We the Muslims

Islam, like all other religions is a moral and spiritual faith and has nothing to do with science or other similar areas of inquiry. Religion could be no more than a set of beliefs and ethical injunctions. Social institutions, scholars and the state must not join hands in mythologizing it. By mythologizing Islam, its associated personalities try mythologizing themselves

Psychological disorders are not necessarily individual. At times their symptoms appear in a collective as well and are equally disastrous. A sizeable proportion of Pakistani Muslims are afflicted with a number of irrationalities and absurdities they are made to believe through clerics’ mania and Islamization of the society in general.

“Blessed are we for we are Muslims and the best of prayers is the prayer for the preservation of one’s faith,” is something that most of the eminent and ordinary Muslims are heard of saying. “Islam is the natural faith of mankind. Therefore every human person is Muslim by nature. Society and culture coerce them to other faiths etc”. Reality contests the perception. Religion, including Islam, is taught through a socialization process and could be embraced or ejected by individual social choice. Known human history clearly states that people from Egypt and Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) to the lands of Inca and Indies and ancient china and India to Africa have accepted and discarded variant faiths and the process still continues.

“We knew it one thousand and four hundred years before,” is the popular response of numerous ulema and ordinary Muslims to most of the existing or emerging inventions or discoveries surfacing to help or hoist humanity in the world. “Almost all of the Western philosophers, scientists and social researchers in fact extract ideas from the mother of all books – the Muslims’ Holy Book” is another likely reaction to some mind boggling ideas or explorations gaining ground in the ‘brave new world’. “Whosoever discovers the secrets of nature be it the material forces or the enigmatic mass of universe actually believes in God and off course the Muslim God,” also falls in a similar streak. Life history proves most of the Western scientists and philosophers being atheists or at least sceptical. What of believing in a foreign religious book, they were highly critical of Bible and Christianity – the religious traditions they were part of. Even Muslim scientists were quite secular in their religious approach if not complete disbelievers. Let us still assume the Western scientists do so. Why do we fail doing it then??

“In the same vein what is awfully disappointing is the largely shared tendency of ‘associating our failure and follies, ignorance and incompetence in economic, social and political arena with our distraction and dis-embarkment from the true path of Islam”. No nation in the world has ever made any progress with the force of one or another faith. How could we the Muslims do so? An utterly absurd perception. Success might come through our sound social, political and economic understanding, if at all.

“Islam is a phenomenally thriving in the west. Its’ scholars, scientists, stars and celebrities are embracing Islam, particularly after 9/11, at an unprecedented ratio. Islam has become a hot pursuit for most of the film and sports stars yearning for salvation in the after-life. It is the only faith to rescue the evil sinners of the West – otherwise the fuel for hell. Once they embrace Islam they become as pure as a newborn baby” is a justification that follows. Big names range from Einstein, Noam Chomsky, and John Pilger to Angelina Julie and Mal Gibson”. Conversion is a social reality. People keep changing their faiths and it is a multi-ways process. Roughly, one tenth of the Western population hardly holds any faith at all. How cum they might be flocking towards Islam? If we are too fond to know the truth, examples could be found other way round.

“Wherever you happen to encounter an intellectual, a scholar, a writer, an orator, a star or celebrity who is a non-Muslim, it is your duty to orient and invite him or her towards Islam. The act is not only a means of his or her bakhshish but shall win a paradise for you too”. Just a little bit of simple inquiry would fly the realities back into our face. Those whose contribution is widely acknowledged in one or another arena how could they be so naive to turn to a faith, less or more similar to their own faith what they do not trust at all. Had they had to seek the solution of a problem through a faith, why would they desert their own at the first place?

“Failing to find any evidence of a celebrity or a scholar in the past they would say, Ms. or Mr. so and so actually embraced Islam before he or she breathed his last. This or that famous man or woman in the West has secretly embraced Islam, is not disclosing fearing a reaction or retaliation from his/her loved ones or will disclose it at a suitable time”. There is no point in arguing against these self-evidently idiotic claims.

“Forget about its material development, the western world is actually devoid of spirituality. Therefore they look forward to Islam as the only means of spiritual tranquillity and heartfelt satisfaction. They might be living a pleasant and comfortable life. But they are kafir and shall go to hell for they are not following the righteous path. Alas!”. Similarly, it is usually heard amongst the circles of the poor and marginalized, “the wealthy sections of society might be living an enviably beautiful life, sadly they too will go to hell as the riches always corrupt one’s faith. So better be poor and go straight to heaven for our faith is intact and unharmed or pain and suffering dissolve your sins, so and so forth”. They fail to understand that horrible social inequality is the sign of exploitation and terrible social injustices that need to be resisted. It is beyond doubt that such moralities are usually floated by the powerful classes to secure their wealth and privileges. Several fabulously rich ulema are also part of that.

“Historical and present wars, invasions and conquests imposed on the Muslim world either from the west or other quadrants of earth are not to capture territory or wealth but are meant to oppose or dismantle Islam. Fearing its rise in the past or present, imaginary or actual – its enemies always schemed to defeat Islam which is obviously never possible. Generals and warriors, conquerors and commanders around the world might be tactful, trained, experienced and armed with sophisticated weaponry but they are bound to collapse against Muslim mujahideen. It is the unwavering and unparallel strength of their faith that ultimately leads towards victory. Defeating sipahyan-e-Islam is next to impossible”. History demonstrates it otherwise. Since their eviction from Spain by the end of fifteenth century, Muslims have lost almost all the battles in the colonial and post colonial era. Examples abound.

“Founders of all the great religions, say Buddism, Zorastrainsm, Jainism were in fact the Prophets of God like the Muslim Prophets and their message was the message of one true God. But their followers distorted and corrupted their true message. Therefore, they all need to be brought back to the righteous path and that is Islam. Closer to the dooms day the whole humanity will convert to Islam – the true faith”. Psychologically speaking, sometimes inferiority complex expresses itself in the idioms of superiority.

“Expressions and anecdotes, tales and parables like these commonly circulate among Pakistani and perhaps some of the other Muslim peoples of the world. Myths like these and several others were actually popularised by Muslim poets and scholars like Firdosi, Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar, Hafeez, Halli, Allama Iqbal, Maulana Maudoodi, Dr. Israr Ahmed and Ghulam Jilani Barq to Allama Tahir-ul-Qadri, Zakir Naik and several others Muslim supremists in the present times. Islam, like all other religions is a moral and spiritual faith and has nothing to do with science or other similar areas of inquiry. Those airing such beliefs in fact acknowledge the fall of Muslims and Pakistani Muslims in particular. Confusing science with religion and religion with science is a disservice to both.

Religion could be no more than a set of beliefs and ethical injunctions. Social institutions, scholars and the state must not join hands in mythologizing it. By mythologizing Islam, its associated personalities try mythologizing themselves. It is political or financial favours they gain by spreading out any such convictions.

The greatest harm it does is to the rational and scientific thinking they oppose. The knowledge of manqoolat (stating what is already stated in proof of something being true) hampers seeking maqoolat (rational or logical search for truth and reality). Associating biological, chemical, physicistical, mechanical or mathematical phenomena with Islam is causing our decadence and degeneration. Ulema, state institutions and individuals must halt pampering collective absurdities now, lest it affirms the Great German philosopher Frederic Nietzsche who once said: “Insanity is an exception amongst individuals but a rule in nations.”

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Illustration: Red Moon and Alkhidr, Shiva Ahmadi, 2010