I draw your kind attention to the news item with the headline “Allah has bestowed Pakistanis the honour to destroy India, kill Hindus”, appearing on 5th page, 7th column of your esteem paper dated the 4th January 2016. This is claimed to have been said in a lecture delivered by a prominent Islamic cleric namely Irfan-ul-Haq according to the news. There was a big earthquake of 6.8 magnitudes in the early morning on this day and the news item on the same day has jolted our conscience with more magnitudes. An Islamic cleric means a Muslim religious leader.
First of all, the alleged statement of the cleric is out of the precincts of Islamic Jurisprudence or tenets (Islamic Laws) and hence is his own ill-conceived concoction. It is nothing but only a hate speech. It is therefore a ‘bidaat’ (an Arabic word meaning fresh innovation/distortion in Islamic religion) and cannot be acted upon. He is trying to invoke the common illiterate Muslims including minor children to back up his argument or statement so as to create an anti-India feeling through such calls. There is nothing like Pakistan or Bangladesh or any other 57 Muslim countries for fighting the infidels or idol worshippers. There is no such Islamic law as freedom of religion is enjoined in the Qur’aan. Islam is also free from extreme views as it is purely a religion of moderation according to Muhammad, the Holy Prophet of Allaah (peace be upon him).
The cleric may be a citizen of India or Pakistan. But patriotism (hubb-e-watan) is both a universal dictum and a religious duty. It is a duty to all citizens of India irrespective of castes and creeds and more so to the Muslims. Disloyalty/disobedience to the legitimate government/authority amounts to disloyalty to the Holy Prophet and further to God according to the Qur’aan (Chapter 4 verse 59). Thus his call is purely un-Islamic and a misguidance. Misguidance angers God (Qur’aan-1:7). God-fearing, peace-loving, tolerance and understanding, helping the poor through Zakat (a wealth tax) and charity, brotherhood, religious advice etc are the unforshakable essences of fundamental Islamic spirits and no one can flout it. The call by the cleric contravenes these spirits.
According to Islamic Law killing people on any excuse without providing reasonable opportunity of hearing in a fair trial amounts to inexpiable major sin liable to be punished both in this world and the world thereafter, no matter person killed is Muslim, or non-Muslim.
The fundamentals of Islamic religion remain the same and do not change with age and we don’t require; any intervention by such radical cleric who goes beyond his limits. Today world is witnessing many bleedings in the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East countries, the North Africa and the spillover in Europe and elsewhere among the innocents caused by such clerics of extreme radicalism who have a very low level of education (absence of general, modern and scientific and legal educations) and who are indulging in extreme religious teachings in complete perversion of Islam. The illiterate people cannot command their minds rather are commanded by literate people or even by illiterate people. Here an illiterate cleric is commanding other illiterates. His call, therefore, is highly uncalled for. He has dogmatized Islam to the levels of local cults/beliefs/Gods. Islam is a universal religion with 1.7 billion followers spread all over the globe. The cleric can bluff few of his blind and emotional followers in wrong beliefs but he cannot bluff all. Prophets, Muhammad and Ibrahim (peace be upon both), broke the idols in their times of Prophethoods but never killed the idol worshippers. Then why the said cleric calls to kill Hindus for worshipping idols.
The very name of Islam is associated with peace and tolerance (sabar). Any call by any cleric without these fundamental foundations deems to have said for his personal ends or political reasons. We reject it outright. The religious discourse needs to be made more relevant to the basic fundamentals of Islam and world peace. Peace should start from one’s inner-self. That is a major Jihad. The said cleric should first preach peace and become a peaceful person then we are ready to listen to him. We shall never listen a jihadist like him with guns in his hand. Without peace or non-violence, any religion or worship is meaningless and unacceptable to God. We do not pray under the shadow of guns or showers of bullets or any other coercion.
Allaah, the Almighty, says in the Qur’aan (1) to you be your religion and to me my religion (chapter 109/verse 6) and (2) there is no compulsion in religion (chapter 2/verse256). The end result is inter-religion peace, understanding and tolerance as adduced from these contexts. Then why should we create ill feeling and intolerance against others’ religions such as Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism etc. Extra judicial killings or killings without trial in the name of any religion, whether of Muslims or non-Muslims are illegal and highly sinful acts. The said cleric’s call for killing the Hindus is null and void and we reject it outright. A legal action should be started against him.
The Holy Prophet of Islam is totally against extremism/terrorism as evident from his sayings – halaka mutanattauna – meaning – ruins are the extremists/terrorists (Muslim Sharif). When a terrorist commits a crime the whole society is intimidated and disturbed like an earthquake is felt and causes havoc far and wide. There is a tone of extremism in what the cleric said. He should seek or encourage peaceful means for settling and resolving differences and problems and should not ignite Islamic tenets. Islamic tenets consist of both words and deeds.
Source: http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/an-islamic-clerics-call-to-kill-hindus-highly-condemnable/