The Wisdom of Restraint

the procession. As a result of stone-pelting and firing, eight members of the procession were killed, and several dozen were injured. The procession was passing by a mosque in the Muslim neighbourhood of the city. It was expected that there would be a fight between Muslims and Hindus or Muslims and the police, but the opposite happened. The Muslims showed patience, and as a result, they reaped the benefits. None of the Muslims were harmed because the clash occurred between the administration and the Hindus. Reading this reminded me of what you have written in ‘Al-Risala’ or many other books.” (Suhail Ahmed, Hassan Banna Manzil, Jamiatul Falah, Bilariyaganj, Azamgarh). This incident in Surat has been covered by all newspapers. There is an important lesson to learn from this event, a lesson that’s often emphasized in ‘Al-Risala.’ It is that the main cause of anti-Muslim riots is not the procession itself or its passage through a Muslim neighbourhood, but the unwise reaction of the residents when the procession goes through it. A thoughtful response safeguards you, but a reckless one brings trouble. The core idea is that if Muslims in the area react negatively during the procession, the issue becomes Muslims versus the police. However, if Muslims choose to remain restrained, the issue shifts to the procession versus the police. This principle has been proven repeatedly through riots. The incident in Surat is a clear example of this wisdom. During the early period, Muslims faced conspiracies and injustices from their opponents. At that time, they were