Think Over It….
"Once there was a loud noise, screams of a person, in Chitral bazar. When I moved near the noise, I saw dozens of people kicking a man, and I heard their sounds saying " why did you eat in Ramadan, you munafeq,ramazan khor".The person was shouting for help, but everyone was joining the group to kick him instead of helping him. I was very surprised to see this cruel situation. After a big struggle, I was able to find the reason for the inhumane action of the people. It was the holy month of Ramadan, a month in Islamic calendar where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and they don’t eat anything during this period. Everyone in bazar was punishing the person because he ate something in bazar, but the person was not Muslim. He was Kalash, and there is not any concept of Ramadan in his faith, but the people didn’t even ask him a question and start kicking the poor guy till he almost fainted". One of my teachers told me this story.
After I heard about that accident, I am so disappointed on our brothers who call themselves Muslims. They fast in Ramadan and do actions like that. Is it the message of Islam? Is it what Ramadan is all about? Is fasting a duty which should be observed by people who even don’t believe in Islam? Is it the Pakistan which Quaid-e-Azam and our ancestors achieved for us? Is it the rule of Islamic republic of Pakistan? Is democracy in Pakistan practically observed by actions like this? Does our government protects the rights of minorities like this, or there aren’t any rights of minorities? Is this the lesson of acceptance we get from our Madrassahs where we are taught Islam?
I always wonder if Pakistan is a democracy or not. We keep hearing that Pakistan is a democracy, but is it really? Islam is a complete code of life, and the laws of Pakistan are according to Quran. I always want to know where in Quran it says to force non-believers to practice Islam? Do the people who were beating the poor guy never read the verse of Quran " la ikraha fid diin" which means "there is no forcing others in Islam" ? Why do we want to impose our believes on others? Would anybody convert to Islam by looking at our stupid actions which some people would name Tabligh. I guess people would say good bye to Islam because of Muslims like the people who were beating up a non-believer for eating in Ramadan.
Ramadan is a very holy month where Muslims fast, but does not eating anything makes us so stupid that we don’t respect others? Do we even need to fast if we can't control our anger? Do we never think that how much other religions take care of Muslims in the month of Ramadan, and they don’t eat anything in front of us? No restaurants or any other eating places are open. Is it how we respect others when they eat and we are fasting because it is not a part of their beliefs? Are we that full of ourselves for being a citizen of "La illaha Illallah" ? Did we forget the "Bhai Chara" which prophet (peace be upon him) had established between Muslims and non-Muslims at that time when Muslims were almost ruling over the whole place.
One thing which I don’t like is that we take prayer and other religious duties as everybody should do just like we do. Shouldn’t we keep all our personal believes and "ibadaat" to ourselves rather than imposing on others. The main reason I am saying this is that it is educational era, and everybody knows what he/she should do. In religious point of view, would you be punished for someone else's sin in the Day of Judgment? I guess not! As a conclusion, I pray that may Pakistan become a real democracy rather than a theocracy, and may Muslims understand Islam well rather than creating their own Islam. ( Ameen)n)
