Quran Says No One Can Limit Others’ Freedom; Udaipur Killing Violates Islam’s Golden Rule
By
Raamish Siddiqui
30 June,
2022
Not Just
Performing Rites, But A Part Of Religious Duty Makes It Equally Necessary For A
Muslim To Respect And Observe The Legislation Of The Land In Which They Reside
Main
Points:
1. Extremist
ideology and violent behaviour have no place in any society.
2. “Peace
cannot be achieved through violence; it can be only attained through
understanding.”
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Representational image| Muslim devotees offer Friday prayers during
Ramadan, Patna, April 2022 | PTI
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Udaipur
killing is yet another incident that casts doubt on the progress humanity has
made since the dark ages. Great minds throughout history have reiterated the
role of peace in the development of society. But the incident is an example of
the chaos that is unleashed when intolerance reigns over reason and fraternity.
This condemnable act has reignited the discussion about how violent extremist
actions contradict the fundamental principles that Islam professes.
The Arabic
root word for Islam is ‘s l m‘, which means peace. Islam has no room for
bloodshed and the killing of other human beings. The Quran declares that ‘killing
one human is comparable to killing the entire humanity’ (Quran, 5:32).
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Killing
someone is haram (forbidden) in Islam. It is illegal for civilians to
physically or even verbally attack others. According to Islam, punishment is
the prerogative of established courts, not of individuals or non-governmental
organisations. If someone commits a crime, their case will be referred to a
court created by a country’s legislation, and the judge will render their
decision after completing the necessary legal steps. Then, the appropriate
legal authorities will execute the order. Civilians cannot do it. Not just
performing rites, but a part of religious duty makes it equally necessary for a
Muslim to respect and observe the legislation of the land in which they reside.
Throughout history, Islamic scholars have uniformly agreed that respecting and
obeying the law of the land is an essential aspect of faith.
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Islam—A
Faith Of Reason
Those who
use aggressive methods or words instead of reasoned responses are maligning
their faith. Inflicting physical retribution or provoking others to do the same
to anyone who makes a derogatory remark about the Prophet Muhammad is
equivalent to implying that Islam is incapable of providing a reasoned
response, which, in itself, is discrediting Islam.
Islam is a
reason-based ideology. All Islamic teachings are founded on reason and
argument, and it favours logical debate above physical punishment. There can be
many reasons why a person might choose negative words against the Prophet and
one of them is provocation. Provocation often leads to an exchange of harsh
words and the Quran’s golden rule of mutual respect and tolerance (6:108),
where it asks its followers not to revile someone else’s faith, seeks to
address that.
As per
Quranic teachings, no individual has the authority to limit others’
freedom—it’s available to all. It is not for individuals to decide if someone
used or abused their freedom. In all aspects of life, the Islamic path is to
seek peace and reason. A popular anecdote illustrates this. Once, in Medina, a
man came to the Prophet and said: ‘Teach me something that is not too much for
me so that I may abide by it.’ The Prophet replied: ‘Do not get angry.’ The man
repeated his request a number of times, but each time response was the same:
‘Do not get angry.’ It is profoundly distressing that, rather than following
this advice, some Muslims continue to resort to violence, passive or
aggressive, due to self-inflicted paranoia.
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Responsibility
Rests On Followers
History
shows that any success on the part of an individual or a community has been
achieved by adopting a peaceful and conciliatory approach. It gives people the
opportunity to fully utilise available options, whereas confrontation only
leads to planning the destruction of others. The latter approach is inherently
programmed to reach a destructive outcome. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson,
“Peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can be only attained through
understanding.”
Despite the
fact that no religion encourages violence, some of history’s most horrible
deeds of violence have occurred in the name of faith. So whose responsibility
is it to be at the forefront of faith, preventing it from being misinterpreted
and misrepresented? Followers. It is up to them to do everything necessary to
build a society in which peace, free speech, and constructive dialogue exist.
Extremist
ideology and violent behaviour have no place in any society. A heavy burden
rests on the shoulders of scholars and intellectuals of communities. The
leaders must clearly and openly condemn any acts of violence, and effectively
trickle these views down to the bottom in order to build a peaceful world for
the coming generations.
The author
is an Islamic thinker and author of ‘The True Face of Islam’. Views are
personal.
(Edited
by Srinjoy Dey)
Source: Quran
Says No One Can Limit Others’ Freedom. Udaipur Killing Violates Islam’s Golden
Rule
URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/quran-freedom-udaipur-killing-golden-rule/d/127380
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