Social media platforms have turned into battlefields and graves of scholarly debates/discussions. A place where nobody's spared, not even religious scholars, intellectuals and heads of the organisations, although Islam doesn't even permit it's follower to humiliate a non-believer, let alone a Muslim-an organisational head-a scholar. Social networks are flooded with such disturbing and brain teasing stuff which is enough to give restlessness to the follower of any religion, let alone a practising Muslim, claiming to be associated with a reputed Islamic school of thought, rather the oldest one in Islamic history.
Minute sectarian difference of opinions (Ijtihadi Ikhtilafat) among four Imams of Fiqh is a beauty of Islam due to numerous reasons, major one being the recording and preserving of each and every action of Beloved Prophet (s.a.w.) till the day of resurrection. However such differences were either of very little importance or were considered as non issues, so far as practicing and following Islam is considered, but ill-fatedly, the same replaced the real spirit of Islam as the things became uglier since the recent past and deteriorated when all this turned and got restricted to backbiting, baseless allegations and abuses. The worst part – all this is controlled by non-scholars on the frontline and the most fatal part, done in the name and for the sake of religion although executing puppets might absolutely be unaware of the exact centripetal force. To utter misfortune and sheer disappointment, Kashmir is also not an exception to all this.
Islam entered the valley through saints. Hazrat Khwaja Abdul Rahman Bulbul (r.a.) was the first such figure to spread the word of Allah. He was a "Hanafii". People started accepting Islam and thus followed Hanafi fiqh. His mission was taken further by Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (r.a.) who was a "Shafiee". Whosoever accepted Islam in this period was instructed to follow (already established) Hanafi fiqh, so that confusion may not arise. Therefore, it may not be wrong to say that Hanafii fiqh, on the mass level was promoted, propagated and established through a Shafiee in Kashmir. Such is the beauty of Islam.
It's mentioned in several authentic and reliable autobiographies of Hazrat Imam Shafiee (r.a.). When he was studying in Baghdad under the guidance of Hazrat Imam Mohammad (Student of Hazrat Imam A'azam Abu Hanifah r.a.), he visited the grave of Hazrat Imam A'azam (r.a.). Meanwhile, he entered a nearby Masjid, adjacent to the grave to offer prayers. At this point, Imam Shafiee has been quoted as said, "Imam A'azam's opinion is of superannuation of 'Rafa'a-Ul-Yadain' and my opinion is vice versa. Today, I will follow his opinion". Such is the flexibility of difference in fiqhee opinions and is thus the beauty of Islam.
We as an Ummah are going through one of the toughest periods and are in dire need of unity and brotherhood currently and must not have time for petty and non issues. Is our responsibility over towards the betterment of society and understanding of Deen. Have we fulfilled our responsibility as humans and Muslims to the threshold level. From where we get time to spread religious hatred in the name of service, safeguarding and strengthening Islam. Ironically such acts can't be considered as acts of virtue in other religions as well, let alone Islam – the literal meaning of which is eternal and universal peace.
Quran explicitly mentions:
"It's not permissible for you to spread any news without thorough investigation/research. (Surah Hujraat, Aayah: 6).
Ruling of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.):
It's enough for a person to be a liar that he/she promotes/propagates whatever receives.
(Saheeh Muslim).
Author can be mailed at shahnasrullah@gmail.com
