I
am not exaggerating when I say that no one would have expected that
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have become a
celebrity all over the world. He became the main topic in the news
and the center of discourse. Ordinary people and intellectuals have
become preoccupied with the campaign for and against the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him). The event also has had an impact
on the attitudes of governments.
The
events have taken place as follows:
1.
There has been strong condemnation
of ridiculing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which
can be seen in khutbahs, as well as in print and online
publications.
2.
New Web sites and special pages on
the Internet have been specially launched to cover the events and
facilitate ways of protest against the anti-Prophet cartoons and
addressing the Danish and Norwegian authorities in particular, and
the Muslim, European, and international bodies in general.
3.
The pro-Prophet campaign has made
a wide-scale call for people to boycott Danish products. Practical
and effective steps have been taken.
4.
Mass media has also shown great
interest in covering the events in bulletins, programs, and
interviews.
5.
There has also been wide-scale
popular interest in the event shown in ordinary conversations,
mobile phone text messages, personal e-mails, and signs on walls
and cars.
6.
There were some positive official
reactions when some governments met ambassadors of the countries
that had published the insulting cartoons of the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) to convey to them the official
condemnation of the cartoons. Many Muslim countries have also
prevented the publishing and broadcasting of some Danish cultural
programs and activities as a sign of protest against the
publication of the cartoons.
7.
The events have been the subject
of ideological discussions within the framework of dialogue of
civilizations and respect of creeds and religious sanctities as
essentials of basic human rights.
8.
Muslims of all occupations and
professions, as well as students and children, expressed
condemnation of the publications of the cartoons.
9.
Muslims have shown great
willingness to volunteer their time, effort, and money, according
to their ability, in order to contribute to the defense of the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
10.
People have followed up with
interest on the reactions and counter-reactions to the economic
boycott of Danish products, as well as the legal actions that have
been taken.
In
fact, this is one of the first times when Muslims have had to face
such an event in modern times. The events have influenced Muslims'
emotions and attitudes so much, and have caused them to contemplate
the great status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in
Islam and their hearts.
Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Prophet of Truth;
Allah Almighty refers to him as he who [bringeth the truth and
believeth therein] (Az-Zumar 39:33).
He
(peace and blessings be upon him) is also the Prophet of Mercy as
Almighty Allah describes him by saying [We sent thee not save as
a mercy for the peoples] (Al-Anbiyaa' 21:107).
He
(peace and blessings be upon him) is the Prophet of Intercession [as
he will intercede with Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment].
He
(peace and blessings be upon him) is also the Prophet of the
"station of praise and glory," as Almighty Allah has
addressed him saying [and pray in the small watches of the
morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit)
for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and
Glory] (Al-Israa' 17:79).
He
(peace and blessings be upon him) was reported to have said, "I
will be the first to be resurrected from the grave and the
preeminent among the descendants of Adam on the Day of Resurrection.
I will also be the first intercessor and the first whose
intercession will be accepted (by Allah on the day of
Judgment)" (Muslim).
He
(peace and blessings be upon him) was chosen by Almighty Allah to be
the Seal of the Prophets. Muslims' faith in Allah will not be
accepted unless it is joined with the belief in Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him). Likewise, Muslims' faith will
only be true if they truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him), hold him in high esteem, and sincerely follow in his
footsteps.
The
great love shown by Muslims nowadays for the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) brings to mind the profound affection the
Prophet's Companions would bear him. One of the Muslims' enemies at
the Prophet's time, `Urwa ibn Mas`ud Ath-Thaqfi, was reported to
have said to his people , "O people! By Allah, I have been to
the kings and to the emperors of Persia and the Byzantine empire and
to the Negus of Abyssinia, yet I have never seen any of them
respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his
Companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand
of one of them, who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered
them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed
ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water of his
ablution; and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and
would not look at his face constantly out of respect" (Al-Bukhari).
The
Companions, moreover, were quite willing to sacrifice their lives
for the Prophet's sake. For example, in the Battle of Uhud, Abu
Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) shielded the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) with his body and said, "May my
chest be sacrificed for yours, O Allah's Messenger!" The
Companions would never allow the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon
him) to be belittled or underestimated in any way.
Following
in these footsteps, Muslims nowadays sincerely defend the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) and will not accept anyone
belittling his character. In essence, the campaign against the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has shown great impact on
Muslims' spiritual and worldly lives.
The
campaign has had a spiritual impact on Muslims lives:
1.
The campaign has brought out the
great and deep love Muslims have for the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him).
2.
Muslims have shown praiseworthy
enthusiasm in their defense of the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him).
3.
The unity of Muslims has
manifested itself when Muslims are faced with the serious issue of
defending the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who was
the best of humankind.
4.
Muslims' morale has been raised,
especially because they have found that they are able to react in
the interest of the cause of defending the Prophet, and this gives
them enthusiasm to remove any hindrance or shortcoming.
5.
Muslims have realized the
importance of the role of religion in their lives and that they
should make it the basis of their lives.
6.
Muslims have bitterly realized
what it means to have their religion and sanctities insulted and
comparing this to parallel cases such as the Zionist occupation of
Palestine, the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and other
examples of aggressions against Muslims.
7.
The campaign against the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) has also focused on the issue of
taking non-Muslims for friends or for enemies and the importance
of understanding this issue in light of the aggressions practiced
against Muslims in different parts of the world.
8.
Muslims have learned also to give
priority to the spirit of giving and sacrifice over succumbing to
their worldly desires.
The
campaign has had a practical worldly impact on people's lives:
1.
The boycott of Danish products has
brought out the significance of the role of the economy in
defending the interests of Muslim nations.
2.
The importance of economic
independence has asserted itself, especially in the fields of food
products and medicine. In fact, Muslims should adopt and apply the
slogan (We should eat from what we plant and wear the clothes we
make ourselves.)
3.
Arab and Muslim countries have
realized the importance establishing economic cooperation among
themselves. They are taking serious steps, especially because many
of the countries have large populations and are rich in natural
resources.
4.
Mass media in all its forms has
played a positive role in dealing with the event and has proved
that it can have an effective impact. Ahmad Abu Zayd, a well-known
writer, discussed the recent events, saying, "It is these
serious issues that form our youths' awareness and motivate them
to pay attention to the issues of Arab and Muslim nations, away
from the superficial handling on the part of most satellite
channels. These channels purposefully focus on the lives of
celebrities, such as singers and athletes, so that our youth, both
male and female, become preoccupied with the minute details of the
lives of those people. At the same time, the least that can be
said about celebrities is that they have never constructively
contributed to real progress of their communities" (Al-Hayah
Jan. 4, 2006).
5.
One Muslim country has withdrawn
its ambassador from Denmark and has condemned the campaign against
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through its cabinet
and Shura (Consultative) Council. To this effect, this country has
set a good example of using politics in defending the sanctities
of Muslim nations and preserving their identity. Popular attitudes
are being representing by the official actions of the country.
Based
on the above, we can see that the campaign against the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) has shown us that Muslim nations
can use economics, politics, and the media in the right direction to
achieve their interests and to preserve their identity. The campaign
has shown the extent of love Muslims have for the Prophet (peace and
blessing be upon him) and the importance of working hand in hand for
the good of Islam. We should do our best to cherish and preserve
these good results and to do our best so that we can build upon them
and guarantee their continuity and legitimacy.
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