Question:-
Mufti Saheb, perhaps you’ve heard about the recent news in Sweden concerning the Quraan Sharif being burnt. I would like to ask you regarding incidents like these. What should the correct Muslim approach be when something like this happens?
Should it be that we just sit idle and make Dua on a personal level, or, should one be in the front line speaking out against these atrocities or should we take it one step further and physically fight and resist the perpetrators (according to our capability)?
Some people say that it’s best to just be silent and not take any physical action, as the enemies of Allah can never harm the Quraan (as it’s protected by Allah Himself). Standing up and fighting back will result in a show of unnecessary aggression, which is exactly what the criminals and media want.
Answer:-
The Quraan Sharif is indeed the Word of Allah Ta’ala, and Allah Ta’ala has taken the sole responsibility of preserving and protecting the Quraan. Therefore, the Kuffar and enemies of Islam will never be able to harm the Word of Allah Ta’ala irrespective of whether they try to ban the Quraan Sharif, or even burn the Quraan Sharif.
If one perused through history, he would find that when the British ruled over India, they too were purchasing the Quraan Sharif and burning it. When asked the reason for their actions, they said, “The Muslim faith (Islam) is based on the Quraan Sharif. If the Quraan Sharif is destroyed, they won’t have any religion to follow, hence we have decided to burn it.” One Alim presented a nine or ten year-old boy to the British authorities and requested them to ask the boy to recite any portion of the Quraan Sharif from memory. When the young Hafiz recited from various portions of the Quraan Sharif, the Alim explained to them that their burning copies of the Quraan Sharif was futile, as thousands of youngsters have committed the Quraan to memory.
When the communist government ruled over the Soviet Union, learning and teaching of the Quraan Sharif was banned. They intended to establish an atheist state and eliminate religious beliefs, hence it was a crime to teach the Quraan Sharif at the time, and if anyone was caught doing so, they would be persecuted. In spite of such restrictions, learning and teaching of the Quraan Sharif continued as understood from the excerpt recorded below:
A ninety-five year-old Muslim man from Russia explained how the ʿUlamā (Muslims scholars) of Russia taught the Qurʼān during the days of communism. He was twenty-five years of age when the execution and oppression of the Muslims commenced and he witnessed the entire period.
He explains: “We used to construct large homes with an open hall in the centre. On all sides of this hall, we built sound-proof chambers. There was a secret door leading out of the hall towards these chambers, where we would place a show-case displaying bottles of liquor. We would place portraits of Lenin and others, a television screen, and other such obscene items close to the wall where the secret door was situated.
Whenever the police arrived and searched the house, they would find nothing. They would notice the liquor bottles and assume that the residentsʼ beliefs and ideologies were in conformity with their own. They would leave satisfied, but deceived by what they had observed. Little did they realise, that just a few meters away from those bottles of liquor, were young innocent children reciting the Qurʼān. We would lock ourselves up in those chambers for six months at a time, teaching our young children how to recite the Qurʼān. The Ṣaḥīh Bukhārī was taught there as well. Beyond the confines of those chambers, the black winds of communism were blowing unabatedly, but within, the words of Allāh and His Nabī (peace and blessings be upon him) were being recited and memorised.”
May Allāh reward the ʿUlamā of Islam for their supreme sacrifices and dedication in preserving the faith of the Muslims in areas of oppression and injustice. Their invaluable contribution should inspire Muslims to remain dedicated to Islamic teachings during difficult times.
In conclusion, there is no doubt whatsoever that the Kitaab of Allah will always be protected.
However, every believer is attached to Allah Ta’ala, Rasululullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam, the Quraan Sharif and the Deen of Allah. It is natural that when one’s family members are attacked, then one will retaliate and try his level best to defend his family members even though it may be at the expense of losing one’s life. A believer’s love for Allah and His Rasul Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is far greater than his love for his family members. Therefore, a Muslim will naturally become aggressive and defensive when his Deen is under attack. He will do anything within his power and ability to preserve and protect his Deen. When the Palestinians are bombed and shot at by the oppressors and their land is invaded, they have no option but to defend themselves either by throwing a stone or anything at their disposal, but because they are Muslim they are labelled as terrorists, whilst the Ukrainian citizen doing the very same is seen as “defending” his country.
Hence, the behaviour of the protestors was expected as they did whatever was within their means to defend the respect and honour of the Quraan Sharif. Why don’t the police arrest those responsible for provoking and inciting the Muslims to behave in this manner? If the Kitaab of the Muslims was not disrespected, they would have never behaved in this manner.
Also, this could be a way of testing the attachment of the believers to their Deen. As long as they are attached to their Deen, the disbelievers have reason to fear, as it indicates that true Mu’mineen still exist in the world. On the other hand, if the Muslims sit complacent and show no retaliation and anger towards these actions, then it clearly indicates that these are merely Muslims by name, whereas their hearts are void of Imaan. Such believers are of no threat to the Kuffar whatsoever.
In conclusion, we as Muslims shouldn’t sit quietly in such situations but should in fact stand up in defence of our Deen and speak out against the injustice of the enemies of Deen. However, we shouldn’t exceed the bounds in doing so. We should adopt a moderate approach whereby our objective is fulfilled but we are not harmed by the authorities in any way.
ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Date: 16 Ramadaan 1443 / 18 April 2022
