islam and blasphemy
5:59:32 2018-04-02 1012

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful   

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all.


Islam and Blasphemy

So what is blasphemy?
 

Blasphemy is the action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.
 

There is a huge misunderstanding towards the religion of Islam. Many people seem to think that in the religion Islam even the smallest of sins are deserving of the death penalty.
 

Blasphemy, derived from the Latin Blasphemia, is generally defined as the exhibition of irreverent behaviour or language towards God, religion or anything held sacred. It is a sensitive issue for many, especially those who have an unshakeable faith in their beliefs, religious leaders, holy book, places of worship and rituals.
 

What acts can be deemed ‘irreverent’, how those who carry out such acts should be punished, and what role the law should play in preventing blasphemy are questions that have instigated huge debate and controversy. Images of certain Muslim groups who adopt harsh punishments against people apparently blaspheming against Islam or turning apostate are displayed horrifically by the Western media. Seeing people being beaten and murdered for the crime of blasphemy has left a deep impact upon the Western World.
 

Unfortunately, certain misguided Muslim groups are attributing teachings to Islam that have nothing whatsoever to do with it; the media happily relay these stories to the world without considering the fact that such acts are not representative of Islam’s true teachings.
 

There is nothing in the Quran or the authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad justifying the killing of people for opposing, criticizing, humiliating or showing irreverence toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs and beliefs of Islam.
 

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

The Holy Quran also states:
 

"O ye who believe! Let not some men among you ridicule others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women ridicule others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong. [49:11]
 

Also in the Holy Quran it says: "Those who avoid the greater crimes and shameful deeds, and, when they are angry even then forgive;" [42:37]
 

If blasphemy was punishable by death in Islam, then the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would have been the first one to order the killing of hundreds of his foes who later became his closest companions. With the exception of a very few earlier Arabs who accepted the Prophet as the Messenger of Allah , the majority of people of Makkah opposed him, humiliated him, cursed or blasphemed him or even tried to kill him, yet he preferred to practice forgiveness and to seek the divine mercy for them.
 

The old woman who used to throw garbage on the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was visited by him when he did not see her throwing it any more to learn that she was not well. When Suhail bin Amr, a poet who composed poetry blaspheming the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was taken as a prisoner of war after the battle of Badr, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) asked his companions to show kindness to him. There are examples after examples to prove that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was never resorted to violence against those who were showing utter disrespect to him.

 

A person is naturally hurt whenever something he holds sacred is defiled or desecrated.  Many consider it morally wrong to hurt the religious sensibilities of others, as it can disturb the peace and harmony of society and disrupt law and order, whilst others believe any form of censorship curtails necessary freedoms. The freedom to openly profess, practise and preach one’s religion by all, in particular by minority groups, is what determines the level of religious tolerance of a society. In this matter, justice is not only to be done but must also be seen to be done—actions speak louder than words.
 

Of great concern at the present time is the subject of whether Islam prescribes any punishment for blasphemy. Every true Muslim loves and regards the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Founder of Islam, more than any other human being. A Muslim may tolerate insults against his parents, relatives or friends, but he cannot endure anyone mocking the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). But how exactly does Islam teach a Muslim to respond to insults against the Prophet (Peace be upon him), or for that matter, insults directed at God or anything sacred in Islam? Unfortunately, many Muslims assert that death or other harsh measures are the only possible punishments for those who commit blasphemy. However, as will be explained, this belief is mistaken and incorrect according to both the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah—the Practice of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).
 

Islam enjoins fair treatment of all, including one’s enemies:
 

…Let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness… (Ch.5:V.9)
 

But Islam does not only condemn the blaspheming of God. It also protects the feelings of polytheists, by forbidding Muslims from attacking their idols. On this point, the Holy Qur’an states:
 

And revile not those whom they call upon beside Allah, lest they, out of spite, revile Allah in their ignorance.… (Ch.6:V.109)
 

In other words, Islam teaches Muslims to be sensitive to the sensibilities of others—no matter how strongly they disagree with them. The implication of this verse is that if it is not permitted for Muslims to slander false idols, it certainly cannot be permissible for Muslims to defile other sects within Islam or other religions.
 

The Holy Qur’an mentions many blasphemous utterances by non-believers and hypocrites against the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)without sanctioning any physical punishment for the perpetrators:
 

Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger—Allah has cursed them in this world and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them an abasing punishment. And those who malign believing men and believing women for what they have not earned shall bear the guilt of calumny and a manifest sin. (Ch.33:Vs.58-59)
 

It should be noted that the ‘abasing punishment’ of blaspheming God and His Messenger rests with God alone and it is up to Him whether He punishes such persons in this world or in the hereafter. The authority to punish blasphemers has not been delegated to anyone, not even to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).
 

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) was repeatedly mocked by the believers. The Holy Qur’an points out that his opponents claimed he was “a madman” (Ch.15:V.7) and that “there is madness in him” (Ch.23:V.71). Indeed, many of the disbelievers thought that he was “a victim of deception” (Ch.17:V.48) and treated him as a liar. Furthermore, he was labelled a “poet” and “a fabricator” by the disbelievers (Ch.16:V.102).
 

But the blasphemous statements did not stop there. Not only did they make personal attacks on the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him), they also insulted the Holy Qur’an, calling it a book of “confused dreams.” Indeed, the Holy Qur’an itself points to the fact that they saw its instructions as “mere stories of the ancients” (Ch.16:V.25).
 

But this was not enough for the disbelievers—in addition, they tore the Qur’an into pieces and urged people not to listen to it; in fact, they encouraged others to make noise when it was being recited.

 

And yet, as the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him). points out, the Holy Qur’an is the greatest blessing to have been bestowed on mankind:
 

The disbelievers even tore the Qur’an to pieces, yet God instructed the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) not to retaliate.
 

‘The Holy Qur’an is the fountainhead of your salvation for all betterment and success…The supporter or falsifier of your faith on the Day of Judgement would be the Holy Qur’an…Realise, therefore, the value of the blessings bestowed upon you. It is a precious blessing and a great treasure…’
 

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) loved and treasured the Holy Qur’an to such an extent that whenever a portion of it was revealed to him, he would commit it to memory and carry its whole text with him wherever he went. Given the reverence Muslims accord to the Holy Qur’an, any insult to it would also count as blasphemous.
 

Despite the ill-treatment and disrespect shown to both the Holy Prophet(saw) and the Holy Qur’an,  God instructed him not to retaliate, because, says God: “We will, surely, suffice thee against those who mock” (Ch.15:V.96). In other words, God Himself is sufficient to deal with those who commit blasphemy against Him, the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) or the Holy Qur’an and He does not allow anyone else to mete out punishment in this regard. The Holy Prophet(saw) was advised by God to remain patient and to …follow not the disbelievers and hypocrites, and leave alone their annoyance, and put thy trust in Allah; for Allah is sufficient as a Guardian (Ch.33:V.49).
 

The Holy Qur’an gives clear guidance on how Muslims should behave when they are faced with those committing blasphemy. Instead of punishing the blasphemers, believers are advised to leave the company of such people until they change the topic of their conversation. Allah says:
 

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

With such beautiful guidance promoted in the Holy Qur’an, how can anyone contend that the punishment of death for blasphemy is justified in Islam?
 

Clearly the Holy Qur’an does not even remotely hint at the death sentence for those blaspheming against it or Islam. Unfortunately, the behaviour of extremists groups claiming to be Muslims, and the introduction of so-called Shariah law in Muslim countries, has led the media to pointing fingers at the religion of Islam in general. However, neither those extremist groups nor those Muslim governments practise the true and real Islamic teachings. In Pakistan, for example, several sections of its Criminal Code comprise its blasphemy laws. Blasphemy merits the death penalty under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code:
 

‘Use of derogatory remarks etc. in respect of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him): Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine.’
 

The Holy Prophet’s (Peace be upon him) life is a beautiful illustration of the word forgiveness, as incidents from his perfect life demonstrate how he pardoned even his worst enemies.
 

From this we can conclude that the Religion of Islam is based on forgiveness and love, and that we shouldn’t allow minor radical groups to represent us as a whole.

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