Defining Aashiq-e-Rasool (PBUH)

• The dust was on my face, and I kept wiping the mirror

Umr bhar yehi bhool karta raha

Dhool chehre par thi aur aaina saaf karta raha

Finding faults in others is not new. Religion is bound to be sacrificed. It all depends on the course its followers take in defending and protecting their belief system. Some undergo the hefty and problematic process of self-realisation and pettifog themselves in order to improve, while others believe in playing the dirty blame-game that quibbling is and incessantly strive to bring change in others. Only a few realise that believing in an ideology and following a particular faith do not demand perfection; it is only the toiling and effort one makes that actually counts. But bitter realities are harsh to swallow as was unmistakably witnessed in the recent sit-in organised by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (PBUH) that kept Islamabad and, without any exaggeration, the whole country paralysed for many days.

Regardless of the religion one may follow, no human with a sane mind can question the unmatchable attributes of the Last Prophet of Islam (PBUH). Dr Michael H. Hart’s “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History” is a testimony to the veneration given my non-Muslim community to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) all because of the qualities that define him and his prophethood. Steadfastness, perseverance, fortitude, kindness, modesty, rationality… such are the words that describe his personality. The mention of his name, especially by a Muslim whose entire belief system revolves around the oneness of God and him being the Seal of the Prophets, requires utmost reverence and submission. Those who could not stand the changes of “solemnly swear” to “solemnly affirm” and that of “oath” to “declaration” in The Election Bill 2017 somehow managed to accept the mention of the Prophet’s name in the same sentence wherein the chief cleric of the protest uttered several foul and offensive phrases.

Despite all the reservations I may have regarding Shoaib Mansoor’s 2007 drama film Khuda Kay liye, one point that truly touched my heart and made me comprehend the real meaning of ‘following a religion’ was in the recitation of the following famous verses by Bulleh Shah: Ranjha Ranjha kardi ni, Main aapay Ranjha hoi. Sado ni main noo Dhido-Ranjha, Mano Heer na aakho koi (Repeating the name of Ranjha, I have become Ranjha myself. O call me you all Dhido-Ranjha, let no one call me Heer). Blind following can never be a result of forced belief; it is a direct product of love with the idea or personality. Those who claim to be Aashiqan-e-Rasool (PBUH) are in other words publically claiming to be the blind followers of the Prophet (PBUH) and who will not think once before sacrificing anything or everything to protect his honour. By rules of thumb, they will spare no effort to match their appearance, etiquettes, gestures and words with their beloved so that no one gets any chance of criticising any aspect in them and, eventually, in him.

Bitter realities are harsh to swallow as was unmistakably witnessed in the recent sit-in organised by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (PBUH) that kept Islamabad and, without any exaggeration, the whole country paralysed for many days

Pehn di siri, bakwaas, and haraami are definitely not among the words of aforementioned etiquette. And vindicating the renowned allama’ stance on this by reciprocating each expletive remark by SubhanAllah is nothing more than bagging shame, proving the level of intellect and that whose blind followers we actually are. Justifying this imprecative attitude by quoting what Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an about Walid ibn al-Mughirah, suggesting the availability of 50-60 references on the subject of methods adopted by companions of the Prophet (PBUH) to defend his honour whenever required and necessary, and proposing the idea of inheriting specific portion of knowledge pertaining to this issue that is not to be disseminated among the masses are excellent manifestations of rhetoric that can convince the majority, but the dimension of what needs to be cognised in the sanest possible manner is two-fold: it best suits the Creator to judge and give verdict regarding any person’s character and/or actions because it is only God who knows what lies in one’s heart and mind and we are certainly not gods; being an Aashiq-e-Rasool (PBUH) demands following him not his followers because there surely exist several versions of what his followers comprehended but no variant of his teachings.

In the light of the second facet, did Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) resort to any such policy when Wahshi ibn Harb, the murderer of his uncle Hamza (RA), embraced Islam, or when Hind bint Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan and the mutilator of Hamza’s fallen body, accepted Islam after the occupation of Makkah, or when he was stoned by the denizens of Taif until he bled so profusely that his feet became clotted to his shoes, or when camel intestines were placed between his shoulders while he was praying at the Ka’abah, or when a Jewish woman repeatedly threw garbage on him in Makkah?

What to follow and what not to have been shed light on in a clear and detailed manner, leaving no room for confusion or doubt. It is now on us to decide whose followers we are and whose aashiq we portray to be. A bearded man running on a road with a log in one hand and the other used for lifting his shalwar does not have the appearance of being the Prophet’s lover but that of an ardent acolyte. Denying a Muslim cop his inherent right to offer prayer in any mosque of his choice assuredly could not be the act of an aashiq of Messenger (PBUH) who, as narrated by Ibn Umar, used to pray atop his mount while travelling, facing whatever direction it was facing. Undoubtedly, “the dust was on my face, and I kept wiping the mirror”.