MOCKING PROPHET

MUSLIM RESPONSEAND

QURAN’S GUIDANCE

You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves; and ye shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently and guard against evil then that will be a determining factor in all affairs. ALI IMRAN, 3:186

Insulting Video• Recently an online video by the name “Innocence of

Muslims” is being circulated by anti-Muslim hate groups that depicts the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a very profane manner

• As Muslims, we love our Prophet (peace be upon him) dearly and it is very hurtful to us all.

• In the Holy Quran, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has praised the Prophet (peace be upon him) as on the highest status of morality.

• No mocking video or caricature could impact his esteemed status in our hearts and the world.

Why do the hate mongers resent the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

• He called people to believe in the Oneness of God (Tawheed) and deny all other false deities and they do not believe that God is One.

• They resent him because he venerated Allah and declared Him to be far above the fabrications made against Him.

• He called them to virtue and to block all the means that lead to immorality, but they stand for moral decline.

• They want to indulge in the swamp of evil whims and desires, and resent any teachings contrary to that.

• They resent him because he is the Messenger of Allah! Allaah, may He be exalted, is the One Who chose him from Arabia above all mankind to convey His message to whole humanity and receive His revelation

Why do we love Prophet (SAW)?• 1- It is part of Faith.• Faith is what the hearts believe• Believe in our hearts that he is the final Messenger of Allah

SWT.• Believe in our hearts that he is the best example to follow• What the tongues says• Send Salaams to him• Honor him• Say words of respect• Speak about him with love• Defend who makes mockery of him

Love of the Prophet

• What the limbs establish.• Follow his Sunnah• Read his Seerah Defend his honor, integrityIn a Hadith Prophet (SAW) said:أحب " أكون ى حت أحدكم يؤمن ال بيده نفسي ذي ال فو

وولده والده من "إليه"None of you becomes a believer until I am dearer to him than his children, his parents and all mankind."

2-His example is the best for mankind

• يرجو كان من ل حسنة أسوة ه الل رسول في لكم كان لقدكثيرا ه الل وذكر اآلخر واليوم ه الل

• Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.

• His example is the best with regards to:• Selflessness• Sincerity• Honesty and truthfulness

Prophet presented best example in

• Simplicity• Generosity• Nobility• Forethought• Love for humanity• As a commander• As a mercy to all رحمة و إال أرسلناك مالعالمين ل

Prophet exhibited best model in• His role as a family man• Care and concern for orphans• Care for needy, wayfarer, the indigent the slaves and the downtrodden• Kindness to animals• Care for the environment• He brought equality to human beings• Gave women dignity and honorable status• He taught us how to live life in this world and how to utilize it for The

Hereafter.• We love him for the changes he has brought about in our lives and has

given us a clear path to our destination• We love him for his struggles on the path of righteousness

3-Mission he accomplished is worthwhile for our love:

• من رسوال فيهم بعث إذ ال=مؤمنين على ه ال=ل من لقدالكتاب مهم ويعل يهم ويزك آياته عليهم يتلوا أنفسهم

وإن وال=حكمة• مبين ضالل لفي قبل من كانوا• Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the

believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves

• reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur’an), and• purifying them (from sins by following him), and

Mission of the Prophet

• Instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'an) and

• Al Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW etc.)], while before that they had been in manifest error.

• So without this guidance we would have been in manifest error, worshipping other than the One True God; Allah (SWT).

4-Following the Sunnah of Prophet (SAW) leads to Paradise

• ذنوبكموالله لكم ويغفر ه الل يحببكم بعوني فات ه الل ون تحب كنتم إن قلحيم ◌ غفورر

• Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

• عظيما فوزا فاز فقد ورسوله ه الل يطع ومن• And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (SAW) he has indeed

achieved a great achievement(i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise)

• ترحمون كم لعل سول والر الله . وأطيعوا• And obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) that you may

obtain mercy

Violent reaction is never justified

• Muslims expressed their condemnation of this mocking video by speaking and writing against it and by peaceful demonstrations.

• As horrific and offensive as the video might be, nothing justifies the sort of violent acts reported in some Muslim lands.

• Prophet Mohammad (S) himself was insulted and persecuted in his life by his opponents, but he did not respond with violence. Rather, he responded with forgiveness.

Mockery Was Committed Against all Prophets of God

Ah! alas for (My) servants! There comes not an apostle to them but they mock Him Yasin, 36:30

That they rejected faith: that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge, Nisa,4:156Jews during the time of Jesus(as) committed a grave blasphemy by declaring Mary(ra) to be unchaste and alleging that Jesus(as) was a child of questionable birth.

Prophet Mohammad was mocked by his opponents

• The Holy Qur’an points out that his opponents claimed he was

• “A madman” (Ch.15:V.7) • “There is madness in him” (Ch.23:V.71). • “A victim of deception” (Ch.17:V.48) • A “poet” and “a fabricator” (Ch.16:V.102).

Mockery of Quran

• They called its instructions as “mere stories of the ancients” (Ch.16:V.25).

• They tore the Qur’an into pieces

The Unbelievers say: "Listen not to this Qur'an but talk at random in the midst of its (reading) that ye may gain the upper hand! (Fussilat,41:26)• They urged people not to listen to it • They encouraged others to make noise when it was being

recited.

Prophet was instructed not to retaliate

…follow not the disbelievers and hypocrites, and leave alone their annoyance, and put thy trust in Allah; for Allah is sufficient as a Guardian (33:49)

• when you hear the Signs of Allah being denied and mocked at, sit not with them until they engage in a talk other than that; for in that case you would be like them… (4:141).

Prophet Mohammad responded with forgiveness and mercy

• Abdullah bin Ubayy in the company of others, called himself ‘the most exalted’ and referred to the Holy Prophet(saw) as ‘most mean’ (Munafiqoon,63:9).

• However, Abdullah bin Ubayy was not given any punishment whatsoever and he continued to live peacefully in Medina until he died a natural death. In fact, the Holy Prophet(saw) himself led his funeral prayer.

Incidence of False Accusation (IFK) against Aisha (RA)

• Once there were four men who spread a false accusation of immoral conduct against the Holy Prophet’s wife Aisha (RA).

• Their allegation was ultimately proven to be false. • One of them, called Mistah, who was poor, used

to receive financial assistance from Aisha’s father, Abu Bakr(RA).

• After this incident, Abu Bakr swore never again to help Mistah.

Forgiveness for the slanderers

Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen those in want and those who have left their homes in Allah's cause: let them forgive and overlook: do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (Noor,24:22)

Hearing this, Abu Bakr exclaimed: “Indeed, I certainly love that God should forgive me.” He then resumed providing assistance to Mistah, as before

Suhail bin Amr• Suhail bin Amr was a spokesman and skilled orator of the

Quraish tribe. He used to employ his oratory in making speeches against the Holy Prophet.

• He was captured by the Muslims at the battle of Badr and brought before the Holy Prophet.

• Umar ibn al-Khattab suggested “O Prophet of God, let me pull out Suhail’s front teeth so that he would never be able to exercise his oratory against you.”

• “Certainly not. I will not mutilate anyone, for God would mutilate me even though I am His Prophet.”

• Prophet forgave him and latter he entered the fold of Islam• Then he used his oratory in supporting Islam

Pardoning opponents at the fall of Makkah

• When Makkah fell to the Holy Prophet(saw). He pardoned all those who had dismissed him by calling him a sorcerer, madman, or liar.

• The Holy Prophet(saw) also forgave:• Abu Sufyan, the Makkan leader who led the most wars

against him • Wahshi, who had killed the Holy Prophet’s(saw) own

uncle, Hamzah(ra) • Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, who had torn out

Hamza’s(ra) liver and chewed it out of spite

He forgave his worst enemies

• He also pardoned Habbar, who speared and the camel that was carrying the Holy Prophet’s(saw) daughter, Zainab(ra), from Makkah to Madinah fell.

• As a result, Zainab(ra), who was pregnant at the time, miscarried and eventually passed away. And yet the Holy Prophet(saw) forgave him.

Mockery is Tantamount to Ignorance

“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]• Allah revealed to Moses that in order to solve a murder your

people have to slaughter a cow. • Of course, when Moses told his people of God's command,

they first thought that Moses was mocking them.• Moses equated mockery to ignorance. • So a learned man (or woman) should never mock anyone or

anything under any circumstance

Ignore the Ignorant

Be tolerant, command what's right, pay no attention to foolish people” [7:199]• 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

“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]

Engage with the people of reason

“Call people to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good teaching, and argue with them in the most courteous way” [16:125]

• 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

God will take care of those who mock the Prophet

95 For sufficient are We unto thee against those who scoff 201696 Those who adopt with Allah another god: but soon will they come to know.97 We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say. 201798 But celebrate the praises of thy Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration.99 And serve thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is Certain ( Hijr,16:95-99)

A Call to Respect the Sanctity of Faith Symbols

Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides Allah lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ignorance. Thus have We made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they return to their Lord and We shall then tell them the truth of all that they did. (AL Anaam, 6:108

We cannot mock, insult, or curse idols, idolaters, or idol-worship. 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 Therefore, we should have mutual respect of religious symbols in order to live together in a civilized manner. At the least, we should respectfully disagree

• The freedom to speak , without censure, is a fundamental human right that should be guaranteed to citizens of every just state.

• While freedom of speech is necessary for the progress and development of a society, this freedom, like all other freedoms, is not limitless.

• Both religious sensitivities and freedom of speech are important and need to be protected.

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Freedom of Speec

h

Religious

sensitivities

Peaceful World

Religious sensitivities Vs freedom of speech

• There is no conflict if both operate within their limits and do not trespass into each other’s domain

• The one major restriction to freedom of expression in Islam is on speech towards someone’s beliefs that may be hurtful.

• Allah likes not the uttering of unseemly speech in public, except on the part of one who is being wronged…. (Ch.4:V.149)

Good comes out of bad situation

• Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid that which he had earned of the sin, and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment” (Noor,24:11)

Some of the good things that have resulted from this shameful mockery

• 1-What was concealed in the hearts of these bigots , such as resentment and hatred of the Muslims, has been made known, even though they pretend most of the time to be peaceful.

• They only desire your ruin: rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths; what their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs if ye have wisdom[3:118]

2-Exposure of the double standards

• Freedom of opinion should stop before violating the sanctity of others and transgressing against them.

• We all remember what happened a few years ago when one government decided to destroy the idols in their country;

• There was a global outcry against it • Why did not they regard this also as freedom of

opinion?

3-Reviving faith and love of the Prophet in Muslims hearts

• We have seen the Muslims’ response (except for the deplorable violence by few) which is indicative of deeply-rooted faith in their hearts and the extent of their love for the Prophet(SAW)

• This was seen also amongst those who neglect some religious duties

• They all stood up to defend the honor of our noble Messenger (SAW)

4-Uniting the Muslims

• We have seen – praise be to Allah – solidarity among the Muslims who have adopted the same stance despite the differences in their countries and languages.

5- Invitation to know Islam and the truth about Prophet (SAW)

• Opportunities opened to call people to Islam and to show them the true image of this religion.

• We have seen Muslims racing to publish articles in papers and books so that the misconceptions are removed and they may see the truth clearly

• Interfaith dialogues were carried out to explain the noble life and message of Prophet (SAW)

Why there is worldwide reaction by Muslims to insulting material?

• It is hard for Islamophobe to understand the love and the kind of reverence that Muslims have for their prophet.

• This phenomenon is unique and unparalleled in the religious cultures of the world.

• Hate mongers have found out this soft spot and are constantly at work to hit at it to draw out the ever so predictable response.

• They know that each such response causes a self-inflicted wound, debilitating Muslims

• It does not mean we should let the attacks on Islam pass without any action on our part

Challenges in Future• In these days of internet, Google and the You tube, every

Islamophobe guy can become an author or a moviemaker. • There is no censure and the public has no protection

against incitement. • The Muslim sensitivities are subject to violation every

minute of the day, • Hate mongers have found out what upsets us most so

that they can always keep us agitated and away from any kind of normalcy.

• We are asking the governments to censure such efforts, which is a waste of time.

What should be Muslim Response?• A- PROACTIVE STEPS:• Do everything possible to deny hate mongers publicity. • Bring in laws in the Muslim countries to restrict the

media from printing and broadcasting news about anti-Islam inflammatory material.

• Develop software to block any anti-Islam uploads. • Educating the public is an important and lengthy process. • We can lean upon the imams and “the scholars” to

educate the masses towards peaceful response to such provocations

• We need to prevent the politicians in Muslim lands from exploiting such events for electoral gains

B- Active Plan

• The energy stored in the cumulative anger could be of enormous benefit if harnessed and controlled.

• We need better planning, better leaders and better organizations than we have today.

• We must denounce blasphemy forcefully, by sending letters and articles, or making phone calls, to the government officials, foreign affairs departments and newspapers

Plan of Action

• We should ask that the perpetrators of such actions be brought to justice

• We should get time on radio and television programs to defend the Prophet (SAW), which should be hosted by people of ability and well-founded knowledge, who know how to speak convincingly.

• We should write articles to be published in magazines, newspapers and web sites in various languages

Plan of Action• We should resist this malicious attack against

Islam and its Prophet; by highlighting the beauty of Islam and the fact that it is in accordance with sound reasoning, and responding to the opponents’ deceptive arguments

• We should adhere to the Sunnah and follow the guidance of the Prophet (SAW)in all things, and be patient in doing so.

• “But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious), not the least harm will their cunning do to you” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:120]

Plan of Action• We should strive to call the people, with

compassion to Islam, the way to success and salvation.

• We should make dua to Allah to cause His religion to prevail and to support His servants

• “And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not” Yusuf,12:21