Ridiculing And Belittling The Prophet’s Sunnah
Before proceeding
further, I want to draw your attention to the utter mockery which is prevalent
in our society in the garb of ‘the holy duty of religious preaching and
propagation.’
As you know, every religious sect or party has enlisted a group of people who can quite appropriately be called the “civil service” of that particular group or sect, who on payment deliver fiery and polemic speeches on minor controversial points in villages and towns. These sermons and speeches hardly bear any fruit except that of throwing the audience of that very particular sect into momentary ecstasy and convicting and cajoling them to the belief that their own standpoint on those controversial points is the right one.
Quite understandably, such preachers do not have the courage to say clearly and directly to their listeners that they have such and such shortcomings and omissions. They cannot admonish them on un-Islamic practices, viz; business and trade based on interest, keeping of wrong accounts, illegal gratification, tax evasion, ostentatious living, etc,. Even if some oblique reference is made to those practices, it is generally of no avail because these meetings themselves are financed by the donations of people indulging in all sorts of illegal and un-Islamic practices.
Majority of the listeners may for a short while enjoy the truthfulness of their preachers without realizing the practical implications of those imperatives. On the other hand, the big businessmen and moneyed people remain content with a silent, sarcastic smile on their own life and behaviour without any resolve to really discontinue their evil deeds. In fact they manage to take revenge on these preachers for feeling of bad conscience by maliciously narrating the private lives and practices of these very preachers which are usually worse than their own. And this entire activity is known as the preaching and propagation of the Deen.
As you know, every religious sect or party has enlisted a group of people who can quite appropriately be called the “civil service” of that particular group or sect, who on payment deliver fiery and polemic speeches on minor controversial points in villages and towns. These sermons and speeches hardly bear any fruit except that of throwing the audience of that very particular sect into momentary ecstasy and convicting and cajoling them to the belief that their own standpoint on those controversial points is the right one.
Quite understandably, such preachers do not have the courage to say clearly and directly to their listeners that they have such and such shortcomings and omissions. They cannot admonish them on un-Islamic practices, viz; business and trade based on interest, keeping of wrong accounts, illegal gratification, tax evasion, ostentatious living, etc,. Even if some oblique reference is made to those practices, it is generally of no avail because these meetings themselves are financed by the donations of people indulging in all sorts of illegal and un-Islamic practices.
Majority of the listeners may for a short while enjoy the truthfulness of their preachers without realizing the practical implications of those imperatives. On the other hand, the big businessmen and moneyed people remain content with a silent, sarcastic smile on their own life and behaviour without any resolve to really discontinue their evil deeds. In fact they manage to take revenge on these preachers for feeling of bad conscience by maliciously narrating the private lives and practices of these very preachers which are usually worse than their own. And this entire activity is known as the preaching and propagation of the Deen.
Gentlemen, I most
warmly and sincerely invite you to ponder over this whole issue very very
seriously. Is it not tantamount to ridicule and derision of the most emphatic
and continuous Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (SAW)? And are we not in this way
scoffing at, and making fun of, the personality of the Prophet? Does it not
indirectly bring disgrace and bad name to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
with whom the pulpit of the mosque is associated? For God’s sake try to think
over this issue candidly.
To be sure, to work for religion on payment is not prohibited. But the fact should be borne in mind clearly that a paid worker can at best be a teacher or mentor but not a preacher with a missionary spirit, and an ‘inviter to Allah’ in the real sense of the word. Indeed the very first condition that a true preacher must fulfill is that his work should have no motive other than a concern and a sincere wish for people’s salvation and success. He should openly declare that he is disseminating and propagating the Divine religion selflessly and in the spirit described in the Qur’anic verse thus:
To be sure, to work for religion on payment is not prohibited. But the fact should be borne in mind clearly that a paid worker can at best be a teacher or mentor but not a preacher with a missionary spirit, and an ‘inviter to Allah’ in the real sense of the word. Indeed the very first condition that a true preacher must fulfill is that his work should have no motive other than a concern and a sincere wish for people’s salvation and success. He should openly declare that he is disseminating and propagating the Divine religion selflessly and in the spirit described in the Qur’anic verse thus:
And ask of you no
reward for it. My reward is only with the Lord of the worlds. (26:109)
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