By
Saquib Salim, New Age Islam
09-06-2022
Tradition
of Rahim and Raskhan Who Wrote In Praise of Hindu Deities during the Medieval
Times Was Carried Forward By the Muslim Thinkers of the 20th Century As Well
Main
Points:
1. People who
were seen mocking Prophet Muhammad were also products of a few of the best
educational institutions.
2. World has
witnessed how these so-called ‘leaders’ mocked the religious figures revered by
millions.
3. People with
degrees from eminent educational institutions were mocking ‘Shivling’ in the
name of political rhetoric.
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In the last
few days, the controversy over the comments made by certain politicians,
‘religious leaders, and activists on religious figures in the television
debates have taken a centre stage in public discourse. The world has witnessed
how these so-called ‘leaders’ mocked the religious figures revered by millions.
I have been hearing that good education at modern educational institutions
teaches people to be sensitive with others and can cure the politics of hate
since childhood.
But, we
have seen how people with degrees from eminent educational institutions were
mocking ‘Shivling’ in the name of political rhetoric, thus injuring the
sentiments of millions. The people who were seen mocking Prophet Muhammad were
also products of a few of the best educational institutions.
Interestingly
the very cure of religious hatred as suggested by the liberal West seems to be
the deadliest form of the disease. The modern education institutions have, no
doubt, imparted knowledge but are devoid of sensitivities towards the
sentiments of fellow humans.
If we look
back at the times when modern western education had not penetrated our society
like today, we find that educated Hindus and Muslims would talk about each
other’s religions with due respect. The tradition of Rahim and Raskhan who
wrote in praise of Hindu deities during the medieval times was carried forward
by the Muslim thinkers of the 20th century as well.
Who
symbolizes the Muslim identity in the subcontinent more than Sir Muhammad
Iqbal? In an article written in 2016 by yours truly, I have explained the
devotion Iqbal had for Lord Rama through a poem written by him. I wrote, “For
Iqbal, Lord Ram is not merely a Hindu God but “Imam-e-Hind” (spiritual leader
of India). For him, people with vision or wisdom consider him the spiritual
leader of Indians. As he writes;
Hai Raam
Ke Wajood Pe Hindustaan Ko Naaz
Ahl-e-Nazar
Samajhte Hain Us Ko Imam-e-Hind
(India is
proud of the existence of Ram
Spiritual
people consider him prelate of India)
It is quite
evident that he does not believe that Ram is the leader of Hindus alone;
otherwise, he would have used the word Ahl-e-Hind (people of India) rather than
Ahl-e-Nazar (people with vision). For him, the status of Lord Ram as a
spiritual leader is not limited to the Vaishnavas or Hindus only. Lord Ram
lives in the ethos of India and its people.”
Iqbal, in
the poem dedicated to Lord Rama, has accorded him the status of the philosopher
head of all the philosophers of the World. The reverence of Rama and dedication
to Islam, do not contradict each other in Iqbal’s world.
Hafeez
Jalandhari, a Madrasa-educated poet who wrote the national anthem of Pakistan,
has also written in praise of Lord Krishna. In his poem, Krishn Kanhaiya Hafeez
urged Lord Krishna to save India from foreign rulers. I wrote, “The poet hopes
that Krishna will come back as a saviour of the country. At the very outset,
Hafeez draws the attention of readers toward the grandeur of Krishna using the
words;
Ai
Dekhne Walo
Is Husn
Ko Dekho
Is Raaz
Ko Samjho
(O you who
is watching, look at this beauty. Try to understand this secret)
He goes on
to write;
Ye
Paikar-e-Tanviir
Ye
Krishn Ki Tasviir
(This
manifestation of light; this portrait of Krishna)
It is
important here to note that among common Muslims Prophet Muhammad is supposed
to be a manifestation of light. By using the same metaphor for Krishna, Hafeez
in a way reiterates the age-old belief of a section of Islamic scholars, that
Krishna was a righteous prophet sent to the people of the subcontinent. In the
poem he stresses his belief again by saying;
Ye Nar
Hai Ya Nuur
(Is he
human or light)?”
Khwaja
Hasan Nizami, a respected Islamic scholar, had written Krishn Beeti. Nizami
while describing the scene of Lord Krishna’s birth wrote, “Today is the arrival
of that commander in chief, army general and military leader of India, whose
armies used to roam around victorious. He is the foremost leader and general of
the Indian subcontinent. Today those eyes are going to open themselves which
will look after the earth and the sky. He comforts Indians in private as well
as in public, in happiness as well as in sorrow, during life as well as in
death. Krishna is the leader of the adults and a beloved of the children.”
The list is
endless. Several Muslim thinkers, writers, and leaders have paid tributes to
Hindu religious figures. Never, not even the most orthodox of Muslim leaders,
tried to demean any Hindu religious figure. It must be noted that the Urdu
Textbooks written by Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Merathi, which are used in the
Madrasas of the subcontinent for more than a century have dedicated chapters on
Hindu religious figures.
In the
fourth book of Urdu, Ismail wrote about Sita Ji: “In short Sita was a perfect
and unmatched example of a pious, loyal, patient, and loving wife.” One can
think that after reading such Urdu books at Madrasas what kind of reverence
Muslims developed for Hindu religious figures. No wonder Hafeez, Hasrat,
Nizami, and others wrote in praise of Lord Krishna, Lord Rama or Lord Shiva.
The respect
was not a one-way affair and Hindus as well revered Islamic figures. The people
who had their education rooted in orthodox Hindu traditions believed that Islam
deserved equal respect as Hinduism. In 1921, Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Shri
Sharada Peeth endorsed and publicized a Fatwa in support of Khilafat. He was
charged by the British for propagating anti-imperialistic ideas.
Shankaracharya
said, “As a believer in the doctrine of Swa-Dharma for all, every Hindu should
necessarily sympathize with the Khilafat cause.”
Chaudhary
Dillu Ram Kausari of Hisar, Haryana used to write ‘Naat’ (eulogies in
praise of Prophet Muhammad). His book of eulogies was published in 1924. The
introduction to the book said that the purpose of the publication was to bring
out the pro-Islamic nature of common Hindus while a few fringe extremists might
indulge in violence. How important is the reiteration of this point in the
present times filled with hate?
Dillu Ram
wrote,
Kar Ae
Hindu Bayaan Is Tarz Se Tu Vasf Ahmad Ka
Musalmaan
Maan Jaye Sab Loha Tegh-e-Muhannad Ka
(O Hindu
praise the quality of Ahmad in such a fashion
That they
start admiring your literary skills)
And,
Kuch
Ishq-e-Payambar Me Nahi Shart-e-Musalman
Hai
Kausari Hindu Bhi Talabgaar-e-Muhammad
(Being
Muslim is no condition to love Muhammad
O Kausari,
even Hindus are the seeker of Muhammad)
The Indian
ethos of coexistence is best described by one of India's tiop scientists,
Professor Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, when he writes, “Adha Muslim Hun to Adha
Mera Hindu Me Shumaar” (I am half Muslim and the other half belongs to
Hinduism).
As Indians,
we have to ponder upon what went wrong in educating our people through the
western modern system. Why do we tend to demean religious faiths and in turn
hurt the sentiments of a large population? Is it to sound rationale, secular
and progressive? Education devoid of sensitivity towards human emotions will
lead to disasters. We need an education system rooted in the culture that
teaches us coexistence and mutual respect. The western model of society cannot
be superimposed on one of the oldest, most dynamic, and most vibrant
civilizations of the World.
We need to
reiterate that:
Mazhab
Nahi Sikhata Aapas Main Bair Rakhna
(Religion
doesn’t teach us to hate each other)
Source: Religion Doesn't Teach Us to Hate
Each Other
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/religion-hate-hindu-muslim-raskhan/d/127205
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