Acknowledgement and disclaimer:

I sincerely thank my brother who has been my mentor and supported me all the way in addressing crucial but controversial issues.  The reason for starting this blog in English is to address those who are very fortunate to have everything in life and history proves that if these people wake up, they become the agents of change.

Before I start, let me make it clear that all the views presented here are based upon my own understanding of my religion Islam and I have every right to express my views as a Muslim but if it hurts anyone’s feelings, I sincerely apologise from the bottom of my heart. Also if you disagree with any of my views and believe that I am carrying wrong understandings about my religion, please reply in comments and I will love to correct myself.

Blasphamers agaisnt Blasphemy 

I belong to a country where blasphemy is punishable by a death sentence if proved in the court of law but ironically most of the victims of this law have either been killed in tailored mob attacks and the perpetrators of those attacks have largely remained unaccountable. I know it’s a very sensitive subject to talk about so I would like to make it very clear that I am a Muslim who believes in all the fundamentals and pillars of Islam, that our Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) as the final Messenger of ALLAH has taught us by His teachings and actions.

We are a society where everyone claims to be the slave of Allah and his Messenger PBUH, and to prove it the most common name for boys in Pakistan starts with Mohammad and the most common business name starts with Madina. But do we even think twice about the required sanctity of our names when we involve ourselves in illegal activities or acts of low morals or ethics? Do we ever think before selling faulty goods or hoarding basic commodities for higher returns even if it means millions of people going to bed without food for a day? Or do we even think about the sanctity of our company’s name when we bribe the authorities or get our loans written off even if it means more debt on every child being born in our country? Is it not blasphemy to use the names of our Prophet or their family members and companions to deceive others?
If it is true, then we are a nation where majority of our population are blasphemers and should be dealt accordingly, right? Fortunately, that doesn’t come under the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. The law only concerns with person(s) accused of passing derogatory remarks against our Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) and in most of the cases that accused person(s) happens to be a non-Muslim(s).
I humbly admit that I am not a scholar of Islam but it’s an integral part of my faith that my Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) has been sent as a mercy to the whole of mankind and He has never punished anyone for being abusive or disrespectful towards Him. The reason for Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) being acknowledged as the most merciful and compassionate person of all times even by non Muslims is that He has always forgiven even the worst of His enemies and left a legacy of love and compassion that is unquestionable even today.

I always wonder why wasn’t the old woman who used to throw garbage on our Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) on a daily basis wasn’t killed? Or why our Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) refused to curse the population of Taaif when Hazrat Jibrael (Gabriel) asked him to do so? Or why Rasool Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) did not kill all those people of Makkah who always tried to harm Him and Islam, after Makkah was conquered? We can find numerous examples where our Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) and His companions have not only refrained from unnecessary executions and bloodshed, but also, prayed from Allah Almighty to guide them to straight path.
The only example which can be authenticated by the all jurors of Islamic history is that of Ibn-e-Khattal who was ordered to be killed when Makkah was conquered, and if we ponder deep into the context of that judgement we can easily verify that the man was a habitual liar, conspirator against Islam, and used Islam as a deception to kill his old enemy who migrated to Madina after embracing Islam. He not only killed that man but also reverted back to his old religion upon his return to Makkah and has plotted dangerous conspiracies against the Muslims. Hence, we don’t need to be a scholar to comprehend the nature of his crimes and the possible reasons for his execution.

Now let’s take a look at ourselves, we as Muslims, as the flag bearers of the Great Messenger of Islam (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) and His message. Are we really worthy of calling ourselves followers of the greatest human the universe has ever witnessed? Who has been declared as a mercy for every creature in this universe including us humans. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) who refused to even curse his worst enemies and continuously tried to invite them to the straight path. And remember that although we Muslims might see one another as the followers of different fiqah (schools of thoughts) but the non Muslim world views all of us as Muslims and if our actions are bad, we are painting a bad picture of Islam and pushing the world away from our religion and we will be answerable to Allah for this on the day of judgement.

Lying is strictly prohibited in Islam and our Beloved Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon Him) have condemned a liar more than any one else but if we see ourselves today, we have become the nation of liars. We lie to ourselves by comforting against the call from our inner conscience when we are about to commit a sin. We habitually lie to others even if it means deceiving them. We lie about our religion to justify our actions although it leads to a negative image for Islam in the eyes of others. We do everything that has been prohibited in Islam, yet when it comes to laws like Blasphemy, we take up our arms and go out to hunt those accused.
Islam is the most modern and complete religion of all times. It has everything a human needs to lead a successful life. Moreover, it gives society a framework to take the best form where we can lead a life on the principles of equality, empathy, accountability and justice without taking into account one’s religious beliefs or social orientations. Realistically speaking, these principles are the foundations of many western countries and it should be viewed positively as the success factor, which they have derived from our religion whereas we have abandoned it and lost the course