The Scriptures Extolling Actions to Produce Reaction Beneficial to Humanity
The
Scripture A Book Of Instruction, Merely Used Now To Recite As An Act Of Worship
Which Produces Zero Benefits For Others
Main
Points:
1. Dr Pandit
Shankar Dayal Sharma is shown reading his poem in Urdu on the subject of the
Scripture Quran and its wrong use by the Muslim adherents.
2. A'mal Ki
Kitaab Thi, Duaaon Ki Kitab Banaadiya; is commented upon here to show the
Muslim community's religious mindset now.
3. Muslim
Church has turned the historical event into a miraculous journey to Heaven and
back in one night sans companion.
4. There were
many Anmbiya (plural of Nabi) said to have propagated the “Message of Unity” of
the Creator of the Universe- God.
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By
Rashid Samnakay, New Age Islam
3 June 2021
Source: Pinterest/ Yemeni man reading Quran
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Recently received a sticker/video, one out of many that one gets, thanks to communication technology that has become a trend of instant manufactured expression of 'wisdom' to be shared among friends. But this particular sticker, although has been around for sometime, was received for the first time. It was impressive, thought provoking and every word worth its weight in gold.
In it, Dr
Pandit Shankar Dayal Sharma, the ninth President of India is shown reading his
poem in Urdu on the subject of the Scripture Quran and its wrong use by the
Muslim adherents. A true scholar one must say, as every couplet of this poem is
sensitively meaningful and worthy of contemplation and thus fit for treating
each verse separately as subjects related to the Book's message and practices.
However, as
an example only the very first couplet, A'mal Ki Kitaab Thi, Duaaon Ki Kitab
Banaadiya; is commented upon here to show the Muslim community's religious
mindset now.
In the
verse two words, a'mal and dua' draw attention to the oft repeated phrase in
the Scripture Quran: Wa A'millus Sawlihati—and take Actions that produce
positive beneficial Reactions. This statement appears in the Book more than
eighty times. Hence its significance; and therefore perhaps the learned
President chose to open his poem with it: A'mal Ki Kitaab Thi: It was a
Book of Action, it begins.
The
emphases on the word Amal -Action, in the Book is physical force or
intellectual movement – such as those of Apostles - that produce a change in
the object the action is performed upon. The object could be tangible
possessing mass or an Ideology that is moved from its current position into
another direction.
The
qualifying word “Sawlihati” prescribes to the action-taker that it has
to be positive and beneficial on the whole to mankind (including women-kind) in
its reaction, to distinguish it since every Action has a reaction.
And the
second stanza: Duaaon Ki Kitab Banaa Diya: It is turned into a Book of
prayer/recital!
Since the
Scripture is a Book of instruction, he laments that its instructions which are
to be implemented by practical action for the stated purpose, are merely used
now to reading of it or recital as an act of worship which produces zero
benefits for others.
That is
what the Quran has in reality become in the general Muslim community. Reading
and reciting it as a religious form of worship for heavenly reward. What is
more that the Book itself has become an idol and to some extent its Arabic
language too.
To give an
example of the insight of the learned Scholar's lament, it is necessary to give
a proof for the above; of an instruction given in the Book to the Believers for
Action, physical and mental, which has been converted simply to Dua'
prayers.
The verse
and its import is:
33-56: For sure, God and His Malaika(Angels)
took (practical) action to support and encourage His Messenger, and so, Oh you
who Believe, you too (now) take action to support him, protect him and except
him as your guide to bring you out of darkness into light. (Refer 33-43).
Remember
the Messenger was ridiculed, tormented, threatened with death and so had to
flee in the darkness of the night, from Makka his home town to the distant city
of Madinah. He and his only companion, with divine help arrived safely there
after few days. (A well known historical event which the Muslim Church has
turned into a miraculous journey to Heaven and back in one night sans
companion.)
That was
the tangible Divine support to the Messenger. Then, it says; it is now the turn
of the Believers to do the same in practical terms as he is amongst them. And
the Believers at the time did so too, with life toil and sweat. Again a
historical fact. Ref. Chapter 9 and 17 etc.
The
Messenger's supporters did not just recite the verse and ask God to send
Blessings on His Nabi, as is the custom and ritual today expressed in what is
called Darood, an Urdu word and not in Quran. Today, when the verse
referred above is heard recited or read, a holy chorus erupts in prayers from
the Believers, which is no part of the Book:
Allahuma
Sallay A'laa (Sayedina) Muhammadin Wa A'laa Aali (Sayedina) Muhammadin Wa
Baarik Wa Sallam—Oh
God send blessing on (our Chief) Muhammad and (while you are at it) also send
Blessings on the family of our Chief..............! A non Quranic mantra.
As if to
inform God that it is a very difficult task He has set for them. “We are
incapable of fulfilling what You had done, so we ask You instead to do what You
have set for us to do”...plus more.
The felony
is further compounded in the belief that with this prayer, asking God to shower
blessings on Nabi and his family; the devotees too will get a hefty reward
called Sawab in the Hereafter. Some even believe that being equal to
performance of one Hajj... without lifting a finger.
As a
further example of the ritual of worship related to this verse carries it
deeper in the realm of religious spirituality:
On the
Messenger's birthday, parties are held where bags containing hundred chick peas
are given to attendees. They are asked to recite Darood on each pea,
followed by Naats praising the Apostle almost in equal terms as for God
and sending Blessings on the Messenger. Thus there is the Trinity of a
Messenger, the Book and the Arabic Language. This is often followed by
sumptuous dinners or Tea party. The party goers puffed with holy pride for
having performed an outstanding Act of worship.
Dr Pandit Shankar Dayal Sharma
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Was the
learned Dr Shankar Dayak Sharma referring to such inapt and ridiculous rituals
among Muslims that turned an instructions Book on its head, into mere prayers
book?
Now that
the Messenger is no longer amongst the Believers, as he has passed on some
fifteen centuries ago, what then is the message of the verse left in the Book
for the Believers to do?
There were
many Anmbiya (plural of Nabi) said to have propagated the “Message of Unity” of
the Creator of the Universe- God, that the Seal of the Messengers Muhammad has
recorded in the Book called Quran. Though he is no longer present here since
the seventh century, the Believers are duty bound, according to the
instructions of the Book to safeguard and promote the “Message of Unity” by
practically Acting on it. It is the message that is important now. The
importance of the Messenger Muhammad and the many Messengers preceding him
there is no doubt, as a collective community of Messengers and not just the
Final one. God has not made any gradation amongst them in the least in that
respect, the Book says. Or else the whole edifice of the Belief turns into
Personality Cultism of Muhammad and Associating the 'other' with God, in this
case associating a Creature Muhammad, with The Creator God. Is that not akin to
polytheism and so a Shirk?
It is
argued therefore that the Believers should turn to their Book of instructions
Quran, like the living Guru Granth Sahib as the embodiment of the Message of
all God's Messenger. A lesson to be taken from a true monotheistic Sikhism and
its practical practice of treating all humanity as the creation of the one
Creator Rabb and as shown in its worship of feeding all-comers without
discrimination, in their Gurudwaras, their houses of worship. However a
disparity of “Poor and Rich” should not be there to need such charity. (A South
American Arch Bishop was asked as to why he has fallen foul of the authorities.
He said 'when I opened soup kitchens in the Churches in slum areas, they said I
am a Saint, but when I asked them why are there poor people, they said – you
are a ….communist')
As such,
this A'mal Saleha – the goodly deed, is just one aspect of the service
to humanity, a part of the instructions of Quran too, to eradicate the ills on
permanent basis in its economic system.
The Book is
the source of Islam the Muslims and their Rulers confess to but seldom practice
it. Or only during the month of Ramadhan feeding the poor for breaking the
fast, and thus a ritual only for Muslims. The rest of the eleven months of the
year it is assumed that there are no hungry people in the community, let alone
the rest of humanity.
So one cannot go past another late Urdu poet Muhinder Singh Badi 'Sahar' who lamented equally sensitively that:
Baat
Itni Hai Keh Ab A'am May Islam Nahi,
Only to say
that now Islam is not common at all.
For sure,
referring to the big picture depicting the state of Humanity in the world?
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A
regular contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Rashid Samnakay is a (Retd.) Engineer
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/scriptures-humanity-quran/d/124927
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