It goes without
saying that violence of any sort, whether inspired by religious
sentiment or secular interests, must be condemned unequivocally and in
the strongest terms possible. This is in keeping with the best of Muslim
tradition, which abhors sectarian rife, inter-ethnic conflict, and
interreligious violence. This lesson is best contained in the example of
the prophet Muhammad himself, who was repeatedly subjected to the worst
treatment by his enemies, only to consistently disregard these insults
and instead take the path of forgiveness, mercy and compassion.
He
is known to Muslims as “the mercy to all worlds.” Indeed, this example
is most succinctly summarized in the Koran itself, which instructs
believers as follows: “The good deed and the evil deed are not alike.
Repel the evil deed with one which is better.”
The
world is sorely in need of such lessons, which represent the authentic
teachings of the Koran and the prophet of Islam. It is important to
separate these noble messages from those that are bandied about by those
who have no competencies in religious interpretation, Koranic
hermeneutics or the history of Islamic thought. Unfortunately, the
current state of the Muslim world is such that institutions and
structures of legitimate authority have been weakened to such an extent
that inflammatory rhetoric has taken the place of thoughtful analysis as
a motivator of action and a guide for religious sentiment.
We
are today in desperate need of serious religious leaders who engage the
reality of the modern world – complete with its challenges and
difficulties – in order to create an environment in which people can
coexist. This must be a joint effort from members of all faith groups
and cultures.
A necessary part of any such effort must
be a sincere desire to understand what is behind the Muslims’ reverence
for the prophet. For more than a billion Muslims around the world,
Muhammad is their ultimate example. He is their reference point and, as
the Koran explains, “dearer to them than their own selves.”
Prophets
are the means, in the Islamic worldview, through which people have been
taught about God. This is no less true for the succession of prophets
that preceded Islam – including Abraham, Moses and Jesus – than it is
for Muhammad himself. They are revered teachers who taught us the very
nature of reality, the purpose of our existence, and how to connect with
God Himself.
As a result, Muslims strive to emulate
the example of the prophet in every aspect of their lives. They seek to
inculcate the values in a deep and profound manner. These include, among
other things, the ability to confront evil provocations with patience,
tolerance and mercy. These are, for Muslims, spiritual values of the
utmost importance, and they are best exemplified in the life of Muhammad
himself.
A famous story from his life is known to
Muslims around the world. One of his enemies was a woman who lived above
a street he used to pass daily, and would litter the streets with
garbage as he walked past. One morning, when the prophet was walking by,
he noticed no such provocation. His response to this sudden reprieve
was to ask after the woman’s health, concerned that she had strayed from
her daily routine, as painful as it might have been for himself. The
stories of the prophet praying for his enemies, and exhibiting enormous
steadfastness in the face of insults and provocations, are legion in
Islamic literature.
This should be the Muslim ideal,
there is no doubt. Unfortunately, it is not possible that everyone can
live up to the ideal. What is clear is that people’s attachment to the
personage of the prophet is undiminished, even when they are unable for
their own reasons to live up to the lessons he has taught. Insults
against the prophet are taken as more serious than insults against one’s
own parents and family, indeed than one’s own self. Muhammad is a
sacred figure, who taught Muslims how to live in this world, and whose
appearance in the world was a gift from the divine.
As
such, inflammatory materials that are clearly designed to offend the
deeply-held sensibilities of over a billion people around the world only
contribute to the escalation of tensions with no observable benefit.
Muslims should either ignore such provocations, or respond nonviolently,
as per the limits laid down by their religion. Such limits have been
obviously transgressed in recent days, and the broader Muslim religious
establishment as well as the Coptic Church in Egypt all joined in
calling for calm and not allowing this to further escalate.
Sheikh
Ali Gomaa , the Grand Mufti of Egypt, is one of the world’s most
recognizable Muslim scholars. This column first appeared on Al Arabiya
News ’ Web site. Muhammad is "the mercy to all worlds to Muslims: Egypt s mufti possible communicatio n on my cry hany khalifa ali facebook and google in arbic and english
( صرخة هاني خليفة )
