If You Cannot Help Us, Please Do Not Hurt Us
By Dr Shahid Athar
US
I am saddened and heartbroken over the shooting of Malala Yusufzai, your daughter and my daughter. I pray for her full recovery inshaAllah. You may wonder why I am writing to you and not to Taliban of other religions even though there are plenty of them around. This is because you claim to be a Muslim. Let me comment on some areas of my concern.
Your Name : The Taliban of the past decided upon this name for themselves without knowing its true meaning. A Talib of Islam is the one who has an intense craving for the knowledge of Islam like a thirsty nomad in the desert dying of lack of water. Once he gets the water, he puts it to good use and not misuse. Did the Taliban learn Islam and apply it to themselves before applying it on others the way our Prophet (PBUH) and worthy companions (RA) taught us? Did he oppress and enslave women? Did he oppose education of women? Did he not say acquiring knowledge is the right of every Muslim man and woman? Did he persecute non-Muslims? Did he order hijacking of camels and killing of innocent passengers? Did not the Prophet allow Christian delegation to stay in his Mosque and pray in their Christian way? Did he not teach peace and justice, love and mercy, human rights and education? Did he call everyone else who did not share his views his enemy? How can a business man expect a customer to use his product while calling them his enemy?
So my advice to you and myself is that if we are going to be the student of Islam, we must learn it in all its humility from the best teacher and apply it to ourselves in totality before we apply it to others. Remember, Islam is the icing on the cake. What is the cake? It is the universal moral code of which we Muslims sometimes are devoid. That is why we see Muslims lying, stealing, killing and oppressing others. That is why we see that while Islam emphasizes so much on education but most Muslims are uneducated, that Islam emphasizes on Zakat and charity and while some of the wealthiest humans are Muslims the majority live in poverty, that Islam emphasizes on pure food and cleanliness but Muslims suffer from malnutrition and disease, that Islam emphasizes on human rights but Muslims are oppressed by Muslim rulers, that Islam is a religion of peace and mercy but Muslims are seen as men of violence and hate. We need to become humane humans and then add Islam as the icing on the cake. When a Western scholar who wrote much about the greatness of Islam and Prophet Mohammad was asked why he was not a Muslim, his reply was: “Islam is the best religion and Muslims are the worst people. I cannot become a Muslim as if I do, I will have to live with them.” We must change this perception about us. Remember, Islam cannot be defeated but Muslims have been. Islam cannot be killed but Muslims have been and you helped the killing of Muslims by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The Taliban of the past came into existence with help from others, hoping that they will continue to do so. Not true, they have their own global interests and agenda. Do not become part of their design by defaming Islam by your actions. Do not trust anyone but Allah for your support and strength. Remember what the Holy Qur’an says. “If Allah helps you, no one can overcome you, if He forsakes you, who is there after that, who can help you? In Allah then, the believers put their trust.” (Qur’an 3:160)
If you are planning to serve Islam and Allah in the future, then see what is in the best interest of Islam. Once you take up the banner of Islam, you will be watched carefully. Make friends, not enemies. It is a greater jihad to win over the enemy that he will become your friend and join you than even to subdue and kill him. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) could have formed a terrorist squad to kill the pagan leaders of Quraish but he did not. With the help of Allah, he made Muslims first who willingly accepted Islam’s message and his leadership. We must learn this technique if we are going to establish Islam again in our lives and in our nations.
According to the Qur’an “Your true friends are Allah, His messengers and company of believers.” Everyone else is your business friend. Thus you deal with them differently in approach but with the same tools. Your tools of love and justice should apply to both. You should tolerate both but for different reasons. You tolerate a Muslim woman without hijab, that some day she will see the beauty of hijab. You will be compassionate to a non-Muslim to show him that a Muslim is full of compassion. Your true enemies are not non-Muslims or secular Muslims. They are your potential friends and customers. Your true enemy is Satan who incites you to wrongdoings, violence, hate, terrorism and oppression so that by your behavior, Islam is defamed and non-Muslims do not come embrace it. Do not fall in this trap of the cursed one.
To say that Islam is the fastest growing religion and there are 1.5 billion Muslims etc. is bragging. It is scary to non-Muslims and they may translate it to sound like there are 1.5 billion terrorists. That will increase their hostility toward you. Stay humble. See that Chinese and Indians are also around 1 billion each but no one feels threatened from them. Do your peaceful work quietly in establishing Islam, i.e. surrender to the will of Allah in your own personal and social life without much fanfare. Similarly, try to grow in strength in isolation without much outside dependence
True jihad is the building of skyscrapers and not destroying them, manufacturing of planes and not hijacking them, and saving your people, not getting them killed. True jihad is educating your girls and women who will educate your sons. Be a true Mujahid.
Finally, please do not undo what we are trying to achieve for Islam in the West .We are sincerely trying to establish Islam in our lives and present it as a religion of love and peace. If you cannot help us, please do not hurt us.
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