Islam is a complete way of life. To Muslims, nothing which goes against the tenets of their faith is acceptable. The purpose of the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is to teach the Oneness of Allah Most High and to attain His gnosis. A Muslim worships Almighty Allah alone. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the epitome of all distinctions and the fount of all good. From every point of view, he is without peer or parallel. There is none like him among all the creation of the Lord Almighty. He is the Imam of all Prophets. But Muslims don’t worship him. They love him immensely and follow him with all their heart. When Muslims do not worship the Prophet of Islam neither do they consider him as God, then how can they worship something else and consider something else as God?
Islamic teachings appreciate love for one’s own country. Islam exhorts its followers to love their respective countries. Thus, Muslims of India love India. That Indian Muslims’ love their country is beyond all doubt. Muslims of India loved India before independence and do so after India gained independence as well. Muslims played the major role in the independence struggle. Indian Muslims have been at the forefront of sacrifice in protection of their country. The words of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) are before the Muslims. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said about his native place, Makkah: What a good city you are and how dear are you to me! If the tortures of my people had not reached these heights, I would have never settled in some other place. This utterance of the Prophet of Islam (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is also a clear proof of Muslims to love their country and to hold it dear.
These are the words of Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi, Shaykh ul Fiqh, Jamia Nizamia and Founder-Director, Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center, in the weekly lecture of March 20, 2016, held at Masjid Abul Hasanaat, Jahanuma. The revered Mufti was speaking on the topic, “Belief in Tauheed and love for one’s country.”
The revered Mufti described the importance of love for one’s country in light of Islamic teachings. He quoted a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) supplicated for Madina thus: O Allah! Make Madina dear to us the way Makkah is dear to us, make it even dearer. The revered Mufti said that Muslims of India love their country, India, whole heartedly. They work for the progress of the country. They are ready to offer any kind of sacrifice for the sake of the country. They cannot bear that one inch of this land be occupied by anyone else. All these are clear proofs of the patriotism of us Muslims. But Muslims cannot raise the slogan of “Bharat Mata ki jai.”
The revered Mufti said that it is well proven that with the Hindu compatriots, Bharat Mata is one among their numerous deities. Many authors in their books on Hindu culture have included “Bharat Mata” as one among the Hindu goddesses. There are temples of “Bharat Mata” in various cities of India, in which this deity is worshipped. Muslims worship the One Lord Almighty. They do not consider anyone apart from Allah Most High as being worthy of worship.
The revered Mufti said that if someone says that this slogan is raised in the sense of the country being the mother which nurtures and nourishes us, then we say you cannot insist on the said slogan to prove love for one’s country. It is proved historically that Bharat Mata is a deity. In maps of India, a goddess is shown who is depicted as riding a lion. Muslims cannot make any compromise in the tenets of their faith and this is their constitutional and legal right as well.
When we Muslims don’t worship our biological mothers who are our actual mothers, then how can we worship the country, which is a metaphorical mother? Islam has accorded a great status to (the biological) mother. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Paradise lies below the feet of the mother. The revered quoted a Hadith from Mo’jam Kabeer Tabarani that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: O people! You refrain from (spreading) corruption and sins on earth, as it is your Umm (origin i.e. like your mother). If someone says that in this sense, one can raise the said slogan, then we would reply that if a single word is used in 2 connotations, one good and one bad, then the propriety of Allah Most High and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that such a word should not be used at all. The Muslims would use the word “raa’inaa” in the sense of seeking his attention and the same word has the sense of disrespect in Hebrew language, then Muslims were ordered to stop using that word. In the same way the said slogan has 2 connotations. As per the custom of the land, it will always be understood in the sense of Bharat Mata, the deity. It is clear that this word has connotations of polytheism. Thus, Muslims cannot raise the said slogan.
The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The person who has these 3 things in him (or her) will relish the taste of faith: (1) Allah and His Prophet are dearer to him than everything else. (2) He loves someone only out of love for Allah Most High. (3) He dislikes returning to disbelief (polytheism), when Allah Most High has protected him from it, as much he dislikes being thrown into fire. (Bukhari and Muslim)
It should not be considered that those people who do not raise the said slogan are not patriots. The constitution of India gives Muslims every right to act upon the teachings of their religion. Muslims live in this country with love and brotherhood. They strive against oppression and excesses and play their part in eradicating terrorism and barbarism. Our madarsas are centers of peace and we Muslims are standard-bearers of peace.
A large number of imams, Khateeb of mosques, scholars and youth attended the lecture. The lecture ended with Salaam and Dua. Maulana Hafidh Syed Misbahuddin Umair Naqshbandi, Aalim, Jamia Nizamia, led the proceedings.
Weekly lecture of Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi at Masjid Abul Hasanaat
www.ziaislamic.com/english/interface/BtUrdudescr1.php?ids=493
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