LAST WORD

LAST WORD and if he fails to understand then Muslims are left only with one option, that is, to pray for him. Further, Muslims must take it as a case of misunderstanding, and then try to remove this misunderstanding. They must engage in discussion or provide the blasphemer with Islamic literature that gives the true image of the Prophet of Islam. The whole scheme of Islam is based on the process of peaceful dialogue. In a verse of the Quran, God Almighty gives this injunction to the Prophet: “So, [O Prophet] exhort them: your task is only to exhort, you are not their keeper.” (88:21-22) This is the standard Islamic response to problems, and the case of blasphemy is certainly no exception. Muslims must, therefore, exhort people in a friendly manner. They must try to change their hearts and minds. It must be borne in mind that the Quran is not a criminal code; it is a book of persuasion. So Muslims must deal with such cases by reasoning and not by meting out punishment. It is tantamount to defamation of Islam to say that Islam cannot give a reason-based response, and that is why it endeavours to inflict physical punishment on those who make any kind of negative remark against the Prophet of Islam. The fact of the matter is that had not Muslims reacted so angrily all over the world to it, the book would have died a natural death. It was only the mindless agitation that Muslims launched that gave it life, and which made vast numbers of people, who may otherwise have not cared to read it, purchase the book, although I doubt many