Bismillah [hidayahnet] The Bright Side of the Cartoon Conflict

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 16:44:32 -0800

The Bright Side of the Cartoon Conflict
By Dr. `Ali ibn `Umar Badahdah*
16/02/2006
I am not exaggerating when I say that no one would have expected that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have become a celebrity all over the world. He became the main topic in the news and the center of discourse. Ordinary people and intellectuals have become preoccupied with the campaign for and against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The event also has had an impact on the attitudes of governments.
The events have taken place as follows:
1. There has been strong condemnation of ridiculing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which can be seen in khutbahs, as well as in print and online publications.
2. New Web sites and special pages on the Internet have been specially launched to cover the events and facilitate ways of protest against the anti-Prophet cartoons and addressing the Danish and Norwegian authorities in particular, and the Muslim, European, and international bodies in general.
3. The pro-Prophet campaign has made a wide-scale call for people to boycott Danish products. Practical and effective steps have been taken.
4. Mass media has also shown great interest in covering the events in bulletins, programs, and interviews.
5. There has also been wide-scale popular interest in the event shown in ordinary conversations, mobile phone text messages, personal e-mails, and signs on walls and cars.
6. There were some positive official reactions when some governments met ambassadors of the countries that had published the insulting cartoons of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to convey to them the official condemnation of the cartoons. Many Muslim countries have also prevented the publishing and broadcasting of some Danish cultural programs and activities as a sign of protest against the publication of the cartoons.
7. The events have been the subject of ideological discussions within the framework of dialogue of civilizations and respect of creeds and religious sanctities as essentials of basic human rights.
8. Muslims of all occupations and professions, as well as students and children, expressed condemnation of the publications of the cartoons.
9. Muslims have shown great willingness to volunteer their time, effort, and money, according to their ability, in order to contribute to the defense of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
10. People have followed up with interest on the reactions and counter-reactions to the economic boycott of Danish products, as well as the legal actions that have been taken.
In fact, this is one of the first times when Muslims have had to face such an event in modern times. The events have influenced Muslims' emotions and attitudes so much, and have caused them to contemplate the great status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Islam and their hearts.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Prophet of Truth; Allah Almighty refers to him as he who [bringeth the truth and believeth therein] (Az-Zumar 39:33).
He (peace and blessings be upon him) is also the Prophet of Mercy as Almighty Allah describes him by saying [We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples] (Al-Anbiyaa' 21:107).
He (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Prophet of Intercession [as he will intercede with Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment].
He (peace and blessings be upon him) is also the Prophet of the "station of praise and glory," as Almighty Allah has addressed him saying [and pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory] (Al-Israa' 17:79).
He (peace and blessings be upon him) was reported to have said, "I will be the first to be resurrected from the grave and the preeminent among the descendants of Adam on the Day of Resurrection. I will also be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted (by Allah on the day of Judgment)" (Muslim).
He (peace and blessings be upon him) was chosen by Almighty Allah to be the Seal of the Prophets. Muslims' faith in Allah will not be accepted unless it is joined with the belief in Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Likewise, Muslims' faith will only be true if they truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), hold him in high esteem, and sincerely follow in his footsteps.
The great love shown by Muslims nowadays for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brings to mind the profound affection the Prophet's Companions would bear him. One of the Muslims' enemies at the Prophet's time, `Urwa ibn Mas`ud Ath-Thaqfi, was reported to have said to his people , "O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to the emperors of Persia and the Byzantine empire and to the Negus of Abyssinia, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his Companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them, who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water of his ablution; and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect" (Al-Bukhari).
The Companions, moreover, were quite willing to sacrifice their lives for the Prophet's sake. For example, in the Battle of Uhud, Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) shielded the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with his body and said, "May my chest be sacrificed for yours, O Allah's Messenger!" The Companions would never allow the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to be belittled or underestimated in any way.
Following in these footsteps, Muslims nowadays sincerely defend the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and will not accept anyone belittling his character. In essence, the campaign against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has shown great impact on Muslims' spiritual and worldly lives.
The campaign has had a spiritual impact on Muslims lives:
1. The campaign has brought out the great and deep love Muslims have for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
2. Muslims have shown praiseworthy enthusiasm in their defense of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
3. The unity of Muslims has manifested itself when Muslims are faced with the serious issue of defending the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who was the best of humankind.
4. Muslims' morale has been raised, especially because they have found that they are able to react in the interest of the cause of defending the Prophet, and this gives them enthusiasm to remove any hindrance or shortcoming.
5. Muslims have realized the importance of the role of religion in their lives and that they should make it the basis of their lives.
6. Muslims have bitterly realized what it means to have their religion and sanctities insulted and comparing this to parallel cases such as the Zionist occupation of Palestine, the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and other examples of aggressions against Muslims.
7. The campaign against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has also focused on the issue of taking non-Muslims for friends or for enemies and the importance of understanding this issue in light of the aggressions practiced against Muslims in different parts of the world.
8. Muslims have learned also to give priority to the spirit of giving and sacrifice over succumbing to their worldly desires.
The campaign has had a practical worldly impact on people's lives:
1. The boycott of Danish products has brought out the significance of the role of the economy in defending the interests of Muslim nations.
2. The importance of economic independence has asserted itself, especially in the fields of food products and medicine. In fact, Muslims should adopt and apply the slogan (We should eat from what we plant and wear the clothes we make ourselves.)
3. Arab and Muslim countries have realized the importance establishing economic cooperation among themselves. They are taking serious steps, especially because many of the countries have large populations and are rich in natural resources.
4. Mass media in all its forms has played a positive role in dealing with the event and has proved that it can have an effective impact. Ahmad Abu Zayd, a well-known writer, discussed the recent events, saying, "It is these serious issues that form our youths' awareness and motivate them to pay attention to the issues of Arab and Muslim nations, away from the superficial handling on the part of most satellite channels. These channels purposefully focus on the lives of celebrities, such as singers and athletes, so that our youth, both male and female, become preoccupied with the minute details of the lives of those people. At the same time, the least that can be said about celebrities is that they have never constructively contributed to real progress of their communities" (Al-Hayah Jan. 4, 2006).
5. One Muslim country has withdrawn its ambassador from Denmark and has condemned the campaign against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through its cabinet and Shura (Consultative) Council. To this effect, this country has set a good example of using politics in defending the sanctities of Muslim nations and preserving their identity. Popular attitudes are being representing by the official actions of the country.
Based on the above, we can see that the campaign against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has shown us that Muslim nations can use economics, politics, and the media in the right direction to achieve their interests and to preserve their identity. The campaign has shown the extent of love Muslims have for the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and the importance of working hand in hand for the good of Islam. We should do our best to cherish and preserve these good results and to do our best so that we can build upon them and guarantee their continuity and legitimacy.


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