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17 November 2012 By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid During the heat of battles with
the enemy, Imam Malik recommended that church priests
should be protected and not left penniless, citing
God's mercy. He said do not kill priests, they should
be left with the money they need to live on, for they
will die without it. This was in a state of war, and
as for when security was restored, Malik stressed that
the lives and property of all non-Muslims should be
protected. I cite this wonderful humanitarian testimony as I
continue on from my last article about taking pleasure
in the misfortune of non-Muslims, whenever a disaster
befalls them. We see this sense of schadenfreude after
every natural disaster that occurs on our planet, the
latest being Hurricane Sandy. If a Muslim could once
call for greater mercy on non-Muslims and even some
enemy combatants during times of war, then how can
Muslims today take pleasure in the misfortune of
others? It is worthwhile pointing out here that a segment
of those who incite shadenfraude and take joy in the
misfortune of non-Muslims in disasters are also keen
to spread the call to Islam. Here lies a clear
contradiction, for those proselytizing Islam must
possess sublime morals and be far removed from any
reprehensible qualities. A key attribute is extending
mercy, which is intrinsic to the call to Islam. In this regard, I remember an Arab Christian
associate of mine who was very fond of Muslims and
often argued for their causes. He stood up against all
kinds of occupation in the Arab and Islamic world. He
lived in a Gulf city next to a mosque and would hear
the preacher there calling to convert the Christian
community by widowing their women, orphaning their
children and drying their rivers. My friend once asked
the Imam the logical question about why he was
extending the call to Islam in such a manner! The Imam
met with this Christian after one of his sermons and
personally asked him to convert, but could you ever
imagine the Christian agreeing to this, after the
preacher had called for his wife to be widowed and his
children orphaned?! The Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, forbade
the killing of children, women, the elderly and
priests during wars, even though it is well known that
some rabbis and priests were the ones who inspired
people and encouraged them to fight battles, as in the
Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. Yet they were
exempt because they were not a part of the Islamic
doctrine, therefore could not be considered infidels.
Taking decisions based on esteemed morals and
values is clearly a fundamental part of the Sharia
approach and the path of the Prophet. In fact, it is a
fundamental part of every religion, among all people.
When Muslims take joy in the pain of others this is a
source of shame, and shows signs of cruelty and
backwardness. Are such Muslims happy to deviate from
the moral approach of the Sharia, and to jeopardize
the call to Islam? It remains for me to whisper in the ear of some
scholars and public opinion leaders, saying: If this
schadenfreude phenomenon is detrimental to Muslims and
yields a negative impact, how can some opinion leaders
and preachers still behave in this way
Dr. Hamad Al-Majid is a journalist and former
member of the official Saudi National Organization for
Human Rights. Al-Majid is a graduate of Imam Muhammad
Bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh and holds an
M.A. from California and a Doctorate from the
University of Hull in the United Kingdom. |
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