Democracy
is an alien concept for Islam: Part-1
By
Mohammad Asghar
(Author’s
note: To find out whether or not democracy is compatible with Islam, it
is necessary for me to describe first those concepts based on which this
religion was founded 1,400 years ago. Understanding its founder’s ken
of knowledge and the limited purpose to achieve which he had set up
Islam in the middle of a desert are also crucial. I have, therefore,
begun this article with a short discussion on Islam’s limitations and
some of the weird concepts it propounds with a demand placed on its
adherents to adhere to them to make their life good and meaningful).
No
religion on earth is free from controversy. Each one of them has
numerous doctrines and principles, most of which are redundant for the
time we are now living in. This redundancy arose from the fact that all
the major religions of the world were founded by ignorant people in the
eras, when the thinking abilities of common folks were not as good as
they are today.
Take,
for example, the so-called god-like qualities of Jesus Christ. Islam
claims that he had begun talking to people immediately after his birth.
His god-like qualities brought visitors from distant lands to pay him
homage. After his adoptive father took him to
Egypt
to escape persecution at the place of his birth, his god-like nature
disappeared or went into a long hibernation. It, however, resurrected
only when he returned to
Israel
to bewilder those who were likely not only to dispute him; many among
them were also willing to kill him for blaspheming their Jewish faith.
Islam
also infers that Jesus Christ enjoyed more favors from God than did
Muhammad, its founder. While Muhammad looted the Arabian towns, killed
and plundered the Jews to feed his hungry followers, God sent food from
heaven, at Christ’s behest, to save his followers from starvation (Quran;
5:117,118). While Muhammad died on earth and remains buried in the sandy
soil of
Medina
, God lifted a living Jesus Christ to heaven, where he continues to live
in God’s presence even today. He has been enjoying all the felicities
of heaven, including the companionship of numerous houris from the day
he entered it, whereas Muhammad would meet God, and begin enjoying all
of its good things only after being resurrected on the Day of Judgment.
In
the past, people hardly raised questions on the above anomalies; but
they have started doing it now. This change in people’s attitude is
the result of the thinking ability they have been able to achieve for
themselves over a long period of time. With their newly acquired
abilities and knowledge, many people have been weighing in all the
religions of the world with a new and different standard in order to
find out if what the religions have been teaching their adherents for
thousands of years are really beneficial for them as well as for their
other compatriots.
In
this article, I intend to highlight some important aspects of Islam. I
have selected Islam as a subject of my discussion not because I have an
extra ax to grind against it, but on account of the fact that it is the
youngest among the three main religions of the world and also because of
the fact that it claims to be the best and most perfect religion for all
mankind. But before laying out my case against Islam and its baneful
effects on humanity, I want to discuss briefly whether or not God is an
All-knowing Being, and also, if He was the real founder of Islam.
Allah
is not All-Knowing?
The
Quran is replete with verses that claim that Allah – the Muslim God
– is not only Kind, Generous, Magnanimous, Forgiving and the Sustainer
of mankind; He is also All-Knowing. As Islam was founded on a doctrine
that claims that what the Quran contains are the words of Allah, Muslims
are required to believe in all of its claims, without ever trying to
find out their truthfulness. In fact, Islam forbids its followers from
developing in them an ability to search for, or to inquire into anything
that are related to their faith. The Quran makes this point very clear:
all Muslims must believe in the Unseen (2:2) in order to become, and to
remain Muslims, for, ‘blindness and ignorance’ are the basic
ingredients of their faith.
Had
not their religion made them blind, Muslims would have found out a long
time ago from the Quran itself that what their Allah has claimed in it
about His Omniscience was an outright lie. Here is what He Himself has
said about the ken of His knowledge:
“What!
Have they partners (in godhead), who have established for them some
religion without the permission of Allah? Had it not been for the Decree
of Judgment, the matter would have been decided between them (at once):
but verily the wrong-doers will have a grievous Penalty”
(Quran; 42:21).
It
is clear from the above passage of the Quran that some people in the
time of Muhammad had established a different religion other than Islam
for themselves, and Allah did not know about it. He would have known
about it, had the concerned people sought His permission before setting
up their religion. Since they had not sought His permission in advance,
Allah did not know about the existence of another religion.
When
someone told Allah (or was it Muhammad?) about the unauthorized action
of some people, He was totally taken aback. His utter surprise is
discernible from the way He has expressed Himself by the word “What”
in the verse!
For
a thinking people, the above passage of the Quran would have been a good
ground to dismiss its divine origin, but it is unfortunately not the
case with the Muslims. Many of them know very well about the presence of
this and other verses, like it, in the Quran, but none of them has ever
tried to grasp their true meaning and significance, fearing loss of
their faith. And this fear is what has been keeping them tied to Islam,
despite the fact that it is laden with numerous incongruities and
inanities.
Can
an ignorant Allah establish a religion for the entire mankind?
The
answer to the question is an empathetic No. Though there was no reason
to believe that God or Allah, if He ever existed, went around the earth,
distributing different religions over different periods of time to
different people of the world, yet Muslims believe that that is exactly
what He had done until the early part of the seventh century. He created
one religion first for the entire mankind. They distorted it to fulfill
their needs. To turn His defeat into a success, He established another
religion. Humans again turned it upside down. Frustrated, Allah
established Islam, His final religion. Learning from His past mistakes,
He took all precautionary measures to protect His latest religion from
being corrupted by its followers. Consequently, Muslims not only
believe, they also proclaim proudly that theirs is the only religion in
the world that maintains its pristine nature, even though it has been
existing among the Muslims for almost fourteen hundred years.
But
is it true that Allah had established Islam for the entire population of
the world? Did He make such a claim through the Quran? To find answers
to these questions, let us read what the following Quranic verse says:
“Thus
have We sent by inspiration to thee an Arabic Quran: That thou mayest
warn the Mother of Cities and all around her,- and warn (them) of the
Day of Assembly, of which there is no doubt: (When) some will be in the
Garden, and some in the Blazing Fire”
(42:7).
At
the time Allah was in the process of establishing Islam, Mecca appeared
to Him as the “Mother of {all} Cities” on earth, even though history
tells us that Baghdad in Iraq and Alexandria in Egypt were two of the
most advanced, enlightened and prosperous cities of the Arabian and
African regions. The belief that
Mecca
was the Mother of all Cities must have developed in Him out of His
ignorance. Had he visited the two great cities of
Iraq
and
Egypt
then, He would have held a different view of
Mecca
.
His
exposure to Baghdad and Alexandria might as well have had induced Him to
shift His Meccan Headquarters to either of the two cities in order not
only to better the standard of His own life, such a move on His part
would also have helped His kindred, then living in Mecca, to become
civil and human-like as well. But Allah missed His opportunity, and He
still remains bogged down in a city, the citizens of which are even
today dependent on charity to support their lives. But Allah is Allah,
and there is none who can change His mind or thoughts. So, who are we to
express our disgust over His stupidities?
From
the contents of the verse, quoted above, it is apparent that Allah never
wanted to make Islam the religion of the entire mankind. He had designed
it only for the Arabs; He also did everything possible within His power
to promulgate it among them only. Let us evaluate the contents of the
above verse, in conjunction with verses 39:28 and 43:3, to find out
Islam’s scope, as well as its inapplicability in the life of those
humans, who are not Arabs, and who do not live within the boundaries of
the
Arabian Peninsula
.
Allah
has said: {I have sent} an Arabic
Quran {to the Arabs} without any crookedness so that they {the Arabs}
may guard (against evil) (verse 39:28). He also stated clearly that He
has made it an Arabic Quran so that they {the Arabs} may understand it
{with ease} (verse 43:3).
Read
the above verses together with verse 42:7, it becomes crystal clear that
Allah has sent the Quran only for the benefit of the Arabs. It has no
relevance to, or importance for the non-Arabs, as they are not supposed
to understand its contents due to their inability to read and understand
Arabic. Had He wished the non-Arabs to become Muslims, and to reap its
benefits, He would also have sent them Qurans in their own tongues, thus
making the understanding of their respective Qurans easier for them. But
He has not done so. His failure to come up with Qurans in languages
other than Arabic makes it clear: He had no intention of saving the
non-Arabs from His wrath, either in this world or in the world
hereafter.
That
Islam was intended only for the Arabs is also clear from what is stated
clearly in verse 42:7. It asked Muhammad only to “warn the people of
Mecca
and all around her” of the Day of Assembly. If Allah had any good
intention for the other people of the world, He would not have limited
Muhammad’s preaching to a limited space; rather He would have made it
obligatory for him to go out of it, and to announce His warning among
all the people of the world. He has not done so for a simple reason, and
it is this: Either He did not know that the world was not confined to
Mecca
and its vicinity, or He did not want to help the non-Arabs avoid the
fire of hell on the Day of Judgment.
In
the light of what the Quran says, the non-Arab Muslims have been
carrying the heavy burden of Islam unnecessarily. It is not intended,
nor was it designed for their wellbeing. It is, therefore, not helping
them, either in their ephemeral life, nor can it be expected to help
them in their next life, if there is one to be lived in after their
death.
The
sooner the non-Arabs will come out of Islam’s yoke, the better it
would be for them. Failure to get themselves rid of this monster soon is
likely to make their lives more miserable. So, hurry up, and bury this
demon under the ground once for all, for in this action of yours lies
not only the salvation of your own generation, it would also ensure a
better life for your future generations as well.
Continued
to part-2
September
4, 2004
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