Not Committing Another Mistake

shouting provocative slogans. Predictably, the situation escalated to the extent of causing Hindu-Muslim riots. People suffered greatly in terms of the loss of life and property. This reaction on the part of the Muslims was a wholly communal one, and had nothing to do with Islam. Had these Muslims been truly religious, they would have remembered that when the Prophet of Islam started the mission of monotheism in 610 AD, there were several hundreds of idols in the Kabah, but the Prophet was not provoked by this, and continued to call people, peacefully, to accept the message of monotheism. In such a case, bearing in mind this example set by the Prophet, Muslims should refrain from being provoked by such baseless speeches, and should simply ignore them. They should rather take it as an opportunity to convey to people the message of Islam, just as the Prophet did. This is an example which shows how present-day Muslims are engaged in non-prophetic activities, ostensibly in the name of following the way of the Prophet. They launch such movements in the name of Islam, as have nothing to do with Islam. Such Muslims must learn that the matter is not going to end in this world itself. They will be questioned in the Hereafter as to how they invented a religion which God had not revealed to His Prophet. Violent agitation is, without doubt, against the spirit of Islam. Its instigators are never going to receive God’s blessings for such action.. This is the reason why such agitations in present times only aggravate bad situations rather than improve them. The People of Kashmir on the Day of Resurrection During one of my journeys to Kashmir I came to know of a significant incident concerning one Mirza Mohd Azam, who worked as a forester in Jammu. It is as follows: whenever he went home after his day’s work (See Al Risala, July, 1978) he would take some sweets or other eatables for his children. One day in September 1975, for some reason, he reached home without taking anything for his children. As usual, the children gathered around him when he arrived. When they did not receive anything from their father, one of his children, a 6-year old called Arshad Mahmud Tariq, said in his local dialect: “Agar tusan asan waste kujh ni anda phir tus kumhane waste aaye?” (If you did not bring anything for us, why did you come here?) The