Shariat a Candle not a Path to Catastrophe
Being a student of finance I am always interested in what comes in at what expense. In the case of shariat, which I haven’t studied much; I am inclined to gauge it on the same parameter. For me whatever Hazrat Muhammad PBUH did at each and every step of his life is shariat.
Now days, in Pakistan I listen too much about word ‘shariat’ especially on media. People in streets talks about shariat which Taliban want to impose on us. I started thinking either what my parents told me about shariat i.e. to follow the footsteps of Muhammad PBUM, was not enough! They teach me to have good attitude towards human beings irrespective of religion, sect and cadre. They told me to offer prayers, be honest, be humble, do not bother anyone. They told me slandering is one of the worst crimes in Islam. I try my best to act upon these advices but now I am confused whether I am following the shariat or not? Is there anything missing in my definition of shariat, which clerics of my country want to implement or add?
When one glances at the history of Islam, one learns that all the battles fought by our Prophet PBUH were defensive. He never made invasions to spread Islam with sword. When my Prophet PBUH conquered Mecca, he implemented the best laws of a kingdom, state or a riyasat from Holy Quran. In Mecca Prophet PBUH had granted full rights to the minorities and paid respect to the rituals of non believers. He spread Islam with love, compassion and affection. He raised himself to the level that even non believers called him ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Amin’.
A couple of days ago, I switched on my T.V to come across a press conference of a cleric, who is member of Taliban’s committee, on every news channel. Press conference embarrassed me a lot and left me terror struck. Moulana was guarded with three gunmen equipped with SMG’s at his place where there was not any sort of security threat to him. The thought which thump my mind was about his intentions which he wanted to convey later on by holding Quran in his hand and totally disagreeing with our constitution, which he wanted to be replaced with ‘Nifaaz -e-Shariat’. He openly challenged the constitution of Pakistan in the capital of Pakistan. I wonder, where our state had been latent when this cleric was disgracing our constitution? Where the Suo-Motto action has vanished now? Why were State departments silent on the issue?
These fundamentalists wants to impose shariat which was once implemented in Afghanistan where every tier of the society was targeted particularly women, culture, minorities and even historical places were demolished. Ethnic massacres and persecution were witnessed at worst level.
As a citizen of Pak land cannot afford Taliban’s script of Shariat. We have the necessary Islamic laws in our constitution but we are lacking the true interpretation and application of the laws of Quran, Hadith and Sunnah.
As Shams of Tabraiz said
”What’s shariat for me! Shariat is like a candle for me, as it provides much valuable light. It helps us to move from one place to another place in dark. If we forget where we are headed and instead concentrate on the candle, what’s good is it?”
Our state should take necessary action in the light of candle not on the candle.