Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Urdu Section

11 Jun 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

	Is Blasphemy a Capital Crime in Islam?
	There are several instances in the Prophet’s (PBUH) life, which show that he pardoned the foul language of even his sworn enemies. For instance, when a Jew, who was opposed to the reform movement of Islam, greeted him by saying “As-saamu-alalikum” (death be upon you) and the Prophet’s (PBUH) wife Hazrat Aisha responded with “As-saamu ‘alaikum wal-laa’na”(death and Allah’s curse be upon you too), he expressed his strong displeasure by saying, “Be gentle and calm, Aisha.” And when one of his companions sought permission to harm the Jew, the Prophet (PBUH) silenced him with an emphatic “No” (Sahih Bukhari). According to another tradition, a man demanded his debts from the Prophet (PBUH) in such a rude manner that his companions wanted to beat him up. But the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Leave him, for he (the creditor) has the right to demand it (harshly)” (Sahih Bukhari). Furthermore, the Prophet (PBUH) warned Muslims by saying, “Eeyakum wal ghulu fiddeen. Fa innahu ahlaka man kaana qablakum al ghulu fiddeen (Ibne Maaja). -- A Faizur Rahman (Translated By: Md Zafar Iqbal, NewAgeIslam.com)

Is Blasphemy a Capital Crime in Islam?

By A Faizur Rahman (Translated from English By: Md Zafar Iqbal, NewAgeIslam.com) January 14, 2011 There are several instances in the Prophet’s (PBUH) life, which show that he pardoned the foul language of even his sworn enemies. For instance, when a Jew, who was opposed to the reform movement of Islam, greeted him by saying “As-saamu-alalikum” (death be upon you) and the Prophet’s (PBUH) wife Hazrat Aisha responded with “As-saamu ‘alaikum wal-laa’na”(death and Allah’s curse be upon you too), he expressed his strong displeasure by saying, “Be gentle and calm, Aisha.” And when one of his companions sought permission to harm the Jew, the Prophet (PBUH) silenced him with an emphatic “No” (Sahih Bukhari). According to another tradition, a man demanded his debts from the Prophet (PBUH) in such a rude manner that his companions wanted to beat him up. But the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Leave him, for he (the creditor) has the right to demand it (harshly)” (Sahih Bukhari). Furthermore, the Prophet (PBUH) warned Muslims by saying, “Eeyakum wal ghulu fiddeen. Fa innahu ahlaka man kaana qablakum al ghulu fiddeen (Ibne Maaja). This translates as, “Eschew extremism in religion. For extremism has destroyed its practitioners in the past.” It is precisely this kind of fiendish behaviour that fuels Islamophobia across the globe. In fact, Muslim extremism and Islamophobia now enjoy a symbiotic relationship, feeding on each other’s fanaticism. This, of course, is not to condone organised attempts to malign religious personalities such as the publication of Danish cartoons in 2005. Such defamatory campaigns are, in reality, Machiavellian designs to incite communal hatred and, therefore, they deserve to be condemned by not just Muslims but all right-thinking people for the sake of world peace. Finally, one of the reasons behind Muslim extremism flourishing today is the unrestricted flow of petro-dollars into Muslim societies, which has resulted in the proliferation of prejudiced preachers and radical televangelists who populate the airwaves with their fanaticism. URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=4812 URL of English Article: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicShariaLaws_1.aspx?ArticleID=3946