ASK MAULANA

ASK MAULANA Who is responsible for bomb blasts? Bomb blasts have become a regular feature of our daily existence. The worst aspect of this is that the lives of innocent people are lost, without the interests of the perpetrators of such crimes being served in any way. Moreover, the suicide bomber is also killed, thereby causing his family suffering and disgrace. The truth is that the bomb blast is beneficial neither for the perpetrator of the crime nor for those targeted by it. Then why do such futile bomb blasts continue, and who is responsible for them? I think that a very small share of the responsibility is that of those immature individuals known as ‘suicide bombers’. In actual fact, the major share of the responsibility for such dastardly activity is that of the intellectuals or leaders who, by means of their emotional speeches and writings, incite people to commit such gruesome acts. And when such acts have been executed, it is they who justify them. It is they, therefore, who must be held to account for the continuation of such inhuman activities. In this regard, Islam lays emphasis on two important precepts. Firstly, violent activism is totally unlawful in Islam. Under no circumstances are Muslims allowed to adopt violent methods to achieve their goals. They must necessarily remain within a peaceful sphere of action. According to the teachings of Islam, there is nothing that cannot be achieved within this sphere. And if things cannot be immediately attained by adopting the peaceful method, they must simply be waited for patiently. Secondly, it is the duty of the senior members of society to try to place curbs upon evil-doing by giving sincere advice, acting thus as the wellwishers of those prone to violence. It is a duty, which, if not performed, criminalizes — in the eyes of God — all those who, despite having the ability to reform people, remain passive in crucial situations.