Centuries ago our beloved Prophet [pbuh] directed the sahaba with regard the insolence and ignorance of a man who urinated in the mosque. His words recorded by Imam al Bukhari: ‘Leave him be. Pour a bucket or pail of water onto his urine. You were sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult.’ This was after the companions having had their sensibilities offended with regards the sanctity of a mosque moved in to assault him. The wisdom in this one response rings through clearly – a principle we’d do well remembering when mosques are used for modeling shoots, or any other venerated symbols of Allah (the Qur’an, Sunnah, Hajj, Hijab, Salah, Wudhu, a Mu’min etc.) are de-sanctified. Don’t move in to assault the ignorance; fix your own reaction. Our own reactions don’t entail remaining silent, rather smoothing out our approach.
The world doesn’t like bullies. Dependent on the circumstances, we favour the underdog, especially if the bullies are stereotypical bearded, religious, finger-wagging clerics and the defendant a naïve [sic: bankrupt] 25 year old. In light of pending legal action against the ‘fraudulent’ use of the SANHA logo let us bear in mind the following:
1. The line between corporate legislation and usurping the concept of Halal
Those who wish to utilise the services and certification of any Halal body in South Africa pay to do so out of their free will. As a business organisation they possess the freedom to sue whomsoever they wish with regards their logo. The line must be drawn insofar as not usurping the title of Halal, nor speaking on behalf of a whole body of Muslims. They simply cannot, more-so if a majority believes this strong-arming tactic reflects negatively on the South African Muslim Ummah.
2. Islam and Freedom of Expression
Legal issues entailed in the abovementioned or any other case aside, one point needs more exposure: Freedom of Expression and Islam are very congruent. Islam encourages utilising our minds as creatively as possible. The role of artists as a vehicle in highlighting poignant social commentary is appreciated; what isn’t however is the use of Islam’s symbols for commercial gain. As such, we have a choice, we always have a choice – do you want to make a point to change your society for the better or merely make money of them? Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazali al-Saqqa (1917–1996) once made a very apt point in this regard:
“Man has free will in the things he has knowledge about, but is pushed forward by other forces in the things he has no knowledge about. In other words, his freedom increases whenever his knowledge increases."
Too often in the name of satire, ‘art’ or comedy, so-called sacred cows are sacrificed. People laugh, people unwind, people have a dig at the ubiquitous use of the ego wearing the garb of piety.
What the comedian or the artist need ask is: Am I really free? Using the symbols of Faith [beards, mustaches, halaal food, burqa’s niqaabs, etc] as statements on social commentary; as payback to highlight the absurdity of those ‘conservatives’ who use religion for material gain, to earn your own pay cheque? Surely the irony isn’t lost on the public.
Secondly, there are explicit texts in this regard:
“O you who believe! One group of you should not scoff at another group; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor should (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How evil is it to insult one’s brother after having Faith.” Quran [al-Hujuraat 49:11]
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas (ra) once said: “Set a limit to your jokes, for going to extremes makes you lose respect and incites the foolish against you.”
3. Perpetuation of misinformation
In 2011 a news story blitzed around the world claiming that a Muslim cleric “residing in Europe” issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, banning Muslim women from touching bananas or cucumbers or other phallic shaped foods. “If women wish to eat these food items, a third party, preferably a male related to them such as their a father or husband, should cut the items into small pieces and serve,” the cleric supposedly dictated.
The story which went viral published in leading newspapers around the world eventually became just another apocryphal tale, forcing Sheikh Gaber Taye’ Youssef, chairman of Egypt’s Religious Endowments Ministry to issue a worldwide statement: “Cucumber sheikh statement far from the truth — God says in the Holy Qur’an ‘eat and drink from what we have granted you.’”
One wonders when there is so much rubbish out there in the name of Islam, or halal for that matter, why a skilled Muslim artist would willfully choose to mock any of the symbols of Allah. Does it not serve our intelligence far more productively if we utilise humour, comedy and satire to inform and spread the congruous beauty and heterogeneity of our Faith through our art, rather than make enemies within the Faith via stale jokes?
4. How do we react?
Let us look at this edited anecdote from the life of Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, a well-known Egyptian Da`ee.
"I did not like the way she was dressed when she entered my office. However, the look in her eyes revealed sadness and bewilderment that called for compassion and patience. She sat down and started sharing her concerns hoping to find answers with me.
I listened to her long enough. At the end of my talk, the girl asked for a future appointment and excused herself.
Soon after, a young man – on whom qualities of outward Islam were apparent – came storming into my office and said violently: “How come such wicked person was admitted here?” “The job of a physician is to accept. He doesn’t typically see healthy people, does he?” I replied.
“Of course, you advised her to wear Hijab!” he added.
I said to him: “The issue is much bigger than that. There is the foundation that has to be laid. There is the Belief in Allah and the Hereafter. There is the hearing and the obeying of what was revealed in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, in addition to the pillars of worship and manners; the pillars that Islam cannot exist without …”. He interrupted me saying, “All of this does not mean we don’t order her to wear Hijab”.
“I wouldn’t like it if she came in a nun’s clothes while her heart is void of Allah. I taught her the basis that will help her to choose, on her own free will, to wear more decent clothes,” I calmly replied.
He tried to interrupt me again so I said firmly “I can’t drag Islam by its tail as you do. I lay the foundation and then start building and I usually achieve what I want with wisdom”.
Two weeks later, the girl came back. She was wearing much more decent clothes with a scarf over her head. She resumed her questions and I resumed my teaching. She mentioned that she hated the People of Religion and that she did not like to listen to them.
“Why?” I asked
“They are hard-hearted, and they treat us with contempt and scorn”, came her swift reply.
I don’t know why I remembered Hind (Abu-Sufyan’s wife). She was the one who chewed Hamza’s liver and fought Islam vigorously until the 8th year of Hijrah. She did not really know the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). However, when she knew him and saw his lenient manners, she told him “I never wished someone on the face of this earth to be abased more than you and your family. Now, I do not wish to see someone on the face of this earth more honoured than you and your family”. The Prophet’s kindness and sympathy changed the hearts of the people around him.
Now, would the Du`aat today learn from their Prophet? Would they learn to draw together instead of driving away, and to bring good tidings rather than to say things that repels people away from them and from Islam?"
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In conclusion, even if the comedian, artist or performer claims to know Islam, unlike the bedouin in the mosque, appropriating religious symbols belies a heartfelt understanding of this Quranic verse (22:32): And whosoever honours/venerates the Symbols of Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the heart. They deserve pity rather than strong-arming tactics and it behooves the scholarly and wise to manipulate the above-mentioned Muhammad al Ghazali anecdote to the best advantage.
Invite [people] to your Lord´s way with discretion and kindly instruction, and discuss [things] with them in the politest manner. Your Lord is quite Aware as to who has strayed from His path, just as He is quite Aware of those who have consented to be guided. Qur’an [16:125]
Radio Islam Programing
2013.10.22
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