How should we Muslim react to mockery of our Prophet Muhammad or should we even react at all?
Just like the cartoons few years ago, the Muslim response to the recent film has been very diverse. From the very mild of responses to the very violent ones, what’s most noteworthy is the enormity of the response. Despite the consensus that the film did not deserve the attention it was getting, social media kept being flooded, and still is, with messages defending the Prophet . So, before another incident of mockery takes place, since it seems that it’s only a matter of time before someone else tries to play on the sensitivities of Muslims, let’s take some time to examine what the Qur’an has to say about this very issue.
Mockery is Tantamount to Ignorance
Almost every Muslim knows the story of the Cow (Surat’l-Baqarah). After all, the longest chapter of the Qur’an is named after this story. To get to the gist, there was an unsolved murder that happened among the Children of Israel during the time of Moses [as] (Musa). So Allah revealed to Moses that in order to solve the murder your people have to slaughter a cow. Of course, when Moses told his people of God’s command, their first reaction was shock and disbelief (e.g. what’s slaughtering a cow got to do with solving a murder?). The Qur’an says:
“Remember when Moses said to his people, ‘God commands you to sacrifice a cow’, they said, ‘are you making fun of us?’ He answered, ‘God forbid that I should be so ignorant’” [2:67]
So initially, the Children of Israel thought that Moses was mocking them. But Moses quickly corrected that mockery could never come from a Prophet and he distanced himself from such an act by the expression familiar to Muslims “I seek refuge in God from”. But what we usually miss from this verse is the fact that Moses equated mockery to ignorance. So a learned man (or woman) should never mock anyone or anything under any circumstance. So the next question becomes, how do we deal with ignorance or ignorant people?
Ignore the Ignorant
The Qur’an tells us to dismiss the people of ignorance and not to give a lot of attention to them. It asks us to not engage with them in any conversation, except perhaps to safeguard ourselves from greater harm. For example:
“Be tolerant, command what’s right, pay no attention to foolish people” [7:199]
This is such an important matter that the Qur’an makes it one of the traits of the People of God:
“The Servants of the Lord of Mercy are those who walk humbly on Earth, and who, when the foolish address them, reply ‘Peace’” [25:63]
The scholars of Qur’an have differed on the meaning of “peace” here. Some take it literally that you simply say the Muslim greeting of “Peace”. But others have argued that “Peace” here means that you end the conversation in a peaceful manner. Regardless of the difference in interpretation, I think we can all agree that the message of the Qur’an is to ignore the ignorant.
On the other hand, we see the Qur’an encouraging us to engage with the people of reason and to even debate them if they have a different point of view:
“Call people to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good teaching, and argue with them in the most courteous way” [16:125]
I mention this here so no one comes and says that Islam forbids conversation with “others.” In fact, Islam encourages debate and the exchanging arguments. But people who mock a religious symbol are not interested in debate or logical arguments. It is the lack of logical arguments that makes them resort to mockery in the first place!
Spare Me the Mockery
We can’t leave this subject without contemplating a very interesting verse that speaks to the heart of the issue at hand. This verse address the Prophet Muhammad himself. It says:
“We have spared you those who ridicule you” [15:95]
In essence, the Qur’an is telling us that when it specifically comes to the issue of mocking the Prophet [SAW], which is exactly the issue that we are dealing with today. Don’t take matters in your own hands, rather, God will take care of those who mock the Prophet.
A Call to Respect the Sanctity of Faith Symbols
Lastly, another very interesting and very relevant verse to this discussion in the Qur’an says:
“Do not revile those they call on beside God, so they, in their hostility, revile God, without knowledge” [6:108]
The direct meaning of this verse is that reviling, insulting, or cursing the idols is prohibited because indirectly we are causing our God to be reviled, insulted or cursed. No matter how much we disagree with idol-worship, we cannot mock, insult, or curse idols, idolaters, or idol-worship. This verse is also teaching us that there are always consequences to our actions. Just like we hold our religious symbols very dear to our hearts and we consider them holy or untouchable, people of other faiths will feel the same towards their religious symbols, no matter how ridiculous those symbols may seem to us. Therefore, we should have mutual respect of religious symbols in order to live together in a civilized manner. At the least, we should, as they say, respectfully disagree.
Source: http://muslimmatters.org/
I like the reasoning in the above subject on how we react. The Muslim fraternity should embrace the teachings of Qur’an holistically. Sometimes we act against the teachings of our own Qur’an thinking we are doing our religion good. “Do to others what you would wish them do unto you”.
Jihad!!! No peace with kafirs.
asalam aleikum,this is the great advise,i hope and pray that my muslim bros and sisters read and heed this beautiful message
Assalamu alaikum bro. thanks for this info.may god help you. ameen…………
Salaams
I agree with Abu Tarik.
I can talk with the ignorants and fools and invite them in the best possible manner and try not get tired with it and keep inviting them. But with the evil doers…. Sword is the way to set them straight. For indeed the fasiq is not open to listen, but to create mischeif in the land.
Its only because of some handful of fasiq that numerous fools plunge into the game and it barely takes time to turn chaos into a serious dreadful situation.
The government are to be accused for they are the sly supporters of evil harbinger like Nakoula Basseley, Terry Jones and alike. May Allaah curse the Jews and the Christians who make a mockery of his religion and his prophet.
I wish and I pray that Allaah unites the muslims around the globe as one strong body so that we don’t even have to raise a voice or hand even sword for the sake of argument, but break their economy with silence and our choice of product.
If indeed we do take the Prophet (pbuh) as the best of men, then let us not set aside his example when we are in most need of it.
If you wish to defend the Prophet (pbuh), do so with the etiquette and manners of the Prophet (pbuh).
salaam, thank you very much for post this topic which was written on September 16, 2012 by Anas Hlayhel Featured, Interfaith, Middle-East, Politics, Quran,Specialistst . Hope muslim fellows will learn from this message.
Salaam. What yahodi and nasarah have done unpardonable. They deserve the sharpest and mighty blade of the Muslims. I am praying for their immediate death so they taste torment of hellfire.
Is there any basis for believing that 9/11 commemoration events marking its 11th anniversary, has been subdued in most parts of ‘official’ America?
Sounds absurd and out of character for the empire?
Strange too especially if you consider that it is election year! A time that is usually characterized by hype and jingoism by both contesting parties.
For Mitt Romney, a grand opening to propel himself as a better choice than Barack Hussein Obama in protecting Americans against terror attacks.
For Obama on the other hand, a victory parade as the commander-in-chief that hunted down and executed America’s most wanted enemy accused as the mastermind behind 9/11: Osama bin Laden!
Yet to the surprise of many analysts, 9/11 memorials lacked much of the politicking associated with previous events of the past.
Why was it out of gear this time?
Whatever the reasons, the US is caught up in the middle of a raging storm that has led it to shut down dozens of its diplomatic missions in North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia.
Its embassies and consular operations have been targeted for protest actions by hundreds of thousands of Muslims throughout the region.
Many of these demonstrations have turned violent leading to the death of its ambassador in Libya and effectively placing its missions under siege as protests grew across other regions too.
Fury that had been sparked by a third-rate movie deliberately produced to mock, ridicule and insult Muslims and Islam was followed by equally provocative adverts in subways across US cities.
That these blasphemous and highly insensitive actions targeting Muslims are linked to Israel in a climate of invasions, wars, occupations and drone killings and in the shadow of 9/11 anniversary, cannot be seen in isolation.
The notorious fraudster claimed to be allied to the empire’s powerful Zionist lobby operations whose members funded the filthy movie is in hiding.
On the other hand Pamela Geller, the subway ad campaigner whose blatant denigration of Muslims as “savage” and call to “defend Israel” by opposing “Jihad” remains publicly belligerent!
Alongside these vile and disgusting Islamophobic actions by groups closely allied to Israel operating without any substantial censure from the Obama administration, we have the French spectacle seeking to outpace the collective of Islam-bashers!
That freedom of expression has been invoked by France to defend incitement while freedom to protest has been denied to Muslims, reveals a paradox plaguing contemporary liberal democracies.
Unable to come to terms with Islam is yet another major failing on the part of the west. This firmly places the guilt of intolerance on their shoulders not on the aggrieved party whose victimization is unfairly ignored!
Yet we find media commentators and political pundits seeking answers about why Muslims are intolerant!
Strange indeed!
In the fog of the fury unleashed by unbridled hate and venom by well-funded and highly organized Islamophobes, taking the eye off Israel and its destabilizing role within the empire will be misplaced!