FROM MAULANA'S DESK

Hostage-Taking These days, a few Muslims are resorting to violence against their imaginary enemies through hijacking and taking people hostage. Such tactics are completely illegitimate in Islam. These misguided people have absolutely no fear of being held to account by God. Else they would never do such terrible deeds which target and harm innocent people. These cowardly actions are wholly against humanity as well as against the religion of God. An instance from the life of the Prophet illustrates why taking people as hostages is un-Islamic. Opponents of the Prophet in Makkah captured some Muslims and kept them prisoners. The Prophet had entered into a treaty with the Makkans at Hudaybiya. While entering into this treaty, he did not ask the Makkans to return the captured men. He unilaterally announced freeing all Makkan polytheists falling into Muslims’ hands and sending them back. This indicates that even if their opponents took hostages, it was still not legitimate for Muslims to retaliate similarly. The Real Culprits Who then, are really responsible for stirring up a storm of hatred and violence in the name of Islam? Muslim youth engaged in these hate-driven and violent acts cannot be responsible. The blame falls squarely on the so-called ‘Islamic thinkers’, who in the name of ‘Islamic Revolution’, gave these youth an ideology that led to such devastating consequences. These so-called ‘Islamic thinkers’ have concocted a false political interpretation of Islam. The method of Islam is the method of dawah (communication of the message of God). The opposite is the method of politics. The two are direct opposites—dawah is based on peace, politics is based on confrontation. People who choose the political method consider others their enemies. This has resulted in Islamic movements turning into political movements and unfortunately associating Islam with all those terrible deeds. By its inherent nature, dawah looks upon opponents as potential friends. Typically, politicians see others as their rivals and foes. This is why dawah-related action engenders a ‘mercy culture’, while political agitation produces a ‘hate culture’. In a society characterized by ‘mercy culture’, goodness will flourish; ‘hate culture’ will only spread violence. Goodness can never coexist with hatred. No matter what complaint an individual or a group may have, it must necessarily act within peaceful limits.