ONE GOD ONE RELIGION PART 4-M: The Real Reason and History Behind Making of a Muslim Terrorist

THE REAL REASON AND HISTORY BEHIND MAKING OF A MUSLIM TERRORIST

They are apparently the greatest champions of Islam. They sport long flowing beards while commoners like us do not. They mostly wear the dresses synonymous with Islam (other than on occasion or two when they wear army or police uniform to carry forth a terror attack), while commoners like us wear Western dresses. They are the most frequent visitors to mosques, keep a copy of Quran under their arms, are seen talking of nothing but Islam and are chief votaries of Dawah (calling others to faith). This apparent relationship that they show with Islam gives all the more reasons for commoners like us and students of Islam to seek them, talk to them on Islamic issues and follow them. 

Follow them! Sad part is they are the people who give to the world the most savage and ferocious people in the name of Islamic Jihad; people who have no qualms whatsoever in pulling the trigger in the face of a child, nor hesitate in severing the head of a journalist with a dagger. These self-proclaimed champions of Islam are giving the worst name to Islam and making life difficult for all commoners like us. 

This version of savage and brutal Islam gained in strength when the British supported Abdul Aziz in conquering Riyadh in 1902, consolidating control over Najd by 1922, conquering Hijaz in 1925 and then finally uniting the dominions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. King Abdul Aziz adopted the teachings of Mohammad ibn Abdul Wahab (b. 1703), who was considered heretic during his lifetime by leading Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam as well by his brother Sulayman ibn Abd al-Wahhab who issued a fatwa declaring him as a heretic. As followers of this State-supported Islam grew in number, particularly when oil money began to be used to propagate it, opponents of this movement coined the term ‘Wahabi’ or ‘Wahabism’ though neither Mohammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab nor any of the movement’s participants referred to themselves as such. It is this reason why others see them as a sect different from their own; while most Wahabis prefer calling themselves only Muslims. The understanding of Islam that this ‘sect’ propagates is altogether different from that of majority Sunnis and Shias. In fact, the first thing that King Abdul Aziz did, after gaining control of Saudi Arabia, was to raze to ground all the mausoleums and signs in the land, including those of Prophet’s wives, his companions and the Holy Ahlulbayt (Prophet Mohammad’s household members even praised and lauded in the Quran), who are otherwise held in high esteem by the majority Sunnis and Shias. 

Though countries like Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have publicly distanced themselves from providing any support to terrorism or terrorists, lot many videos are available on YouTube of Sheikhs providing funds and support to terrorist organizations and even abetting in recruitments. Though it is a bitter truth that all the terrorists that the world has seen claim to be championing the cause of Wahabism, the truth is also that most Wahabis are not terrorists. Thus it is clear that one doesn’t become a terrorist by merely following the sect of Wahabism and most Wahabis are peace-loving people like majority of Muslims. 

Then what is the reason that this sect alone gives to the world the greatest number of savage and brutal people, who are increasingly becoming a blot on the face of Islam? We tried to go backwards in history, beyond the time of Mohammad ibn Abd-al-Wahab, the Ottoman Empire, the Islam propagated by rulers like the Abbasids and the Umayyads and even before, to the time immediately after Prophet Mohammad, to see when the first traits of this brutal and savage Islam are visible in Islamic history. Interestingly, we found all that is happening in today’s world in the name of Islam had been prophesied in minute detail by Prophet Mohammad during his lifetime; the prophesies are scattered in various books of traditions related to Prophet Mohammad which were published hundreds of years before the world got to know of terrorism of this kind or the terror-related facet of Islam. Let us see some of Quranic and Prophet Mohammad’s prophesies and teachings and try to analyse where and to what extent the present-day Muslims have digressed from the true teachings of Islam.

As per a tradition, Prophet Mohammad prophesied that a time will come when Islam will remain only for the namesake and Quran will only remain as a ritual, their mosques will be adorned with embellishments but won’t preach Islam, their Ulema (religious heads) will be the worst of people living under the sky. Evil will emanate from these Ulema and will return to them.

Islam will remain for namesake means all acts symbolic with Islam will remain but the real spirit of those teachings will go missing. Mosques will not endear one to spirituality but will remain as embodiments of grandeur, pomp and show. Ulema (the learned) will become worldly people and will remain the chief of all evil and thereafter the evil will return to them.  

A tradition related to Ibn Abbas says Prophet Mohammad said: O Muslims, you will definitely adorn your mosques on the pattern of Jews and Christians.

The same is happening. The mosques are embellished with adornments to such an extent that they are kept closed and opened only at the time of prayers. 

Another tradition says that when you start adorning your mosques and Quran remains for namesake, then you will get digressed from real teachings. 

Another tradition says that when worldly issues start being discussed in mosques instead of pursuing spiritual excellence, a real Muslim should not sit with such ‘believers’.  

An oft-quoted tradition says that a time will come when those sticking to true teachings of Islam will be akin to those holding fire in their hand. 

Another tradition tells that a time will come when the best of possessions of a Muslim will be goats that he will take to the mountains. 

Prophet also prophesied a time will come when evil will set in; during that time one who is sitting will be better than one who is standing (in action); one who is standing will be better than one who is walking and one who is walking will be better than one who is running. Anyone who will lift his gaze towards these evils, evil will catch him. Prophet said in those times of evil, worshipping God and nothing else will be the best deed. 

Prophet even said that a time will come when opponents of faith will unite and converge to kill Muslims just like people gather around food. Someone asked will we be less in numbers during that time, and the Prophet replied you will be in plenty but will be like hay that is blown up in wind. This prophesy too is coming true now when we find that adherents of all religions of the world have started seeing Muslims as the worst of all people on earth. This is contrary to the time when people adhering to other religions cherished hope that Muslims would come and conquer them so they get to live a better life under Muslim rule. 

In another tradition, Prophet said during the End Times, knowledge will decrease, ignorance will rise, adultery will increase and women will become more than men. 

Another tradition says that during the End Times, time will start passing by quickly; usury will be prevalent and person will not distinguish between earning by rightful and wrong means. 

Yet another tradition says that a time will come when monkeys will sit on pulpits of mosques (thus meaning that most ignorant persons will become the religious leaders). 

Prophet Mohammad also vowed in the name of God and said the world will not end until the time will come when the murderer won’t know why he was murdering and the slain won’t know why he was being slain. Somebody asked why this would happen. Prophet replied killings will increase due to prevalence of evil. The murderer and the murdered both will be on the wrong. This shows people will fight for wrong reasons; they will fight for wrong ideology, while each person will claim to be votary of peace. 

As per another tradition, Prophet said during End Times you will find those who grazed sheep boasting of the heights of their buildings. He also said End Times will come when those who walked barefoot will become the rulers. At another place he said deaf and dumb will become the rulers, which means rulers will be least bothered seeing or hearing the truth and justice and righteousness will not be their concern. 

At another place, he said End Times will come when the authority will be handed over to people who are not suitable. And said during End Times, there will be no more good people left; only worse people will remain in the end as garbage and God will not care for them.  

In another tradition, he said during End Times, women will be naked despite wearing clothes. He also prophesied about people who will carry whips in hand and will flog people, thereby meaning that people will harm the innocent with their weapons. 

Prophet has even prophesied that time will come when prior to coming of Mahdi – the final messiah - the Muslims will get confined only to small region around Medina and Khyber. Upon coming of Mahdi, justice and peace will prevail and the world will see bounties like never before. Mahdi is none else but the Kalki Avatar of the Hindus.

All these prophesies show Prophet Mohammad himself knew his followers would deviate. Those who blame Islam for all the waywardness among Muslims should know that Islam is far different from the conduct of those who call themselves as adherent to Islam.

It is a universally acknowledged teaching of Islam that one who kills one innocent person is akin to killing the entire humanity. In a charter written to his governor in Egypt, Ali (the second Ahlulbayt) wrote in clear terms how a ruler need to behave with his subjects, irrespective of their faith and religion. It is a part of history that during the time of Prophet Mohammad, a clear directive was given even during war that none of the Muslims were to kill a non-combatant, not even those who had been disarmed or were without arms to defend themselves. Charter of Medina framed by Prophet Mohammad tells how a non-Muslim has to be treated when he is a subject of a Muslim rule. Prophet’s tradition says clearly that a person is not a Muslim if someone feels threatened by his hand or tongue (thereby meaning that a Muslim would not even insult another person by tongue, leave alone strike him with hand). Another tradition tells one is not a Muslim if anyone living up to 40 houses on each side in the neighbourhood goes to sleep without food. This tradition does not tell a Muslim has to take care of households belonging to his brothers-in-faith but talks of all neighbours and implies that a Muslim has to live in such a manner that he not only remains abreast with the condition of neighbours but also help them in their hour of need. Recorded history gives several instances when members of Prophet’s household (Ahlulbayt) carried sacks of food in the wee hours of night, distributing them among the poor and downtrodden of the city. Ali, even when he was the Caliph of Islam wore garments with innumerable stitches, ate nothing more than loaf of bread and salt and took nothing more from the treasury for his family than what the poorest of the poor were getting. 

If this was spiritual side of Islam, where did the militant Islam come from which brought along with it incidents like severing of head from torso, killing of innocent children, brutal and savage treatment of those not adhering to their version of belief, even so if they are Muslims?

When we go back in history we find several incidents that showed similar behaviour like those of terrorists of today, which confirm our view that this problem is not a Wahabi problem but there are certain other factors responsible for it.  

Very soon after the demise of Prophet Mohammad, we find two versions of Islam that originated. One was the spiritual Islam which was being practised by Ahlulbayt (people of Prophet’s household) and some of Prophet’s distinguished companions and the other was the militant Islam being propagated by the rulers viz. the materialistic people. These two kinds of Islam have remained in conflict during all times. 

The Islam being propagated by the rulers saw to it that Muslims remain as distant as possible from the real teachings. It was in their interest to see the Muslims remain ignorant and illiterate. So much so that when Muawiya (who commenced the Umayyad rule) came to fight Ali – the Caliph – he openly said he has brought those people with him who are incapable of distinguishing between a she and a he camel. Muawiya meant to say that all discourses to right teaching of Islam will fall on the deaf ears of such Muslims. A shade prior to this battle, in another war instigated by Muawiya, the ignorant Muslims were even told to eat the excreta of a camel being rode by one of Prophet’s wife who had come to fight Ali. While Quran says Islam is the religion of intellect and makes it mandatory for a Muslim to accept fundamental teachings only through intellect, it suited the rulers to keep the subjects ignorant. At times, the clergy too realized it suited them to keep the adherents ignorant. Thus we see that while Ahlulbayt tried to teach the sciences to awaken the mind (the greatest of scientists, mathematicians and philosophers of the period were students of institutions formed by the Ahlulbayt), simultaneously we see that for a very long period in history, mathematics as a subject was not taught to students in madrasas lest they learn to exercise their brain. As said, two types of Islam were spreading at the same time – the spiritual Islam or the Islam of the Ahlulbayt and the Islam of the rulers which was opposed to the Islam of the Ahlulbayt. 

Though scattered incidents of killing in self-interest were visible prior to Muawiya, we find in Muawiya’s time a full-fledged and ruthless exercise of power wherein opponents of political rule of Muawiya were killed ruthlessly in the name of Islam. While going through Islamic history, some incidents which come to notice prior to Muawiya may include incidents like that of Khalid bin Walid (revered to this day by ignorant Muslims with the title Saifullah or  ‘Sword of Allah’) killing a person because he felt attracted to his extremely beautiful wife. 

Under Muawiya’s rule, we find cold-blooded murder of innumerable companions of Prophet Mohammad, particularly those who were sympathetic or close to Prophet Mohammad’s family. These included Hajr bin Adi whose grave was dug up by Al-Qaida fighters recently in Syria. Their hatred even to this day with people who were close to Ahlulbayt reveal they still continue to have the same mind-set as Muawiya and his followers had regarding people of Prophet’s household. 

Hajr and his companions were butchered to death near Damascus. Lot many people were crucified, their tongues taken out, they were blinded and given all kinds of tortures. The women of these killed people were made slaves - a mind-set which can still be seen among Al-Qaida and ISIS fighters. Beheading was common, something that is still visible. 

A most vivid example available in history is that of Kharijites, a group of extremely religious minded people, who began to harbour enmity with Ali. This was a group of people who offered namaz all through the day, read Quran on regular basis, wore Islam up on their sleeves yet history recounts an incident where the same Kharijites, upon encountering a man who was traveling with his pregnant wife, not only killed the man but opened the belly of the mother with a sword, took out the child and killed him.

Tortures and brutal killing in the name of Islam continued during the time of subsequent rulers who ruled in the name of Islam. So much so that Yazid – the son of Muawiya – sent an army of 30,000 soldiers who surrounded Husain (one of the Ahlulbayt referred to in Quran; who was Prophet Mohammad’s grandson and son of Ali) and his 100-odd companions in Karbala, denied water to them and their womenfolk and children for 8 days and then on the 9th day butchered all the men, including the 6-month old child of Husain. To those who have heard of narrations of the murder of 6-month old Ali Asghar, it shouldn’t come as surprise that terrorists killed 140 children in a school in Peshawar (Pakistan). Not only the infant Ali Asghar was killed, but his head was cut off from his torso and displayed on top of a spear. The dead bodies of Husain and his companions were trampled under horse’s hoofs, their heads too severed from bodies and put up on spears for display. Husain’s head was severed from torso while he was still alive and was prostrating before God in worship. The heads were taken in a victorious march from Karbala to Kufa (in present day Iraq) and all the way to Damascus (in present day Syria). If you have seen in recent days the photographs of ISIS militants playing football with heads of dead opponents, you shouldn’t be surprised because it is the mind-set that has prevailed in all times. There are narrations available that Yazid used his stick to play with Husain’s head as it laid in a tray on display. Most of the subsequent Umayyad rulers were no less ruthless and the succeeding Abbasid rulers showed they were far ahead of Umayyads in brutality and beastliness. Some of these Umayyad and Abbasid rulers ordered killing of people whose crime was they came to Husain’s grave to pay homage and respect.

Do we mean to say there is no solution to the brutal and beastly nature of Muslim terrorists as there is nothing new to what they are doing and their nature has remained one and the same? No! Have we really shown where the problem lies? Yes! If you have not noticed, we give here another prophesy of Prophet Mohammad. During his lifetime and even on his deathbed, the Prophet repeatedly said: “I am leaving behind you two things, the Quran (book) and the Ahlulbayt [people of the house (of God), described in Quran]. If you remain united with them, you will not get astray, until you come to meet me on the Spring of Kausar (in heaven).” This implied that he prophesied that Muslims would get astray the moment they leave either of the two, Quran or Ahlulbayt. This was perhaps because Quran could have been truly taught in practice by none other than Ahlulbayt. The enmity which the rulers harboured against Ahlulbayt was for this reason alone. These rulers wanted to propagate an Islam with no mention of Ahlulbayt. This Islam of the rulers not only tried to leave aside the Ahlulbayt but also tried to put in place a propaganda machinery to see to it that the character of Ahlulbayt was maligned and people remain as distant from them as possible. The rulers repeatedly saw to it that the Ahlulbayt were not just tortured and killed but even their friends and well-wishers were slaughtered in the most gruesome of manners. 

Thus we find that for some reason, it is the personality or nature or role of Ahlulbayt because of which all enmity and savagery gets centered on them. Interestingly, while you find the most savage of all people in Islamic history were opponents of Ahlulbayt, the Wahabis are perhaps the only sect among the Muslims who give no place to Ahlulbayt whatsoever despite their repeated mention in Quran and Prophet Mohammad’s traditions. This is the reason why misguidance in the form of terrorism brews among some of them. This is the reason while all Wahabis are not terrorists, yet all terrorists are Wahabis. 

Even today, name of Ahlulbayt cannot be taken openly in Aal-e-Saud-ruled Arabia. The graves of members of Prophet’s household have been desecrated in modern-day Saudi Arabia and all other monuments or places having any semblance or relation to Ahlulbayt have been removed. Leaving the spiritual Islam, being shown and preached by Ahlulbayt, became the cause, as already prophesied by Prophet Mohammad, for the brutal, savage and materialistic face of Islam to emerge. 

One last question: why enmity with Ahlulbayt? We have been showing in our writings there is indeed one and only one path to reach God. Ahlulbayt have been described in Prophet Mohammad’s traditions as the rope to salvation. It is they who are the Devatas of Vedas and Upanishads (they have been described as Rope and Life in those scriptures as well); they are the divinities of Old Testament and it were they who were being described during all times and through all Divine Scriptures. 

It is they who have been given the Divine responsibility to lead and show the path to the mankind. Accounts of their lives show they were the biggest champions of peace and justice, the torchbearer of all human values and the greatest worshippers of God. They were the Ahlulbayt (People of the House) when Bayt meant Baytullah (House of God) and Muslims erroneously understood the term Ahlulbayt in Quran as ‘People of the House (of Mohammad)’ forgetting that Mohammad too had been described as one of the Ahlulbayt. 

The Black Stone in the Kaaba’s wall is said to have come from the sky as it guided Adam of the place where the Divine Guides responsible for showing the path to salvation would come in human bodies. Thus, the place was identified to Adam right when he descended on earth, so that his progeny waits for them to arrive. It is this reason why all Divine Books have prophesied of the time and incidents when the Divine Spirits would arrive. Jesus too, we have shown, talked of the coming of the Spirit of Truth. Vedas, undoubtedly, show greatest light on the personality of these Divine Saviours when they would arrive. 

While the Divinely assigned role of Ahlulbayt is to lead mankind towards its betterment and salvation, there is another power whose role is to lead us astray. It is this power which repeatedly kept working to deviate mankind from the path being shown by the Ahlulbayt when they arrived. The same path had been shown by Avatars who descended in various other parts of the world, in different times and among people speaking different languages. The power of misguidance feared people would hold on to the rope and reach the path of salvation if they realize truly the role of the Ahlulbayt: thus it unleashed all its powers and forces to see to it that the message of the Ahlulbayt remain as confined as possible to a select few. This is the reason why the most savage treatment and worst of tortures were inflicted on Ahlulbayt by people who had given themselves to the beast.

ONE GOD ONE RELIGION PART 4-L: True Islam and Farce Muslims

TRUE ISLAM AND FARCE MUSLIMS

The Prophet was already known as the most reliable, the most truthful and the most just among all in Makkah, even before he started preaching the teachings. Whose teachings was he following until Gabriel came with the revelations? Were they not profound truths, preached from the earliest times by the Messengers of God? The Prophet felt no real need to repeat those profound truths in detail, as he was already the greatest adherent to these truths. Need for spiritual elevation and submission to the Almighty was one such profound truth that he preached through practice.

The Prophet fixed certain obligatory rituals, like namaz, roza, etc. so as to reach those ends. Later day Muslims started considering the teachings of earlier Messengers as those of others and not their own teachings. Thus the profound truths that were taught by earlier Messengers and practiced by Prophet Mohammad were forgotten. They took the teachings of namaz, roza, etc. as Islamic dictates and not the need for self-elevation and thus started the drift which made namaz and roza as mere rituals.

As said, namaz, roza and other such obligations prescribed were meant for spiritual elevation of the soul and self-purity. A fast (roza) means not only abstinence from food and water but abstinence from all those acts that are considered immoral and/or illegal. A real practitioner won’t even speak a lie, will endeavour to control his anger, lust, greed, etc., has to essentially control his organs of action and senses from going wayward and will try to do as many good deeds as possible, so as to please his Creator.

Compare this to the present state of Indian Muslims. In a roza iftar organized by an elected representative to Lok Sabha from Rampur, plates were thrown in air, dishes were overturned and this made front page headlines in several of the newspapers the next day.

Over and above the self-control that the 20 days’ previous rozas should have brought about, there are specific guidelines in Islam talking about how to sit on a dastarkhan for dining, the do’s and don’ts of a mehman (guest), how to deal with the host, how to take care of the sensibilities of humans, leave alone the sensibilities of the one who has invited you to iftar. No whimper was heard from even one maulvi that such an act (like that of throwing of dishes at an iftar organized by someone who has taken pains to invite you) was far removed from the teachings of Islam.

The humanitarian teachings of Prophet Mohammad were of such high order that the world had to look up to him and his teachings. His Ahlulbayt (People of the House) and some of his trusted colleagues tried to carry the baton forward after the Prophet’s death. As time passed, it became apparent to all that the true followers of the teachings were few and the rest gradually involved themselves into reaping the benefits that the vibrant religion presented by Mohammad had in store for them.

All the conversions that took place during the early period of Islam were due to the lofty humanitarian values that Islam wanted to inculcate and their visual presence in the character of Muslims. In stark contrast to this spiritual and humane character of Islam taught by Prophet Mohammad, the world also got to see an altogether different face of Islam, when self-proclaimed leaders and rulers distorted the teachings to their advantage and went on territory-annexing spree, all in the name of Islam. Later day Muslim scholars’ reluctance to disown these rulers resulted in building of a militant and cruel image of Islam, altogether different from the original teachings.

The true teachings of Islam started getting distorted in no time after the passing away of the Prophet. There is no doubt that by the time of second Caliph itself, annexation of territories began. Iran and Egypt fell during this period. By the time of the third Caliph, the materialistic tendencies started coming up in contrast to the spiritual development and total subjugation to God that Islam preached. In no time, the name of Mohammad was remembered but his teachings forgotten. Ali tried to check these negative tendencies during a brief period of four and a half years but immediately after his death, Umayyad rulers turned Caliphate into personal fiefdom and ruled over the Islamic world, which had by now become an empire, with utter disregard to the teachings of Islam.

The situation was similar to the distortions brought about by the followers of Lord Buddha immediately after his death. It is a well-known fact that Lord Buddha had announced and presented Ananda, during his lifetime, as his successor. Evidently Buddha was confident that Ananda was the one who would not allow distortions and changes to encroach his true teachings. His over-zealous followers, bent upon carving out a religion out of Buddha’s teachings in their own self-interests, discarded the righteous Ananda and we find Kasyappa presiding over the first congregation after Buddha’s death. In Part-III of this BOOK, we have highlighted the true character of Kasyappa and shown how Buddha’s teachings got derailed the very day he died. As soon as the leadership went into the hands of self-seeking material-minded persons, the true impact of Buddha’s lofty teachings began to wane away. Consequently, Buddhism in the subsequent years was to give more warriors and conquerors than monks. Result is for all to see; as soon as the Buddhist empire collapsed, there was nobody to save the Buddhists from their own infighting and from the enemies that they had created locally.

Same with Islam! After the Prophet, things continued to go from bad to worse. Deceit and treachery became rampant. Hoarding of wealth, blatant misuse of power, annexation of properties, large sized harems, luxury, pomp and show, entertainment, murder and plunder became the order of the day. Hindus who claim that they were wrongly treated by the Muslim rulers have not been told of the utmost miseries inflicted on their own subjects – the Muslims – by the rulers within the Islamic world. Truly speaking, India either saw moderate rulers or rulers who were afraid that if they go overboard, this would unite the local masses against them. In the Muslim heartland, these rulers also had the title of Caliphs; majority of Muslims remained mute witness to their misrule perhaps because of this. Not entirely so, because even today a good many learned scholars of Islam prefer to look the other way or even justify the misdeeds that these rulers committed while enjoying the titles of Caliphs.

The contrast between the true and pseudo teachings was truly visible at Karbala, where the most righteous followers of the true teachings of Islam were butchered to death merely 50 years after Prophet’s death. Those who butchered Mohammad’s grandson, his family members and colleagues too called themselves Muslims. Husain and his colleagues, through their martyrdom and steadfastness, showed that they were the true followers of Mohammad’s legacy. Yet, the distortion and growing distance from Mohammad’s teachings was evident from the fact that there were merely about a 100 people who came to Husain’s aid, against the thousands of forces that the embodiment of evil - Yazid (acting as the Caliph) – mustered, to fight and kill Husain and his companions.

Yet, it remains a sad story that Islam has never been understood truly even by lot many of those proclaiming themselves to be experts on the subject. Several scholars of Islam fail to see the tyranny of Yazid and still hold him in great esteem. They are also the same people who fail to see the terrorism of Osama and Al-Qaida and, at times, have been found to give moral and all other kinds of support to these self-proclaimed ‘fighters for Islam’. Yet, they are considered champions and most learned scholars of Islam and even the various political parties in India have been found to buttress them during elections, unmindful of the fact that their support to such people is further deepening the wedge between Islam and rest of Indian citizens. The growing clout of these people further reveal the mindset of the general Muslim, who has been kept illiterate and has been made to understand Islam through filters deliberately induced by these self-created custodians of faith. This Muslim mass is far away from reason and logic and sees Islam not as a joining force, as propagated by Mohammad, but as a tool to create divisions within the community and within the country.

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Muslims got derailed from Prophet’s teachings

When Prophet Mohammad came to Yathrib (later renamed Medina) in A.D. 622, there were two Arab tribes of Aus and Khazraj, and three Jewish tribes of Qaynuqa’a, Nadhir and Qurayza, living in that city.

The two Arab tribes accepted Islam, and they became the proud hosts and supporters (Ansar) of the Prophet and those who came along with him were called Immigrants (Muhajireen). To the Jews, however, the ideology of Islam was not acceptable. But no pressure, direct or indirect, was applied on them to accept the religion. Prophet Mohammad granted them the famous “Charter of Medina”. This Charter guaranteed their civil and religious rights, and recognized their right to live – with other Muslims – as members of autonomous tribes.

In return, the Jews acknowledged Prophet Mohammad as the political sovereign of Medina, and they agreed to defend the city with the Muslims in the event of an invasion by an external enemy. They also agreed not to give aid, moral and/or material, to the enemies of Islam, especially to the Quraysh – the idolators of Makkah.

During the Umayyad period (that commenced about 30 years after the Prophet), no heed was paid to the Prophet’s dictate: live and let live. Various writers were hired to write books of traditions that suited the Umayyads. Court ulemas interpreted the religion to their advantage. Lot many colleagues of the Prophet, who resented the changes were hacked to death. In particular, the well-wishers and friends of Ali and the rest of Ahlulbayt were killed relentlessly. Wars were waged and territories annexed merely for the booty that it would bring. Pomp and show and a life of grandeur became inevitable consequence of the hordes of wealth which arrived on camel back from one battle front or other.

Soon it was forgotten that Mohammad spent all his life in a small house, with no comforts. He ate and wore simple. Ali, even when he was the Caliph of Islam, is known to eat bread that was so hard that others refrained from taking a share in it. He also wore garments with patches and at times sewed his footwear himself.

During Ali’s Caliphate, when Salman – the Persian – was appointed the Governor of Madaen, he not only discarded all the pomp and pageantry which had accompanied his predecessors, but built a frail ‘frame house’ of thatch with his own hands, which was to be his home, court and guest-house for as long as he was going to be the governor of Madaen. He tried hard to change the character of the relationship between the ruler and the ruled. Not his subjects, but it was he who showed eagerness to ingratiate himself with them, especially, with those who were the chronically ‘under-privileged’ among them. He tried to evolve a system where the weak, the humble, and the oppressed would have absolutely no fear of the governmental apparatus, and that they would have absolutely no hesitation in coming to see him, addressing him as an equal, and demanding redress of their grievances. He also wished to put an end to ‘private imperialism’ by extirpating the ‘sharks’ that lived by preying upon simple and gullible people. He turned his hands, his head and his heart to anything that promised to yield safety, comfort, hope, cheer and security to them.

One of the aims of Salman as governor of Madaen was to insinuate the egalitarian mechanism of Islam into every detail of the life of the Muslims. Any distinction, among them, on grounds of economic and/or social privilege, smacked to him of treason to Islam.

Salman also considered it his duty, as governor, to be as close to the poor, the weak and the humble, in terms of shared values and heritage, as possible. He was, in fact, most anxious to convince them that they were far more important than he – Salman, the governor of Madaen – was! He firmly believed that his pleasure was not important for them but that their pleasure was absolutely indispensable for his own salvation on the day of the final reckoning when he would be standing in the Tribunal of the Creator.

This was baseline knowledge for Salman, the governor of Madaen. This knowledge owed its base in the teachings of Prophet Mohammad and the rest of Ahlulbayt. Have you seen Muslims talking of Salman or giving examples from his life? If no, try to find ‘why’? And we find the Muslims boasting of the Umayyad and Abbasid rule and even the learned from amongst them still continue to praise unarguably the worst of Umayyad and Abbasid rulers. Why?

All such acts of piety and austerity were to change for the worse during Umayyad rule. Islam, which in the strict sense means “Surrender to God” and a Muslim is “one who has surrendered” was misinterpreted to the levels where the only thing that the Muslims cherished was the sight of people of other territories surrendering to them. Since the booty was coming in hordes and thus benefiting all the people who mattered, there were only few voices of dissent. Those who resented this escape from the Prophet’s way of life were silenced, through the mode found most suitable. Had it not been for Karbala and the bold martyrdom of Husain (Prophet’s grandson, also Ali’s son and Hasan’s younger brother) and his companions, it would have become impossible for even the latter age Muslims to dig out the real face of Islam. It was only because of this martyrdom that the Muslims got to realize that the Islam being propagated by Muawiya and later by his son, Yazid, was far different from the Islam of Prophet Mohammad that Husain and his companions adhered to. Karbala saw even children as young as 6-month old martyred at the hands of the army sent by Yazid. The fact that Prophet Mohammad’s beloved grandson, who was referred to as the leader of the youths in heaven by none else but Prophet himself, was killed so ruthlessly within 50 years of Prophet’s death, speaks of the changes that occurred during this half century and how the lofty teachings of Islam were hijacked in such a short period.

The great revolution in minds that Prophet Mohammad had brought can be understood from the fact that despite such adverse circumstances, its after-effects kept resonating for a while and established Arabs’ undisputed supremacy and leadership in knowledge of various sciences for about 200 years or so. Stagnation and reverse movement had already begun by the time the Arabs were acknowledged by the world as excellent in various realms of knowledge.

Attempt by Muawiya to control what was to be written in history books, what was to be addressed in Friday sermons from more than 70,000 pulpits all across the Muslim world and what shall be the face of Islam in future, jeopardized the progress of Islam despite the fact that the new frontiers being created were farther and farther from the Muslim capital. Eventually, while the Muslim dominion continued to spread in all four directions, Islam got paralyzed. The Abbasids who replaced the Umayyads proved to be even greater conquerors but worst followers of the tenets of Islam. Muslims, who would have reached faster into the jet age, had they adhered to the true spiritual and social teachings of Islam, were led back into camel age, by none else but those calling themselves as Muslims.

Most unfortunately, the world got to know of Islam during this period when the conquering armies of Muslims marched past their lands. If they built a ferocious image of Islam with sword in one hand, they are not to be blamed!

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If this is the situation, does Islam has any solutions to offer to present day Muslims?

We are faced with a very delicate situation. Independent thinkers desirous of finding a solution get entangled in a mesh. If they read the history of the progress of Muslims during the initial 200 years, they see a much distorted image of Islam. Howsoever much the Muslims continue to deny that their count did not spread through sword, the historical facts are telling much the opposite. Several contradictions are evident; several impracticable solutions are visible; and the Islamic injunctions, the way they were interpreted or practiced during that period, are found unsuitable for present times.

There is no denying the fact that Islamic teachings were sabotaged in the initial 200 years. The (mis)rule of the likes of Umayyad and Abbasids cannot be treated as Islamic. Yet, this is the period of greatest conquests carried out by the Muslims. There is no doubt whatsoever that these conquests and the evils that they brought along didn’t allow the real Islam to penetrate the minds of a lot many materialistic-minded neo-converts to Islam. A lot many of them succumbed to the feeling of grandeur and pomp that these rulers created around the religion so as to strengthen their seat of power. Since these rulers were being branded as ‘Caliph’, the Muslims in general tried to digest and/or ignore the misdeeds that they committed. There are a lot many Muslim maulvis who would shudder even today to think ill of a ruler like Muawiya, Haroon Rashid or Mamoon Rashid. Several supposedly learned scholars like Dr. Zakir Naik shower praises on even the worst of all rulers, Yazid, for this reason only.

But what these people do not know is that in their attempts to show these worldly rulers in good light and by portraying them as torchbearers of Islam, they are in fact harming the cause of Islam and are making it impossible for a student and pursuer of Islam to understand the real and true face of Islam.

Such is the confusion due to this that some writers like Baig, Fyzee or Professor Mujib (former Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia) even go the extent of challenging “the permanent validity of Quran”.

In “The Status of the Individual Conscience in Islam”, Professor Mujib writes:

“…right or wrong in matters of religious belief and practices are determined by social opinion and established habits of thoughts. The conscience of individual Muslim has had to find satisfaction in adherence to one of the accepted systems of interpretation of the Quran and the Traditions.

The Quran does not prescribe any such adherence. It recognized both the community of believers and the individual believer and does not ignore the possibility of the community being in the wrong as well as the individual member:

O believers, be you securers of justice, witnesses of God, even though it be against yourself or your parents and kinsmen, whether it concerns rich or poor, for God is nearer to you than both. And do not follow caprice, so as to swerve from the truth.

(Quran.4.134)

Mujeeb then goes on boldly to challenge the permanent validity of the Quran:

“Historical situations in which certain attitudes prescribed in the Quran, or deductions made from these prescriptions, are no longer relevant . . . Are we in this situation to look for some theological authority to guide us, and to wait passively till this authority is found? Or, are we to act according to our conscience and continuously remind ourselves that we must be ‘securers of justice, witnesses for God’ not only for ourselves but the whole political community of Muslims and non-Muslims to which we belong?

There remains the question of Islam’s practicability or impracticability. It depends on whether Muslims are in a majority or minority. The moral-social system that in its totality is Islam was developed by Muslims for Muslims, and a situation such as exists in India was never envisaged by Mohammad, the Caliphs, or the great jurist-theologians in the Muslim countries of West Asia. As a result, whereas Mohammad having to deal with Jewish and Christian minorities made allowances for them, subject to jaziya, there is absolutely no guidance anywhere or by anybody on how Muslims in a minority should conform to the laws of a non-Muslim majority. 

This task therefore Muslims will have to undertake themselves, keeping in mind the self-evident fact that Islam in India must be reoriented through the necessary reforms in the light of the conditions prevailing in India.

As far as Islam in general is concerned, if one looks round the Muslim world today one finds that if being a Muslim means one who has “surrendered to God,” then the overwhelming majority of them are escaped prisoners. But if being a Muslim means belonging to the Umma Muslima, then only an infinitesimal minority has found its way out of the enclosure the gates of which stand open. The reasons for this inconsistence, if hypocrisy is too strong a word, deserve deep social study. It could be, perhaps, because since Muslims, ideologically, should have no country, they have in compensation an excessive sense of community. This characteristic effectively bars assimilation in non-Muslim countries, and inhibits a practicing Muslim being an internationalist, nationalist, or humanist. The Muslim Islam makes is a transnational communalist, at home only in Muslim majority countries.”

This quoted passage reveals the extent to which various writers go while trying to find an answer to the Muslim dilemma. While their understanding of the problems afflicting the Muslims in India is correct, they have failed to analyze the true reasons why such problems arose. These writers go to the extent of saying that Mohammad’s teachings have no solutions to give to the adherents regarding how to live in non-Muslim majority countries. However, fact remains that a Muslim continues to remain a problem child even in the countries where they are in majority. While these writers have truly analysed the present state of Muslims in general, they have failed to reach to the reasons behind this because they too saw Islam through the curtain that the hundreds of years of misrule drew over the Prophet’s true teachings during the Umayyad and Abbasid period. Had they confined themselves to the true Prophet’s teachings and Quran alone they would have seen a truly different picture of Islam? The most unfortunate part is that the Muslim maulvis keep their eyes close to the unIslamic rule that we were witnessed to in the name of Islam and Caliphate after the Prophet. They do not speak out owing to the apparent grandeur and physical strength that these rulers gave to Islam. But they forget that Islam was always a religion of peace, righteousness and spiritual loftiness. These people will have to decide whether they want to continue their ‘protection’ of these pseudo-caliphs at the cost of Islam and Prophet’s image or whether they want the true face of Islam to come out of the mesh that presently overshadows it. Until we learn to do it, people will continue to cast aspersions on the contemporary relevance of several Islamic teachings and various other aspects like Islamic law and teachings.

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Is there a solution?

The problem of nearly all religions in contemporary times is that spirituality has died a silent death on the pyre of materialistic religiosity. Spirituality is something within, where the person continuously endeavours to elevate his inner self and the after effects of the person’s inner endeavour is visible outwardly in his character; in his supplications and prayers and in his dealings with all the rest of God’s creations. 

Religiosity is altogether opposite of spirituality where the person gets involved in outward rituals and customs in vain hope that this would elevate his inner self. The religiosity today is out there on the streets, even leading to traffic jams on roads, long serpentine queues outside mandirs and mazaars, big religious congregations and processions and the immediate aftermath of such frenzied religiosity is attempt to trample other religions, demolishing their places of worship and even riots and acts of terrorism against members of other religious community, who are themselves only immersed in outward religiosity, thereby aggravating the wedge so created, further.

There is a need to rescue spirituality from religiosity which, in the final analysis, is an amalgam of myths, fetishes, superstitions, and anachronistic customs and rituals. If, therefore, religion is to have any meaning to the rising and future generations, it must rid itself of obscurantism, harmonize with modern science and human reason, and be what inquiry will strengthen, not destroy.

The religious customs like a foot-march to get Ganges water back home, a trek uphill, a procession on Moharram or even weekly or daily assembly of worshippers at temples, churches and mosques were designed as the first lessons towards initiation into the deeper and spiritual aspects of religion. At the same time, such get-togethers were designed so that the masses get to interact with those who have climbed on the ladder of austerity and spirituality and learn a lesson or two from them. This has ceased to happen anymore! These rituals and customs alone have been understood as religion by nearly the entire masses.

God is supreme as per all religions and all religions emanated through God’s Avatars (messengers) have kept inner elevation as the prime quest of life. Salvation (nijaat or shahadat) is only for a person who dies with his soul pure. The level of degradation that has entered our lives today can be gauged from the fact that even the religious heads have ceased to lay emphasis on the need for spiritual elevation and their prime concern is limited to initiating a devout into customs and rituals.

Those who desire to serve God can best do so through strict self-moulding of their organs of action and senses, as per the likings of their Creator and then through service to mankind which, surely, is the scheme of nature; at all times doing this only for development and elevation of soul rather than seeking other material benefits from the service. The real purpose of religion is to develop to the utmost our capabilities and qualities, to strive to wipe the tear from every eye, to work for the deprived and the downtrodden, to love thy neighbour, to care for children, to fight discrimination and obscurantism, and even to pay our taxes and not cheat each other. Religion, in short, is to be faithful to the intellect we have, to develop the powers which have been entrusted to our charge, and to employ them either in worship of God or in the service of humanity, which itself becomes worship if done keeping the God and no self-interest in mind. This is true religion!

ONE GOD ONE RELIGION PART 4-K: State of Muslims in Present Day India

STATE OF MUSLIMS IN PRESENT DAY INDIA

We mention here a few problems that ails the Muslims or are affecting the majority of Muslim population in India. 

Take the case of the literacy figures. The literacy rate of Muslims is shown as close to that of the Hindus. However, no body tries to find how the literacy rate has come so close when most of the Muslims who are visible on road appear to be illiterate. This is so because when the question is asked whether you can read anything and the answer is given, yes, Quran, that person is taken to be literate. Does mere ability to read a few lines of Quran in Arabic, whose meanings are beyond comprehension, make one fit to be called literate is debatable? Even if they can read Urdu a bit, can they do any meaningful employment because of it? Majority of Muslim families earn between 5000-10000 rupees a month. Real issues like there being not even 4% Muslims in Government Service or in the Corporate World and not even 3% Muslims in the Middle or Upper Middle class colonies of the country are seldom raised. If you ask this question, illiteracy is cited the reason. Why illiteracy when it has already been shown close to that of Hindus? Why nobody asks that in spite of the surging literacy rate, the percentage of Muslims in Government jobs is steadily declining? That more than half of their population continues to live in slums too is portrayed as a negativity, as if they are living there out of choice. If they have nothing but tattered clothes to wear, it is their fault. If insecurity persists so much so that they decide to live in ghettos that too is their fault and the blame is passed on their dissimilar religious beliefs. Yet, if someone decides to take some concrete steps for their betterment, ‘appeasement’ is a label that the media never fails to give.

When such a huge percentage of population lives in slums or lower class dwellings, and with just around 5000 rupees to earn for the whole family, problems like unhygienic living, over-population, etc. are bound to occur. If you are interested, we invite you to do a study of the number of children in the houses of Hindus and Muslims, living in similar socio-economic conditions. For instance, take a slum or a rehabilitation colony. You will find that the population growth is the same. Conditions are such that a Muslim with 5 children is seen to be enhancing the population, that too with certain vested interests, while a Lalu with 10 or 11 remains as blameless as ever. 

Muslims appear to be even more unclean because the segment of Muslims that has become educated mixes with the population in such a manner that it is not easy to distinguish how many people traveling in a Shatabdi coach to Lucknow or dining in a McDonald’s are Muslims, when there are bound to be many who pass your eyes without you even noticing that they are Muslims. And the rest, who have grown on knowing to read only Quran, that too in a madrasa perhaps, earning around 5000 rupees a month, comes out in public in full Muslim gear, including a long beard, perhaps also a lungi and a skull-cap. And you can easily point out that a Muslim is passing and since nearly all who move about in this uniform are from the lower middle class, with lesser resources available at their disposal, you conclude that Muslims are filthy and dirty. Those who do not sport traditional Muslim appearance are either mechanics, or drivers, or labourers, vendors, petty shop-owners, kabadiwalas or rickshaw pullers – all illiterate and dirty. If population is increasing, it is partly due to these factors and partly due to insecurity about future. As we said before, the condition is the same in the same socio-economic conditions, but since a greater population of Muslims is living in the worst socio-economic level, they are producing more children. What goes unnoticed is that Hindus living in the same socio-economic conditions too are producing same or at times more number of children but since the percentage population of Hindus living in those conditions is lesser, their population too is not rising at the same pace.

Majority of the population earns only a handful to sustain for the entire month, yet their ration card is not made in fear that a few of them might be Bangladeshis. What would happen if some corrupt policemen identify him as one without a ration-card? The poor person would end up paying the hafta, unless he runs away from the dominion of that constable and start living somewhere else. Consequently, he would shell out his hard earned money, even if it is for the policeman’s bottle of beer or a hearty meal. And the man who has only earned a pittance while toiling all through the month will have to part with some of that, or else the earning family member will be treated as Bangladeshi, and subjected to more severe punishments. 

If the Bangladeshi immigrant problem is there, it is the responsibility of the security forces. Or it is the responsibility of the Governments who could not give ration cards to all the families of India till date, because of which there is this problem of identifying between Indians and Bangladeshis. 

Moreover, this country has huge number of Nepalese, Bhutanese and Lankans but nobody complains. It is only the Bangladeshis who are targeted. Why? If we were real serious, we should have stopped the Bangladeshis at the border. Why create conditions that someone who is born and brought up in India is targeted. 

It is only the deep-rooted love of traditional Indian culture and the fact that majority of Indian Muslims owe their origin to the Hindus whom we have praised elsewhere for their peace-loving nature, that has not allowed the virus of terrorism to multiply in this country, despite such negative conditions.

Good thing is that the majority of Indian population is still secular in thinking, but the bad thing is that they are not given access to this kind of information. And if a few stray voices come out in support of Muslims, they are either too feeble or die out soon for want of patronage. The new slogan of Muslim-appeasement does not make them say anything. And nobody asks, what appeasement you are talking in the face of all aforementioned negativities.

Muslims are condemned for worshipping a place in foreign land (Kaaba) and keeping allegiance to it, whereas we take huge grants from Japanese NGOs and government to build roads and hotels at the Buddhist sites in India. It is fortunate that Muslims in India have no holy place of worship in Pakistan like the Sikhs; no body points a finger at the Sikhs. A person of Indian origin, whose three preceding generations have not lived in India, if he becomes President of a tiny country in the West Indies, is given a hero’s welcome when he arrives in India. Indian Government even goes to the extent of summoning the Fijian ambassador and people start talking about sanctions on Fiji when the President of that country, of an Indian origin, gets into domestic trouble. And our media shows the interviews of second or third generation British Indians, who come to support Indian cricket team, in positive light, and if an Indian Muslim is found supporting Shoaib Akhtar or a Muslim locality is named Karachi or Islamabad in India, that becomes a sin.

Fact is that Muslims in many localities dread elections the most, declaration of which is always preceded by renewed attacks on their beliefs, customs, and religion and at times on them as well with physical or psychological blows. Take out the list of people who died in police firing in Hindu-Muslim riots and you will find majority of them are Muslims: because the police are more prone to firing towards their side. You go to Aligarh’s old city and several Muslims will tell horrifying tales of police firing from positions in Hindu homes. Take out the list of the houses/shops that are burnt and you will find that majority of them are of Muslims again. If Muslims were the hooligans, did they burn their own shops and houses? Yet, take out the list of those on whom FIRs were filed, consequent to looting and arson, they too are mostly Muslims.

Fact is that Muslims are afraid! Why is it that when a Hindu doctor complained that he had seen two people being brought in police custody and shot at in the parking of Ansal Plaza by the police, who were to be later termed as terrorists killed in an encounter, the character of the doctor himself was put to question and no serious inquiry ordered? The ideal way would have been that even if the doctor was lying, a high level inquiry should have been ordered, even if it was to quench the doubts in the hearts of Muslims. Why was a corporator put in jail for months who claimed that the so-called terrorists of Lal-Quila shoot-out who were said to be killed in an encounter by the police were actually killed at their Jamia Nagar residence and then taken away? Instead of throttling voices, we should try to create an atmosphere where the general Muslims do not come to conclusions that they are being targeted. 

Again, we will reiterate that majority of the Hindus in India are secular in character. But the bitter truth is that even the secular among the Hindus have begun distancing themselves because of the stories of filthy living, illiteracy, overpopulation, Bangladeshi immigrants, terrorism and a shariat that is portrayed in negative light. At the same time, the Muslims are harbouring negative views about the other community because of the insecurity that has developed.

Most of the problems that are shown as religious problems are actually socio-economic in nature. This includes the problem of high birth rate among Muslims. As we said, number of children in any jhuggi cluster would be the same for Hindus and Muslims with the only difference that percentage of Muslims living in any jhuggi cluster is higher than their national population average; therefore the higher growth rate. 

In spite of all this criticism that we have done, India is still the best of place to live. And Indian Hindus the best of the cohabitants! Majority of them are God-fearing, peace loving and truth seeking. They are hard-working and seekers of learning. Muslims can surely learn a lot many positive lessons from them. If only they become capable enough!

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Muslims Too Are to Be Blamed

Muslims cannot pass the blame on a section of the other community and move on. Fact is that they are themselves more to be blamed than anybody else.

Entry into Islam’s fold starts with saying ‘There is no God, but Allah’ because Islam taught Muslims to take refuge only in Him and none else. Islam so vigorously propagated this message that the Muslims couldn’t create other gods, but fact is that they do not worship that one God in the manner that He ought to be worshipped. 

As somebody aptly said, Islam is the best of religions and Muslims are the worst followers!

That majority of Muslims do not take refuge in One Almighty God is evident from the petty crimes that they commit, lies that they utter, violence that they commit, corruption that they indulge in, filth that they live in, marital and family discords that have found roots in their community, and endless other vices that are present. 

Islam says ‘you are not a Muslim if people fear you or your tongue’ and terrorists and mafia kingpins emerge from amongst them, not to speak of the foul language that comes out from their mouths.

Islam says ‘Acquire knowledge even if you have to go to China for it’, considered the farthest place from Arabia during the time of Prophet, where they would have got all types of knowledge but never of Islamic scriptures. On the contrary, their madrasas confine themselves to teaching Quran in Arabic, a language that they don’t understand, thereby meaning they do not even fully know what’s written in the Quran. 

Islam says ‘you are not a Muslim if your neighbour up to 40 houses on all sides goes to sleep without food', and their conduct is such that people are afraid if the neighbour is a Muslim.

Islam says ‘you are not a Muslim if you see injustice being committed and don’t raise your voice of dissent’ and they themselves commit all kinds of injustices, even in the name of Islam. Imagine if all the Muslims of India were to say they won’t tolerate injustice, whatever form it is in, be it corruption, bribery, oppression, crime against humanity, or anything else that one can think of, won’t India become a better place to live?

Islam is the only religion that made it mandatory to wash face, hands and feet 5 times a day. It is mandatory to have a bath every time you have sex or even masturbated or have a night emission, touched a corpse or on many similar occasions. It is also recommended to take bath on every Friday. Consider it keeping in mind not the Indian situation where water is in plenty, but in a more universal situation, like in Arabia where there is dearth of water or in Britain where people don’t bath for months due to cold season, and you will find that Islam gives the best of rules for cleanliness. How sad indeed that Muslims are seen as dirty by others?

Islam talks of all under the banner of One God, and Muslims themselves are divided into so many sects and sub-sects that it is even difficult to count the divisions; they are so rigid in following the tenets of their respective sects that they go to the extent of attacking and killing the members of the other sect. How sad indeed that this was to happen to the followers of Mohammad, who said that even plucking a leaf from a tree without reason was not allowed, not to speak of wounding or murdering other human beings. Islam talks of saving lives of others even if you have to forego your obligatory prayers and they are bent on taking the lives of innocent men, women and children.

Islam talks of righteous living, good conduct, seeking refuge in God for all actions, abstention from materialistic desires, truthfulness, piety, just and humane treatment to all, and leading the entire life – be it doing business, having love with spouse, dealing with fellow human beings, and all other acts of life – while remembering God, whereas their acts reflect nothing but irreligious and immoral behaviour.

In fact, no other religion has laid stress on reason and knowledge more than Islam, and they follow their religion blind-folded, on the lines of how their fathers and forefathers followed it, without bringing their reasoning faculties into picture. And where Islam makes it obligatory to follow certain rules, they are found wanting in adherence to it, citing various reasons for their inaction. 

There are some who point an accusing finger at Islam for failing to check family planning. Fact is that Islam is not against family planning but in fact supports it. However, those who want to denigrate Islam would continue to do so, even after reading this view of ours or many such articles, published at various places. Such is the intensity of their attempt to create hatred against Islam. 

Fact is that even the Hindus, if they are practicing family planning, are doing so not because of religious consent but because of realizing its need. There is nothing in the Hindu scriptures that talk of this subject. In fact, this subject was too immaterial when loftier subjects like attaining salvation, building a relationship with God, and realizing the importance of the Self and the Devatas that comprise it, were being discussed. Contrary to this, what we find in the Puranas is description of people with 50 or 100 sons, or even more. Krishna, it is written, had more than 100,000 sons. The number of daughters was not found worthwhile to discuss. If that had been the history of Islam, this too would have become a subject of criticism. Blaming Islam for all faults of the Muslims is wrong, that some sections of the society are hell-bent on doing.

ONE GOD ONE RELIGION 4-J: The Greater Jehad

THE GREATER JEHAD

Jehad is the most important subject that need to be discussed. In this essay on Jehad, we have also sourced information from an essay on the subject by Khomeini – the spiritual leader of Iran.

Another year from our short life has passed. If we reflect now to see whether we have done any work that will enhance the quality of our life, most of us have done nothing.

There is a dire need now for the advancement of knowledge in the fields of moralistic and spiritualistic issues. Unless this happens, the world will not come out of the increasingly beastly living that we are getting used to. Whenever this has happened in the past, we have seen God sending His apostles and emissaries to get rid of evil and propagate the good. After all, just like a mother cannot see the child in slight discomfort, the God for whom the entire universe and all humans who reside in it are part of His own creation, He does not like anybody, irrespective of his birth, caste, creed, religion or colour, to be in pain. Unfortunately, man’s tendency to inflict pain on others is getting beyond the limits and it is time again for us to start expecting of Divine assistance.

However, such a situation may not have emerged had we not forgotten the true essence of those sublime teachings that were imparted by Messengers and Apostles, who came one after another with the teachings, strived to work for the improvement of humanity, and departed. And we, known as we are for our hero-worshipping tendencies, forgot the teachings, elevated few of the personality traits in their character to the level of worshipping them, and put them as revered gods on high pedestals, thus deviating from those very teachings that these Messengers and Apostles imparted. 

Had the society remembered those sublime ways of living, and not distorted them to suit its own needs and interests, the world would surely be a better place to live. Frankly, how many of us are concerned about imbibing any of these traits in the lives of children? If matters continue to remain the way they are, the society is sure to see much more violence and much more bloodshed and lawlessness, despite the fact we all believe that we are increasingly becoming civilized. 

Every now and then, the stories of human cruelty, barbarity, beastliness and lawlessness are heard and seen, and we look the other way as if this is not our concern. Our children are growing up seeing these images in newspapers and on TV. With no proper teaching available regarding the desired way of life, about the role of humans in relation to their Creator and expectations of God from those whom He created and to whom they have to eventually return, our children will consider every act as right in order to meet their materialistic desires. Aren’t we destined to see more bloodshed by our children, who will either be perpetrators or victims, unless we act now?

We must remember that God does not desire just a few ritualistic prayers, at a demarked place and at a denoted time. There are certain obligations that need to be fulfilled, in return to all that we have got from Him. The chief responsibility is to learn to do all actions for God and train our intellect, senses, soul and body so that they work either for God or the benefit of His creations. Remember, God treats all his creations as equal and we are nobody to create hierarchy or divisions!

This attempt at training is called ‘Jehad-e-Akbar’, meaning ‘the chief Jehad or ‘the grand Jehad’ by Muslims; the word ‘Muslim’ itself signifying ‘musallam iman’ or ‘complete faith in God and His teachings’. A man who has successfully pursued this path of Jehad will have complete faith in God and will dedicate all his actions to please God. He will be able to train his self in such a manner that none of his action inflicts harm or suffering on innocent creatures, will aspire to work for the good of others, without expecting rewards or favours in return. He will pursue knowledge from wherever it comes, knowledge which has immense benefits. He will endeavour to add rich attributes to his personality so as to enable him to gain wisdom, intellect, piety, thankfulness, kind-heartedness, truthfulness, patience, courage and loyalty. No doubt, God has sent His Messengers/Avatars to impart knowledge of these traits, and they themselves were the chief torchbearers of this way of life. 

Writes Ibrahim Amini: “We must know while confronting self, compromise and peace settlement is not possible, and what is required is a devastating blow making him (one’s own self) crippled permanently from plotting any further conspiracies. In order to achieve happiness and salvation there is no other alternative except to follow this course, and because, of this reason struggle against the self has been called in traditions as – “Greater Crusade: (Jehad-e-Akbar). Here we would quote few examples from the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali:

Take over the possession of your self – through continuous struggle.

Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1. p. -13

And said:

Fight and dominate over self’s whims and passions. Because, otherwise if they succeeded in making you their prisoner – they will treat you in a most humiliating manner destroying you eventually. 

Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1.  p-138

And said:

Be aware! That Paradise is purchased through self-struggle. Therefore, who is engaged in self-struggle will be victorious. Paradise (or self) is the greatest reward for someone who really appreciates their worth.

Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1. p-165

And said:

By means of fighting against the self, incite him towards God’s worshipping. Fight him the way one must fight with his worst enemy, and dominate over him like the domination of victor over his opponent. The most powerful person is the one who is victorious over his self.

Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1. p-371

And said: 

A wise man keeps himself engaged in struggle against his self, thus, reforming and preventing him from indulging into passions and amusements, and in this manner subdues him ultimately taking over his possession. Such a wise person is so must preoccupied in his self-refinement that is totally detached with the world, whatever it contains and its dwellers.

Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1. p-237

This struggle against self is so important that even Prophet Mohammad called it the “Greater Struggle” and held it higher than a physical fight. Those who have tried would know how easy it is to kill the other or get killed than kill the passions that arise inside the body. 

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali had narrated:

That the prophet dispatched his soldiers to battle front to fight against the enemy. When the soldiers returned triumphant, the prophet said: ‘Congratulations! For those who have successfully completed the “Minor-Struggle”, (Jehad-e-Asghar), but they have yet to engage themselves into Greater-Struggle (Jehad-e-Akbar)’. He was asked: ‘Oh Prophet of God! What is the Greater – Struggle?’

‘Struggle against the self’. Replied the Prophet.

Wasail al-Shia, vol. II. p-124

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali said:

The best crusade is the struggle of someone, who fights’ against his self located between his two sides.

Gharar al-Hukm. vol. 11 p. -124

In his death will the Prophet said to Imam Ali:

Oh Ali! The best struggle is the struggle of someone who made his night into morning without thinking to oppress a single individual.

Wasail al-Shia. vol. 11, p. -123

Writes Amini: “In these traditions the importance of struggle against the self have been described as “Greater-Struggle” or Supreme Crusade – the crusade which is even superior than the crusade for the sake of God-Almighty (Jehad fi Sabi lillah). Considering the exalted position of crusade for the sake of God, which is considered as one of the most superior worship – the importance and worth of self-struggle becomes explicitly clear.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq said:

How good is a servant of God who struggles against the self and his passions for the sake of God’s Pleasure. Whoever becomes victorious over the self’s whims and passions has already achieved God’s-Pleasure. Whoever offers resistance, and with humility in front of God, allows the reason to control imperious-self would receive the greatest blessing.

There exists between the servants of God and Him nothing darker and horrible barrier than the imperious-self and his passions; and in order to destroy their roots forever, there is no armament better than the realization to seek God, humility, hunger, thirst during the day (i.e. fasting), and night awakening (i.e. engaging in night prayers and having humming communications with God-Almighty [remember chant of ‘Aum’]). Such a person if dies in this course leaves the world as a martyr, and if remains alive would ultimately attain the exalted position of God’s Nearness. God-Almighty has promised in the Holy Quran that those who strive in His cause will certainly be guided towards His path and verily, God is with those who do right.

When you encounter another struggler endeavouring in self-refinement better than your own efforts, then reprimand your self severely, and remind him to be more careful and determined. In accordance with Divine do’s and don’ts make a bridle for the self and like a master, training his inexperienced and wanton slave, encourage your self towards virtuous deeds. The Prophet offered so much prayer that his feet become swelled, in response to people’s complaint, replied: should not I be thankful to God-Almighty?

By these serious endeavours in worship the Prophet wanted to teach a lesson to his community. Therefore, one should never be negligent from endeavours, worship, and ascetism. Known that! If you could witness the sweetness of worshipping and other blessings and if your heart becomes illuminated with Divine Light – you will not be ready to discontinue it for an hour, even if they cut off your body into several pieces. Therefore, the negligence from worshipping shall never be possible except being deprived from advantages of competing for achieving immunity against sins and attaining God’s – Blessings.

It was this reason why the Imams never forgot the worship of God in the most adverse of circumstances. Once, in the battle of Siffin, when the war was at peak, Ali was intermittently looking at the sky, while fighting with the opponents. Somebody asked him the reason for this and Ali said that he was seeing whether it was time for prayer. The questioner was surprised and asked whether the situation was right for prayer. Ali replied that it was for this alone that he was fighting. 

Those on Husain’s side too surely knew of the importance of prayers. Two of his companions came forward to stop all the arrows being shot by the opponents on their chest as Husain and the rest of the companions offered the noon prayers on the day of 10th Moharram. Husain was the lone survivor fighting the enemy in the battlefield when it was time for the evening prayers. Husain kept his sword in shield to commence his prayers. Again, this was why he was fighting. Enemy who called himself Muslim surrounded him. As Husain supplicated himself to God – the Almighty – Shimr crawled on his back with a dagger and started severing Husain’s head from the body. Husain’s head was severed from his body as his forehead lay on ground in the worship of God. 

Quran (2:154) says:

And do not speak of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead; nay, (they are) alive, but you do not perceive.

Says Pooya/Ali Commentary:  

“Those, who die and give themselves fully for the sake and in the way of Allah, are not dead. They are alive, attached and closely connected with the ever-living Allah.”

It is reported that verse 154 was revealed for the Muslims who were slain in the battle of Badr. In those days the new converts to Islam, like the disbelievers, thought that death means loss of life forever. 

Fisabilillah means “in the way of Allah” or “for the cause of truth”. “The way of the Devils” means “for the cause of falsehood” (Quran, Surah Nisa: 76). Sale’s interpretation of fisabilillah (wars fought against non-Muslims to propagate Islam) is a deliberate distortion. There is no compulsion in religion (Quran, Surah Baqarah: 256); therefore, the Holy Prophet went to war only when it was forced upon him. 

All the created beings are given the opportunity to prove their potential; therefore, everyone is tried with something of fear, hunger, and loss of possessions and children. Those who have attained the highest spiritual maturity through personal virtues, ability to exercise patience, with faith and reliance upon Allah, face the trials successfully and reach the highest stations nearest to Allah. Each individual occupies a different status according to the degree of faith and patience he employs to encounter the test and trial. Some souls are not considered fit to be tried. It is their misfortune. The exemption may be to let their infidelity or hypocrisy grow to its full scope for which there is a painful punishment. (Quran, Surah Ale Imran: 178). 

The Holy Prophet and the 12 holy Imams occupy the highest status near Allah with reference to the faith in and reliance upon Allah, personal virtues and ability to exercise patience. For the cause of truth, in the way of Allah, they gladly suffered every kind of misery, hardship and calamity of the utmost severity throughout their lives. Only once in the history of the world all kinds of trials to the maximum conceivable degree have been happily and triumphantly endured and coped with by Imam Husain and his family and friends in the land of Karbala. No less was the situation of the other holy Imams under the tyrannical rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers. 

The Holy Prophet has rightly observed: 

This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever. 

A poor Jew once asked Imam Hasan to tell him how could his poverty be a paradise and Imam’s plenty be a prison? 

The Imam replied: 

If you would know the miseries awaiting the disbelievers, and the blessings in store for the believers in the life of hereafter, you will then agree that even your present plight is a paradise compared to those miseries, and my affluence here is a prison for me as compared to the blessings that will be bestowed on me there.

Now see verses 2:155-156 of Quran:

And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient,

Who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return.

Aqa Mahdi Pooya says: 

“This is the attitude of a faithful when a misfortune befalls him or he suffers a loss. It is the summary of all that which Islam teaches. We are His. We unconditionally submit to His will. We shall return to Him. He is our destination. Whoso makes his life a true expression of this description becomes His prime favourite for His grace, blessings and guidance. The Holy Prophet who stands first and foremost in submission to Allah is the ideal model of this expression, which has further been elaborated in verse 163 of Aal-e-Imran. 

However, there is no denying the fact that Muslims have been enjoined to take up armed struggle, if necessary. Writes Amini: “Armed struggle becomes compulsory only under certain special times and circumstances, further it is not incumbent upon every one (Wajib-e-aini), rather is a collective obligation (Wajib-e-kifai), and some people are free from this obligation. During certain periods armed struggle is not required at all, or is required to the extent of collective obligation, e.g. if required number of people had assumed this obligation, then the others are excused. Apart from this it is not incumbent upon women, elderly men, handicapped, and sick people. But on the contrary, struggle against the self is incumbent upon everyone as an individual obligation (Wajib-e-aini) during all times, circumstances, and situations, must be continued till the very last moments of life, and nobody under any condition except the impeccables (Ahlulbayt) will ever be free from this requirement.”

Also he says: “The struggle with self is harder than all the worships even the armed struggle in which a combatant risks his life by accepting martyrdom. Because, absolute surrender before God-Almighty, self-struggle against self’s whims and passions for the entire life, and journeying towards the straight path of perfection is much more difficult than the fighting of valiant warrior with the enemy in the battle field for a moment and ultimately achieving martyrdom. In fact, self-struggle is so hard that except with continuous resistance, tolerance of pains and anguishes, and without God’s Assistance it is not possible. It is because of this reason that we recite five times every day in daily prayers the sentence:

(O God!) Show us the straight path.

To follow up the straight path of perfection is so difficult that the Prophet of Islam said to God-Almighty:

Oh God! Don’t leave me at the disposal of my self even for the fraction of a second.

Considering the difficulties in the path, the God has made a promise:

And those who strive in our cause – we will certainly guide them to our paths. For verily God is with those who do right.

Quran, 29.69

This said and done, the Prophet also talked of a smaller Jehad (Jehad-e-Asghar) where one has to fight the evils that are plaguing the society. However, Jehad-e-Asghar is only for those who have reached a certain level of self-development. 

Devote yourself to the God; throw out the love of this world from your heart; then only will you be able to face the evils and wrongdoings of this world with courage and steadfastness and become a true human being, because if there is anything that the evil forces are afraid of, it is the true human beings. This is so because they are afraid that even if a single human being is born who cherish those lofty human values taught by the Avatars/Messengers, he will stand up and fight against their evil and selfish desires, and their benefits will get jeopardized. 

As the world moves to anarchy, corruption and violence, it is the responsibility of each one of us that we endeavour to become true human beings, following the enlightened path shown by revered Avatars like Krishna, Mahavira, Buddha, Jesus or Mohammad. 

As Ali says, in Khutba-e-Shaqshaqia, that God has taken a promise from the knowledgeable as per which they would not remain passive witness and satisfied upon seeing the injustice of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed.

Imam Ali used to say to his followers:

This is a clear call for action, even though one has to pass through dangerous valleys. This is also to remind of death, which is inevitable. If you have faith in these, then you will not lead a life of carelessness, more centred towards worldly attractions, rather than doing acts that are good and for betterment of others, and will deliver rich dividends hereafter.

Study the life of Husain whose stand against the tyrannical rule of the monarch Yazid led to the slaughter of his entire family before he too was finally killed in the cruellest of fashions. Knowing fully well that he was bound to be looser in the worldly terms, outnumbered as his handful of followers were against the mighty army of Yazid, not for once did Husain think of abdicating his stand. His supreme sacrifice reflects human values at their zenith, something that Gita and Quran do not tire of talking repeatedly. 

So if you are follower of either of the two, remember God in the way that he ought to be remembered and tread the path of self-development. If you are moving on that direction, the natural fall-out will be that you will not remain a mute witness to evil and injustice that has filled our society. This is Jehad-e-Akbar for Muslims; this is the path that Krishna taught all through the Gita. Truly speaking, Gita is nothing but the elaboration of the concept of Jehad. 

It is clear that Jehad was introduced because God wanted truthful and righteous men to contribute towards upholding of truth and righteousness. He wanted all of us to dwell in a vibrant society where struggle towards the right path continued ceaselessly. In a way, Jehad-e-Akbar was the fight against one’s self and Jehad-e-Asghar (or the smaller Jehad) was the attempt to improve the society. Armed struggle was only in self-defence or to eliminate the fitna, which is called Qitaal and about which we would read a bit later.

Quran explicitly states that fighting has to be in self-defence. See 2:190:

And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits.

Pooya/Ali Commentary says: “The message of Islam is universal. From early times the Muslims were only permitted to fight in self-defence. When there is no option, and in the face of persecution, however, the Muslims must fight. The strength of Islam lies in its certainty of ultimate victory over aggression, transgression, and ascribing falsehood to Allah and His last Prophet. Fitna can mean oppression, persecution, seduction - all implying the “discord” that attachment with ghayrallah (other-than-Allah) brings about. It is used as in verse 217 of this surah - war is detestable but fitna is worse than slaughter. Islam promotes peace, order and harmony in the human society and keeps man on the right path. When the enemies of Islam found that the light of this message was sweeping darkness from every corner, the disbelievers vowed to annihilate it. It was only then that, no recourse being left for the believers, they had to resolutely take up the sword in defence. Verses 39 and 40 of al Hajj also give permission to fight when any people is wronged, oppressed and persecuted. 

If Numbers 25:1 to 3 and 31:7 to 18 in the Old Testament are read carefully, one comes to the conclusion that when the Israelites, in Shitim, began to worship the gods of Moab, the Lord God asked Moses to “take all the leaders of the people and hurl them down to their death before the Lord.” 

And they made war on Midians as the Lord has commanded Moses, and slew all the men. The Israelites took captive the Madianite women and children, and carried off all their cattle, their flocks and their property. They burnt all their cities. Moses asked them to kill every male child and every women who has had intercourse with a man. 

Likewise, Gita too lays maximum stress on fight against the self. ‘Iswararpana’ is the term used to offer all deeds to God in Gita

On Me all action

Casting, with mind on the over-soul, 

Being free from longing and from selfishness,

Fight, casting off thy fever. 

Gita. 3.30 

Casting (all) actions upon Brahman,

Whoso acts abandoning attachment,

Evil does not cleave to him,

As water (does not cleave) to a lotus leaf. 

Gita. 5.10

Yet, when the situation demanded so, Krishna made Arjuna to fight when he was shirking from doing so. A passage in Gita referring to the negative state of the spirit of Arjuna which Krishna wants to correct (it is from the beginning of the second chapter):

Krishna says to Arjuna: What is the matter with you? Why have you lost courage? You are a great hero, a model Khsatriya with an unsullied name… Your attitude at the call of battle is as incomprehensible as darkness covering the sun, neither meeting with death, wood absorbing fire, salt dissolving water, the frog swallowing the serpent, or the fox defying the lion. You are a sensible man. Wake up. Take courage. War is not made with rose water. Live up to your reputation and get rid of these silly ideas. Kindness towards opponents in battle is misplaced… Did you know hither to that the Kauravas were your kinsmen?

M. Subedar, Gita Explained by Dnyaneswar Maharaj P. 59

Yet, Krishna is the greatest upholder of peace and truth. Ironical? No! Only the one with a conscious self can understand this subtle difference. 

If certain misguided Hindus take this statement of Krishna in the narrowest possible meaning and use it to plunder and kill innocent, for their own personal or political gains, would you blame it on Krishna’s teachings. It is unfortunate the face of Islam is distorted when certain misguided Muslims use Jehad for reasons other than what it had been meant for. Islamic view of Jehad is exactly the same as the teachings of Gita, with not an iota of difference.

When Krishna talks of fight, there is an underlying message, a great cause, benefit of humanity and its lofty values and foremost of all, upholding the worship of One Absolute God. Krishna and Arjuna both knew of the evils that had begun to plague the society in which they were living. That is why they have not been discussed. Yet, they always remain in the background. Due to this, some writers have understood the teachings of Gita and the actual purpose of the battle of Mahabharata wrongly. The yearning for God’s happiness, the height of spiritual attainment, willingness to be of help and die for a right cause and principles of upholding the truth and justice that Krishna showed is inherent in every verse of Gita.

Same is the case with Jehad. Call for armed conflict in few verses of Quran cannot be viewed independently as some self-centred or ignorant Muslim teachers and the detractors of Islam portray it to be. 

Arjuna is first asked to stand firm in the unitive way (yoga) and then he is asked to stand up and fight (III, 42). Most of the Gita describes the unitive way to reach God through various means. One such way is unitive contemplation (Dhyana-Yoga) that is discussed in detail in Chapter VI:

The Self is dear to one (possessed) of Self, by whom even the Self by the Self has been won, for one not (possessed) of Self, the Self would be in conflict with the very Self, as if an enemy.

Through realizing one’s self by recognizing the Self in it, one can reach union with God. And once the mind and intelligence is surrendered to God, then man should fight in the way of God.

Therefore at all times remember Me (God) and fight: when your mind and intelligence are surrendered to Me, you shall come to Me; (have) no doubt.

Despite the imperative nature of fighting, it is still made a secondary matter to the contemplation of the Absolute and realizing one’s self.

This is exactly the concept of Jehad in Islam, where the man is required to fight with his own self and only when he has incorporated all the teachings and reached a level where he truly recognizes the God, his duty begins of trying to put an end to the evils around him. Without the realization and adherence of the Absolute, Jehad in Islam is not possible. And one who attains this realization and shows strict adherence to the teachings is surely not going to commit injustice, cruelty or suppression of human rights of others. Instead Jehad leads a person to the height where all divisions on the basis of caste, religion, belief or creed lies shattered and the Muslim takes the side of truth, even though he has to make sacrifices for upholding the truth. Jehad can never be a fight for a piece of land or material benefits. And more than armed combat (which is the last stage referred to as Qitaal), Jehad will be more of deeds, against injustice and oppression. 

Through realizing one’s self through recognizing the Self in it, one can reach union with God. And once the mind and intelligence is surrendered to God, then the man should fight in the way of God.

Therefore at all times remember Me (God) and fight: when your mind and intelligence are surrendered to Me, you shall come to Me; (have) no doubt.

Just ponder for a while. What is the greatest evil plaguing the present society in India? Our view, which we have formulated after talking to several people, is that the greatest cause of all evil is that Indians have begun to accept everything as it is. They see corruption and remain mute witness. They see injustice being perpetrated, and they are least bothered. They see white-collared crimes happening all around, and do nothing. This evil has become widespread so much so that they wait at railway stations for hours but the train do not come, even if it is because the one who has to drive it decided to sleep for another few hours; they see accident victims dying on the roadside and look the other way; they know of spurious drugs and products ruining their lives and those of their children, industries emitting pollution beyond permissible limits, porn being shown on cable, and so on, but remain mute spectators. Fear of losing a bit of what they have make them do that. Just imagine, if just 10 per cent of Muslims in India are to get up and say that they won’t allow any such act being perpetrated, won’t allow human rights to be violated and would always take the side of the oppressed, the weak and the poor. Won’t the Indian society become a better place to live?

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The Subject of Kafar

Muslims are often criticized for calling Hindus as kafars (kafirs). What is the meaning of this word? Are Hindus kafars? Let us see!

“The term ‘Kafar’ (normally translated as ‘Unbeliever’ by Muslims) is derived from the root ‘Kafara’ which means (1) to cover, (2) to deny, (3) to show ingratitude. So ‘Kafar’ means he who hides a thing, or denies it, or is ungrateful to God, or who does not thank God for what He has provided to him. ‘Kafar’ in Arabic has also been used for a peasant, since he covers the seed. The term is used in one or other of these several senses. Generally it is used to mean one who did not listen to Prophet Mohammad in his time or did not recognize the Supreme Being who had provided one and all the good things of life.

In verses Q 14:32-34 & Q.17: 67 (as numbered in Pickthal’s Translation) the term ‘Kafar’ is used in the sense of ‘ungrateful’ and applied to all humanity.

The term is also applied to the Jews of the Prophet’s time (Q.17:8) since they had neglected their scripture, the Torah. In verse (Q.21: 94), the term is applied to God Himself since He recognizes our rewards or does not hide one’s good work. The same idea is conveyed in the Gita (2:40). In Quran (Q. 29:7) the term means to blot out, to remit, to cover sins. In (Q.4: 150-151), it is pointed out that the real Kafars are those who recognize certain messengers of God and deny others.”

You have seen the meaning of Kafar and its usage in Quran. Now let us see whether the Muslims are justified in calling Hindus as ‘Kafars’. If we take Unbeliever as the meaning, then we cannot call Hindus as ‘Kafars’ as they, or at least a greater percentage of them, believe in the Unity of God. If Muslims call the Hindus as ‘Kafars’ owing to their  idol worship, then they must know that there are a lot many Hindus, the Arya Samajis, who do not believe in idol-worship. In such a situation, ‘Kafar’ will have to be applied on case-to-case basis and not to community on the whole.

In Q.4: 150-151, it is said that Kafars are those who recognize certain messengers of God and deny others. If we take this meaning to be correct, then that would mean that all, including the Christians, the Jews, and the Hindus would come in the fold of Kafar. However, since Muslims do not regard Christians and Jews as Kafars, it means this meaning too is not applicable. 

If Kafar is used for denying a tenet of Islam, then before the finger is pointed at the Hindus, various sects of Islam would start pointing fingers at each other. We all know that the subject of Caliphate is such where they deny each other’s Caliphs.

What does Kafar mean then? Kafar is used in relation to God. Therefore, does Kafar means one who denies the presence of God? Surely, there are a lot many atheists in this world. This cannot be true, because various messengers of God have said that after sincere attempt to reach the truth, if one comes to conclusion that there is no God, then that person too would be rewarded. 

In our view, Kafar means one who knows the truth about God and His Apostles, yet denies it. This has happened in the past when religious books were deliberately distorted and might still continue to happen in future. Such people are Kafars and worthy of great punishment, as per Islam. 

Term Kafar seems to be synonymous with the term ‘atatayinah’ or those who have fallen from Dharma. Since the Kauravas had fallen away from the true Vedic teachings regarding God, the Kauravas are called ‘atatayinahs’ in Gita. (I.36). Gita tells there were few on Kaurava’s side who knew what Krishna was saying was true but did not accept it for fear of loss of worldly position and benefits. Drona and Bhima were certainly such people. That Drona and Bhima were the priests of highest ranks, there surely must be several others on their side. In the Manusmriti and other books ‘atatayinah’ are described as those who are incendiary, poisoners, murderers, plunderers and those who commit excesses and a death penalty has been prescribed for them. Manusmriti enjoins: 

Kill the atatayinah at sight.

Isn’t the concept of Jehad and that of Kafar same as per Hindu and Muslim scriptures?