventually, after the conclusive communication of the Truth, God asks the messenger to leave his addressees. This migration of the messenger with his believers is followed by the punishment of God to the willful rejectors of God’s message.

In one of the oft-repeated stories of such messengers, God sums up the treatment in the Qur’an (54:15-17) : “And We have left this as a Sign (for all time): then is there any that will receive admonition? But how (terrible) were My Penalty and My Warning? And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy as a reminder: then is there any that will be reminded”? Here, what God means by the ‘reminder’ is the reminder of the certainty of the advent of the Hereafter.

Coming back to the coronavirus. Let me present the following Qur’an verses in light of the Coronavirus: the Qur’an (7:130-136) “And We certainly seized the people of Pharaoh with years of famine and a deficiency in fruits that perhaps they would be reminded. But when good came to them, they said, "This is ours [by right]." And if a bad [condition] struck them, they saw an evil omen in Moses and those with him. Unquestionably, their fortune is with Allah, but most of them do not know. And they said, "No matter what sign you bring us with which to bewitch us, we will not be believers in you." So, We sent upon them the flood and locusts and lice and frogs and blood as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal people. And when the punishment descended upon them, they said, "O Moses, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. If you [can] remove the punishment from us, we will surely believe you, and we will send with you the Children of Israel." But when We removed the punishment from them until a term which they were to reach, then at once they broke their word. So, We took retribution from them, and We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them”.

 With the fast-paced life and inventions around us, especially in the postmodern era, we consciously or unconsciously tend to eliminate God from the ‘equation’ of our lives. God has no place in our lives. We may believe in God, but our actions and deeds belie our Qur’an-quoted words. Our actions belie our faith in God. God appears as an impediment in the ever-evolving and ever-progressing world.

The fact of the matter remains there is a God – the God – the Ever Present, Ever Alive and Living (Al-Haye). The Sustainer is the One who sustains, protects, and oversees. The One who provides, preserves, watches, and manages all that exists. He is the One who feeds but is not fed (Al-Qayyum). The ever Provider, (Ar-Rabb). The All Knower (Al-Alim) and Ever Aware (Al-Khabir). Ever Seer, The One who is Most knowledgeable of the most subtle details. His actions are so fine and subtle that they may be beyond our comprehension (minutest of details; Al-Latif). The ever Powerful (Al-Aziz). The All in Control (Al-Matin). The Absolute Ruler, the King, the One who possesses the attributes of kingdom, dominion, power, and authority. The One who possesses the disposal of all affairs (Al-Malik). The Greatest of them all, the Supreme, the Majestic (Al-Mutakabbir), the Ever Wisest and Most Wise (Al-Hakim), the Actual Judge, the Only true Judge (Al-Hakam). The Fairest (Al-Adl). The Subduer, the One Who dominates everything in His kingdom. He is the One before whom the whole creation has humbled itself and submitted before His Grandeur, power, and perfect strength. He is the Vanquisher without ever being unfair (Al-Qahhar).

The events occurring around us, whether in the universe, on earth, or within us, act as a Reminder for us to relate to God and realign our life equation. To remain humble and not exhibit an arrogant demeanour. The coronavirus is a microbe, but enough to shake up the world and its economy. Such incidents should serve as a reminder that God’s Might is absolute and consummate. It should serve us to remain ever mindful of God and His expectations, and not bypass God and His expectations. In remaining cognizant of God’s Invincibility. Remaining mindful in declaring products ‘unsinkable’ with God’s Grace. The doomed Titanic ship was declared unsinkable. Remain human; do not play God.

Conclusion:

The literal meaning of the verses of the Qur’an, called an ‘Ayat’, means a ‘sign’. A ‘sign’ means an object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. It may not be visible to the naked eye, but that may not mean it does not exist. The ‘signs’ are deciphered, deducted, and concluded by employing the human intellect based on rationale, sound arguments, and logical deductions. Based on this premise, God expects the human intellect to read and decipher the signs of God that abound around us. Indeed, the Qur’an (8:22), while testifying to this very fact, states: “Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason”.

It may be surmised that the retribution of God to the direct addressees of His messengers is God’s manifestation of the Day of Judgment to follow this life by creating a ‘miniature day of judgement’ on earth for us to be reminded through the Qur’an. We do not have messengers amongst us (the last one being Muhammad, Alaihissalam, 1500 years back), therefore, we cannot receive God’s word at the level of His messenger. Hence, God’s retributions are not applicable now. We have no way of knowing that a calamity at a local or international level on earth is the punishment of God. We have God’s message (the Qur’an) intact with us. The Qur’an terms itself a Reminder. Pandemics or endemics should be considered as signs of God for our introspection and ratiocination.

Aamir Yazdani

 

 

Seven year old fb post (circa 2013) Renewed Pledges: 1st January 2020

The onset of the new year makes me, Aamir Yazdani, think of myself in the following lines: 

Thank God Dr. Zakir Naik this time round didn't issue a statement barring Muslims to greet each other on the new year as Happy New Year. Unlike Christmas where greeting Christians as Merry Christmas would make Muslims commit 'shirk'. Prophet Mohammad (saw) allowed Christians to worship in the Masjid e Nabvi. I thank Dr. Zakir Naik Sahib this time he hasn't barred us Muslims from greeting each other with 'Happy New Year'. Therefore, I extend all my well-wishers with HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Secondly, with the onset of 2013, I want to tell myself that I, Aamir Yazdani am a human being FIRST before a Muslim. I pledge to treat all non-Muslims with extreme dignity and respect as a human being. How can a Christian in our society even remotely think of extending his religious views if we refuse to extend our hand towards his already extended hand towards us? I refuse even to reply to his salaam as 'Wa Alaikum us Salaam'! So, I, Aamir from the 1st of January, 2013 @ 0000 hours shall not only shake hands with non-Muslims with a full handshake but will also greet them sincerely with 'Wa Alaikum us Salaam'!

I also pledge not to call people as KAFIR from now on. Because only Allah knows the true intentions of a person as well as what dwells in the other person's heart. I also pledge to exercise the mental faculties bestowed to me as a human, towards other human beings trying to bring all closer to me. I also pledge to be a responsible citizen of Pakistan by observing traffic rules, not littering in any way, respecting my elders, and loving my youngsters. I, Aamir Yazdani extend the heartiest happy New Year to my well-wishers.

 Aamir Yazdani

GOD'S STANCE ON BLASPHEMY 12th December 2019

A few days back, an incident in Norway sparked the sentiments of Muslims around the world. A person was seen burning a copy of the Qur’an in public. A young Muslim, out of emotions and love of God and the Prophet Muhammad, attacked the person. 

Over the years, we have witnessed the burning of the Quran, cartoons of God's Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), and blasphemous acts sparking outrage and protests from Muslims.  

Pakistan's famous incident based on retribution by a Muslim named Ilm Deen against a blasphemous act by a non-Muslim Mahashe Rajpal was ninety years ago. The recent famous incident is associated with the assassination of the governor of Punjab, Mr. Salman Taseer, who was murdered by Mumtaz Qadri, his bodyguard, in 2011. 

We must examine what blasphemy is and how it is addressed by God in His Scripture. The word blasphemy means the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things. It comes under profane talk, addressing God and His prophets or people revered by the masses in a derogatory manner. Basic human etiquette and morality entail not harming other people's sentiments in any way. Yet we see such incidents surface now and then. 

I would like to present verses from the Qur’an to see how God addressed these issues during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). 

The first addressees of the Qur’an, then, the Jews, used to misconstrue the word in a derogatory sense. God asked the Believers to change the word to another, which meant in simple English, 'We beg your pardon':

Qur’an says (2:104): “Believers, do not address the Prophet as ra'ina (whereby the Jews, in their own accent, meant: Would that you would never hear, but call him unzurna) (meaning: Please speak to us slowly so that we understand), and then listen. The unbelievers will face a painful torment.”

God is stopping the Believers from staying away from those who mock God (His Messengers, Divine Book, and Religion): 

Qur’an (4:140): “God has told you (believers) in the Book that when you hear people disbelieving and mocking God's revelations, do not sit with them unless they change the subject. You will become like them. God will gather all the hypocrites and the disbelievers together in hellfire.”

Qur’an (5:57-58): “As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers, it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph. O ye who believe! take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery or sport, whether among those who received the Scripture before you or among those who reject Faith; but fear ye Allah, if ye have faith (indeed).”

The hypocrites of Madinah during the Messenger Muhammad announced that on their return to their city, they would expel the Messenger Muhammad and His believers:

Qur’an (63:8): They (hypocrites) say: "If we return to Al-Madinah, indeed the more honourable ('Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul, the chief of hypocrites at Al­-Madinah) will expel therefrom the meaner (i.e., Allah's Messenger SAW)." But honour, power, and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and the believers, but the hypocrites know not.”

The first addressees of the Quran, the Tribal Chieftains of the Quraish, used to openly declare Messenger Muhammad as a magician and a liar:

Qur’an (38:4): “And they (Arab pagans) wonder that a warner (Prophet Muhammad SAW) has come to them from among themselves! And the disbelievers say: "This (Prophet Muhammad SAW) is a sorcerer, a liar!"

Some used to openly protest and get enraged with the Messenger:

Qur’an (9:58): “And of them are some who accuse you (O Muhammad SAW) in the matter of (the distribution of) the alms. If they are given part thereof, they are pleased, but if they are not given thereof, behold! They are enraged!”

Some used to call him someone who listens to everyone (without listening attentively):

Qur’an (9:61): “And among them are men who hurt the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and say: "He is (lending his) ear (to every news)." Say: "He listens to what is best for you; he believes in Allah; has faith in the believers; and is a mercy to those of you who believe." But those who hurt Allah's Messenger (Muhammad SAW) will have a painful torment.”

Analysis: Not in a single verse within the Qur’an has God asked the Messenger or his companions to respond harshly to the ones who make a mockery of God, His Messengers, His Book, and His religion. Nowhere has God expressed His desire to exercise retribution against such perpetrators. On the contrary, God has asked to exercise complete restraint at all levels. 

God has declared the Qur’an as His Rope, as His expectations from us. Meaning whoever holds onto His Rope steadfastly shall not go astray. Qur’an (3:103).  God wants us to exercise complete restraint whenever and wherever God's verses, His Messenger, or His religion is being mocked at or, ridiculed.  

How do we respond then? Qur’an most succinctly guides us (16:125): “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.”

Aamir Yazdani