Muslims across the world celebrate the birth of Holy Prophet (PBUH) this week. Muslims are celebrating the day with religious zeal. The way in which the occasion is celebrated depicts several colors of local traditions, besides touch of their religion and their association to the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Considering moral turpitude and unmitigated war and violence, the vacuum of prophets is deeply felt in our age. Violence and carnage, flagrant violation of human rights and cruel practices prevail in human societies. Human dignity is held in contempt and people suffer from inhumane acts in one way or another. Men’s megalomania and selfishness led to bloodshed and play a highly destructive role in modern society. In short, the individuals’ fundamental rights – i.e. their rights to life, liberty and property – are largely trampled upon.
Individual and collective life is vulnerable to moral corruptions. Immoral and lust-provoking programs spoil the morality of younger generation and poison their minds. The crime rate, mainly relating to sexual affairs such as rape, is reportedly frequently. Girls and women do not have peace of mind in many societies and fear falling victim to the licentious desires of individuals.
Moral values and humanity decline around the globe. If we consider our own society, a number of people eat enormous food and live in luxury buildings and skyscrapers without an iota of mercy to the poor, who shiver with cold and with empty stomachs having no shelter. To their unmitigated chagrin, the state pays no heed to their problems either as if they are born to suffer and die without a shoulder to cry on. Life is no more than a hell for them since there is no one to give them a hand and no heart to feel their pain and anguish.
After all, terrorism, which is the product of radical interpretation of religion, is an international scourge. Terrorist networks operate under religious terms and have spread Islamophobia in western countries. It is believed that the fundamental groups, who spill the blood of civilians and resort to militancy, sacrifice religion for their political interests and have no true knowledge. Their violent practices show that they are a big stain on religion. Their parochial mindsets leave no room for religious tolerance and brotherhood. In another item, the pure and humane teachings of prophet Mohammad (PBUH) have been colored with the tastes and radical views of some individuals within the long history. It is a great tragedy for Islamic world to see that political masterminds use religious elements as a pawn.
Prophet was the best example throughout the history and lived a simple life like every ordinary person. He married, had a family, lived and worked as a trader among his people. He faced personal problems, poverty, hunger and the harshest of conditions. He treated his enemies with great patience, showed them mercy and ensured that prisoners of war were taken care of. He instructed people to be kind to all living beings and use resources wisely. His wisdom was second to none.
The Holy Prophet revolted against cruelty and provoked the slaves, whose rights and freedoms were violated, against their masters. He beckoned his society to the right path and implanted moral values and cultural standards in Arab Peninsula, which was deep in darkness. He broke the chains of slavery and sought to eliminate the sense of superiority that created a wall between the poor and the rich. He fought oppressions and cruelties as well as ethnocentric views and declared that one’s rights and dignity were not to be violated on the basis of their race or color.
Now, the Islamic Ummah, who celebrate the Prophet’s birth anniversary, have to follow his footsteps and nurture the spirit of brotherhood. He is a paragon of virtue and humanity not only for a certain group or party but for the entire human societies. His message of peace and humanity is global and transcends geographical and historical barriers. The Prophet’s real followers are those who practice upon his acts and words (Sunnah), respect the rights and dignity of mankind regardless of their racial and religious backgrounds and play a constructive role in the society.
It should be noted that politicizing religious issues and capitalizing on radical mindset are likely to harm the society and imperil social cohesion and sense of brotherhood around the world. All members of human families are supposed to respect religious beliefs and figures of one another and try to avoid triggering religious sentiment. Meanwhile, human societies have to fight against radicalism of all kinds – be it in the form of Islam, Christianity or Jews. That is, both publishing satirical pictures or beheading a teacher should be prevented.