REFLECTIONS

I have more non-Muslim friends than Muslim friends. For this I thank my parents, who brought me up in a multi-religious environment and sent me to a school where I studied with children from different religious backgrounds. From playing hide and seek to seven-stones, and working on oppressive Mathematics homework, decorating classrooms with balloons for New Year and Christmas and quietly standing in the assembly as the students recited their invocation to the goddess of learning each morning, religion was never a topic of discussion among us. Our faiths were in our hearts. We did not feel the need to prove to each other that 'my faith is better than yours, or your God is no good, mine is the best.'

But, today, as a Muslim, I am confronted with questions about the very credibility of Islam by non-Muslims who want to know why on earth the Taliban is doing what they are doing. 'So is this what Islam is all about? I want to ask the Taliban if I meet them why they are going around gunning down people. Does your religion really preach this sort of violence?' asks Rekha, my long time friend, who reads books, watches the news, has travelled the world and has seen life.

I can answer her with sermons about the concept of peace in Islam. I can even read out verses from the Quran to argue that Taliban-type violence and hatred has nothing to do with Islam, but this may or may not convince her. But why should I? Why should I stand and prove that it is a bunch of radicals who have appointed themselves as the so-called keepers of Islam and who think that by killing innocent people they are saving Islam? I do not consider myself worthy to speak on Islam. I gifted Rekha a copy of the Quran in English and a copy of the biography of the Prophet (pbuh), with the hope that reading both would clarify many of her doubts.

I have spent a few years reading, writing and talking about, and sympathizing for, Muslims because I felt astounded by the current state of Muslims in India and the world which I have learned through the media and sometimes through first-hand encounters. Poverty, both economic and intellectual, has gripped the community; the education scenario is pretty pathetic, socially and politically, Muslims are in a bad shape. To add to this, Muslims have to also take the burden of being stigmatized for all the murders, killings and terror attacks that happen in India and the world over. But, somewhere along the line, my sympathy started waning. My writings were not changing the state of Muslims, I decided.

Recently, I asked an elderly Muslim scholar, 'Why is it that Muslims are going through this?' He replied, 'Allah has abandoned them because they have moved away from Islam. Difficulties are showered on the community because they no longer are abiding by the principles taught to them by the Prophet (pbuh). They may pray five times a day, but then they backbite, they cheat, they lie. They perform the Hajj, but don't give charity, they carry jealousy in their hearts, they are cruel to the environment and animals, they do not treat elders well and trouble their neighbours, their hygiene levels, be in their own homes or in their organizations, are dismal.' 'They are in the darkness. We have to lift them from this dark depths into light, reform them and show them the straight path,' he said enthusiastically. I agreed with him, but had no noble intentions of joining his project of 'lifting Muslims from darkness and reforming them.' It was beyond my capacity.

He had forgotten one important aspect—and that was how Muslims ought to interact with non-Muslims. I had learnt my lesson well early when my attempt to lift a non-Muslim friend from his 'depth of darkness' he was going through due to two broken marriages and job frustration ended in a massive disaster. I, with noble intentions, sent him a copy of a book titled “Sayings of the Prophet”, hoping that it would comfort him, but he point blank asked me, 'Are you trying to convert me?' There ended my efforts of trying to lift anybody from 'darkness to light'.

Having learnt the hard way, today insults, sarcasm and cold comments heaped on me by my non-Muslim acquaintances and friends about Muslims and Islam are normally treated by me with silence and, sometimes, a gentle gesture to read the Holy Quran and the biography of the Prophet. Arguments and unnecessary debates with them always end up to be a sheer waste of time. Innumerable inter-faith dialogues in fancy forums over the years have not brought any great results either.

I strongly feel that how Muslims behave, their lifestyle, their work culture, their ethics, their etiquette and their treatment of people from other communities—in short their tolerance levels—play a very important part in how non-Muslims perceive Muslims and Islam. Honestly, dawah is tough, for every attempt one Muslim makes to convey the message of Islam to a non-Muslim, another Muslim throws in the bone…. 'kabab mein haddi'.

Last Sunday, Rekha called me to say that her Muslim neighbor was troubling her all over again. He had parked his car right in front of her house, which was obstructing her work. When she went to convey this gently to him, he sent his daughter to remove the car. This girl angrily drove the car out, hurling abuses at Rekha. “Stupid people, because of them all the residents of my locality have no great opinion about Muslims,” Rekha told me and hung up.

I threw in the towel on my little dawah project to non-Muslims that day! I only pray Rekha continues to read the Quran and the biography I gifted her. Who knows, She may get answers to her questions on Islam one day!