LAST WORD
Dr. Muzaffar Shaheen from Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) expressed his thoughts in a lengthy letter: “Since the publication of Salman Rushdie’s book, it has garnered significant attention from newspapers and magazines. The entire Muslim world has reacted to it, and the leaders’ protests have led to riots in Islamabad, Srinagar, and Bombay. However, no Muslim scholar has made an effort to respond to this book with rational and scholarly arguments. Is this book not a challenge for our scholars rather than a general humiliation of Islam? Thus far, no reasoned refutation of this book has been presented by any Muslim scholar. Can our agitations rectify the erroneous impressions received by those who have read Rushdie’s book and been influenced by its statements?”
I fully agree with Dr. Shaheen that each of these incidents should be taken as a challenge rather than an act of dishonouring Islam. This is the way prescribed by Islam. With the grace of God, I have always sought to respond in this Islamically appropriate way to events that I have been confronted with. And so, when I read the news about Salman Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses,’ the first thing I did was to procure a copy of the book. Then, I read the entire book, which is 546 pages long. After that, I studied the issue in the light of Shariah rules. Only after this did I begin writing my views on the controversy. The present book is a compilation of my writings on the issue.
In contrast, Khomeini reacted to the issue without properly examining Shariah laws, and prescribed capital punishment for a person who indulges in blasphemy, that is, using profane language against the Prophet of Islam. Other Shia and Sunni Muslim leaders either supported Khomeini or remained silent on the issue. According to my study, this kind of blasphemy law is completely alien to the original teachings of Islam. Before the coming of Islam in the period of ignorance (Jahiliya), difference of belief was a punishable act. People were prosecuted on account of their faith. Referring to this, the Quran states: “They ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in God, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.” (85:8)
This practice is called religious persecution. Islam abolished religious persecution in history when the Prophet of Islam declared that personal belief is a subject of discussion and persuasion rather than legal punishment. This can be seen in the life of Prophet Muhammad himself.
During the life of the Prophet of Islam, Ka’b bin al-Ashraf (d. 624 A.D.), a poet and orator of Madinah, started defaming the Prophet and his followers, satirizing them in his poems and speeches. When he started doing this, the only action taken by the Prophet of Islam was to ask Hassan bin Thabit, one of the Companions who was a poet, to counter his false allegations. On the Prophet’s advice, Hassan bin Thabit, then composed verses in which he refuted the false propaganda directed against the Prophet by Ka’b bin al-Ashraf (Al-Bidayah wa’l Nihayah by Ibn Kathir, Vol. 5, pp. 326-336)
According to this teaching of the Prophet of Islam, if anyone abuses the Prophet, Muslims are directed not to react. They have one of these two options: either to simply ignore it or to respond on an equal basis, that is, issuing a statement in return for a statement as the Quran says: “The recompense of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof (42:40).” According to this, reaction must be on an equal basis, that is, word in return for word, statement in return for statement, book in return for book.
It appears to me that by not reacting in the manner that the Quran teaches us to (as explained above), these Muslim leaders violated the divine commandments. Millions of Muslims around the world began angrily protesting against Rushdie. Their agitation proved that Muslims seem so eager to ‘dispatch others to hell’ that they have quite forgotten that they should first think of how to make themselves fit ‘to enter Heaven.’ They should remember that not a single person in this world is guaranteed a reserved place in Paradise.
It must also be understood that to use abusive language against the Prophet of Islam or to praise him are a matter of one’s own choice. Whatever the choice, it is in God’s domain to pass judgment on it. According to this Islamic injunction, if there is a person who commits blasphemy, then the responsibility of Muslims is to meet him and persuade him and to remove his misunderstanding by peaceful means and if he fails to understand then Muslims are left only with one option, that is, to pray for him.
Further, Muslims must take it as a case of misunderstanding, and then try to remove this misunderstanding. They must engage in discussion or provide the blasphemer with Islamic literature that gives the true image of the Prophet of Islam.
The whole scheme of Islam is based on the process of peaceful dialogue. In a verse of the Quran, God Almighty gives this injunction to the Prophet: “So, [O Prophet] exhort them: your task is only to exhort, you are not their keeper.” (88:21-22) This is the standard Islamic response to problems, and the case of blasphemy is certainly no exception. Muslims must, therefore, exhort people in a friendly manner. They must try to change their hearts and minds. It must be borne in mind that the Quran is not a criminal code; it is a book of persuasion. So Muslims must deal with such cases by reasoning and not by meting out punishment. It is tantamount to defamation of Islam to say that Islam cannot give a reason-based response, and that is why it endeavours to inflict physical punishment on those who make any kind of negative remark against the Prophet of Islam.
The fact of the matter is that had not Muslims reacted so angrily all over the world to it, the book would have died a natural death. It was only the mindless agitation that Muslims launched that gave it life, and which made vast numbers of people, who may otherwise have not cared to read it, purchase the book, although I doubt many of them would have been able to stand reading it from cover to cover.
Writing in the Time magazine, Margareta du Rietz very rightly pointed out, ‘Very few took note of the novel. Now, thanks to Khomeini, it is world-famous.’ It was Khomeini’s fatwa calling for the death of Rushdie and the violent reaction of Muslims the world over calling for Rushdie’s murder that made this thoroughly unreadable book the number one bestseller in America. The publisher of the book even thanked Khomeini for being ‘its biggest salesman.’ In a letter to ‘The Times of India’, a certain W.M. Shaikh rightly pointed out that while Rushdie’s novel was indeed insulting, Muslims should have ignored the book and let it die a natural death, rather than violently agitate against it and its author because this would only give it added publicity.
I read Salman Rushdie’s book entitled ‘Midnight’s Children,’ in which he states, “I am hanging between belief and disbelief.” I felt that this statement in which Rushdie expressed his struggle between belief and uncertainty in religion extends beyond his personal experience to encompass an entire generation. What Salman Rushdie has articulated about himself resonates with millions of Muslims. Roughly 75% of the modern educated Muslim youth grapple with this uncertainty. The only distinction is that Rushdie, being a professional writer, chose to pour the darkness of his heart and mind onto paper for temporary gain. Others, engaged in different professions, earn their livelihood without dedicating time to produce an absurd book like Rushdie did.
I realized that “Rushdie” is not an isolated case but representative of millions of individuals worldwide. The only difference is that Rushdie’s “Rushdism” has been exposed, while others may keep their similar inclinations hidden.
Muslims refer to this as “mental apostasy.” However, according to my study, it is not true apostasy but rather a manifestation of intellectual dissatisfaction. The present situation of Muslims, characterized by intellectual dissatisfaction, presents a challenge for contemporary Muslim leaders and Islamic scholars. It necessitates the creation of standard Islamic literature in a modern scientific style, available in major languages that can address their minds. There is an urgent need to develop such literature that dispels doubts and confusion. Only through this can the doubts, uncertainties, or disbelief of countless Muslims who grapple with intellectual dissatisfaction be transformed into belief. This would rescue them from the abyss of faithlessness and restore them to a solid foundation of faith.
Having understood this, I embarked on a study of the available Islamic literature written by various authors in modern times. I realized that this literature may be beneficial for individuals with traditional mindsets. However, for intellectually dissatisfied individuals, these books fail to meet the requirements of their discerning minds. The modern generation, influenced by contemporary ideas, no longer embraces preconceived axioms or traditional logic. Instead, they accept claims that are substantiated by known scientific and historical facts. While the traditional method of reasoning is rooted in doctrinal faith, the modern approach is grounded in rational arguments.
Only literature that presents Islamic teachings in alignment with the modern mindset can genuinely resonate with the modern individual. It is a reality that Islam and human nature are interconnected. Therefore, literature that is in sync with human nature will effectively address the minds of the modern generation.
There are many individuals with such mindsets who are eager to explore Islam, perceiving it as the voice of their nature and the yearning of their soul. However, this can only transpire when the religion of truth is presented to them in a manner that addresses their minds and, therefore, is familiar and acceptable to them.
Recognizing this need, decades ago, I embarked on a detailed study of Islam while simultaneously delving into various aspects of modernity. Thereafter, I devoted my life to writing books presenting various aspects of Islam in light of Islam’s original sources—the Quran and Sunnah, and in keeping with the modern age. I have prepared a corpus of literature and recorded hundreds of lectures in both Urdu and English that present Islam supported by rational arguments and in alignment with the nature of humanity, individuals will realize that this is precisely what they have been yearning for all along.
This material presents Islam as the voice of human nature, and being in a contemporary style, it addresses modern minds. This material dispels misconceptions about Islam to reveal its true face, which is entirely consistent with modernity and based on peace, spirituality, and mutual coexistence. It presents Islam in a way that is entirely consistent with the times. It addresses the intellectual dissatisfaction of young minds. Reading this material, thousands of people perceive it as the voice of their nature and discover Islam as the yearning of their soul.
