Islam offers best concept of culture, civilisation: Prof Ahmad

Well-known scholar Professor Ahmad Rafique Akhtar showed a new path for understanding relation between culture practices and Islam in a lecture that he delivered at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA).
The scholar’s interpretation of the holy Quran and our religion was quite different from the forbidding edicts against culture practice given out by quite a few religious personalities.
Delivering a lecture titled ‘Deen Aor Saqafat Ka Rishta’ at a packed auditorium of PNCA, Prof Akhtar said that Islam is a very simple religious. All it asked its followers is to believe in the Oneness of God Almighty and the last prophet of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), and five times daily prayers and keeping fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
“And one could do what he likes provided he does not transgress the limits set by Allah Almighty”.
In fact, Islam gives a better concept of civlization while other religions speak of customs, habits, and mythology. “Islam admitted no mythology- its stress on the oneness of God cannot sanction myths about the creator, Prof Akhtar said. He denied that Islam is against painting because in the holy Quran God has been mentioned as the Most Supreme Artist, Allah-hu-Jamilun, Wa Yu Hibbul Jamaal (God is beautiful and he loves beauty).
The scholar then flayed those who decry poetry because the holy Prophet (PBUH) on several asked that poetry be read to him, although the holy Prophet – being Ummi who could not read and write – himself could not recite poetry well.
The lecturer cleared one more myth about music and singing and games (not games of fortune). He said the Prophet (PBUH) encouraged girls to sing and he listened to them with patience.
Once a lady came to him and said “O Prophet of God – may peace be on you -I have taken a vow to please you with a performance on daff (an instrument) and he gave attention to her. Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Usman and Hazrat Ali came and also listened; she stopped performing upon the arrival of Hazrat Umar, because Hazrat Umar was very strict in his behaviour,” said the scholar.
He added that Hazrat Umar was a good singer and he sang ballads while going on a journey and while riding a horse, and he would attract a crowd who would flock to hear his ballads. “Why do you come and hear a sing and do not come so readily when I recite the Quran in the same pleasing voice? he chastised his fans. That took care of music and singing performances. Some other religious teachers show antipathy to this view.
However, in the view of Prof Ahmad Rafiq, the holy Prophet’s life did not disapprove these branches of fine arts.
In spite of gruesome difficulties and denials as an orphan, the holy Prophet was a generous and was most accommodating of persons and he was not a kill joy, as he is made out to be.
When a person said he did not like to offer his daily salat, his reply was then don’t do it. “If one loved Allah and his Prophet then one would come readily to prayers, and without hesitation.”
We have to give priority to the commandments of Allah and his Prophet (PBUH)) and if we establish this priority we can solve all problems. The scholar said since the last two centuries the outside world is trying its best to create a wedge among Muslims and drive them away from the love of Prophet (PBUH).
We need to avoid that traps that have been set for the Muslim, he warned.
Prof Ahmad Rafique Akhtar is a notable Islamic scholar. He is from Gujar Khan. A graduate of Government College, Lahore, he has been associated with teaching for years. Finally, in Gujar Khan, near Islamabad, he started delivering lectures on different Islamic and philosophical topics and this eventually grew to such an extent that he had to travel all over the country and different places in the world. Many of his lectures have been published in books.