9. The Preachers
Oh, preachers, reflect!
What have you made me to be?
A malignant messenger-boy?
Cursing, cursory and desultory?
Dropping the Criterion on your laps,
Saying, “Well, okay then, must hurry!”?
What foul impressions have you wrought?
Why have my story you cut short?
Cease your endless prattle,
And lay not your salutary wreath on Muhammad’s tomb.
I am sent by my Lord
As a herald of Mercy, not doom.
And yet strangely, this pleases you not!
There is a part of the Muslim congregation with strange unworldly views. For the longest time they have preached what they believe to be tawhid, the sacrosanct Oneness of God, monotheism at its strictest. And in doing so they have often railed against other Muslims for their apparent breach, accusing such Muslims of apostasy and heresy for simply loving the Prophet Muhammad, the man who reignited monotheism in the hearts of the Arabs and the world. There is an infamous name associated to this group, but I like to refer to them as the Naysayers and Deniers.
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| Mika at the Maulid ur Rasul celebration at the zawiya last night. |
The Naysayers and Deniers are absolutely against Muslim visitations to the graves, and had they the political will, no doubt they would prohibit Muslims from paying their respects not only to the tomb of the Prophet (the holy Raudah), but to the graves of his Family, the Companions, the Saints and even our own deceased kin. They would judge me foolish and perhaps even heretical for visiting my own mother's resting place. For they are saying, "What good can you do? Heaven or Hell is by their past deeds, you cannot help your mother!" And they will also say, "What good have you to pray by their graves? Not even the Prophet can help you now that he is dead. Instead of asking help from God, you are asking for intercessions from the Prophet. He is only a dead man. Why, my walking stick here does more good for me than the Prophet, for it helps me to walk... the Prophet cannot do that!"
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| Now that is what I call a hat! |
And in their rigid dogma they are even against the celebration of the Prophet's birthday, the Maulid ur Rasul, which we Malaysians and other Muslims take part in. An infamous few has said that our processions on the Prophet's birthday is copying the traditions of the Christians in their processional festivities of the birth of Jesus, Mary and the Saints. To which, I say, even if it is true, So What?
Celebrations of birthdays, and visitations to our honoured ancestors and holy persons are all a part of our cultural and religious traditions. But more than that, it is an expression of thanksgiving to our Lord and the Prophet, and the paying of respects to those who had laid their lives in the service of God and his fellowman. To take all this away is to try and break the connection between us and our roots. To fling us into a historical void, where for these reckless preachers, their word becomes the sole law and power over us. That is their hidden purposes.
Well you know what I will say to all this nonsense - Nuts! If my sainted mother can be alive in my heart, what more Muhammad, the Beloved of God.
Have a memorable day, sunshine. Remember some beautiful memories...
wa min Allah at-taufiq
Hate has no place in Islam
Love will show the Way
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