How to define a Muslim is one of the most daunting tasks that you can set about to accomplish, a riddle with no clear solution, an enigma. Compared to that, determining who is not a Muslim comes handy: a follower of any religion including Islam that you do not agree with one hundred percent.
For instance, many Sunnis believe Shias are not Muslims. For Shias the faith of Sunnis stand on controversial grounds. And for both Shias and Sunnis, Ahmedis fall outside the realm of Islam. Digging further, you will see that the sub-sects of Sunnis, like Deobandi and Barelvi — do not respect each other’s ideology either. They avoid calling their ‘rivals’ as non-Muslims nowadays since it can ignite a civil war but if the situation is ripe, their victory certain, I have no doubt that they would. Why won’t they? Their hatred runs so deep, their ideological differences oceans apart. The same is true for Shias: Ismailis may not carry a high opinion of Asna Ashri (The Twelvers) who may not sympathise with Zaidis and so on.
From outside, the answer to the question looks so simple. How hard can it be? Believe in one God; acknowledge Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as His last Apostle and accept the Quran as His last word. With these fundamental aspects covered, the problem should be solved. However, in reality, the problem starts from here not end, like that of Deobandis and Barelvis. In addition, unfounded speculations, personal biases, and deep prejudices exacerbate the situation. In this line of thinking, it does not matter what you say your faith is, what matters is what I think your real beliefs are. So even if you pronounce Mohammad (pbuh) as the last prophet, if I believe you are lying, your belief is disregarded, and you become a heretic or a blasphemer.
In his last book Talash, Mumtaz Mufti, the renowned novelist, too broached the same subject. Embarking on a similar quest, he went from one scholar to another, but no one could provide him a workable comprehensive definition of a ‘Muslim’. Eventually he concluded that a Muslim is the person who emulates Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in every act of his life, and is a devoted follower who identifies with the Last Messenger through all his deeds. Mufti’s definition may satisfy common people for its simplicity, devotion and straightforwardness, but in all honesty, it evades the legal aspect of the correct faith altogether. For most scholars, therefore, a Muslim must not be defined through an inspiration alone. It’s a slippery slope. Islam is a full code of life, and every action and article of faith has to be discerned and demarcated clearly.
In response, many non-scholars, people like you and me, say that the problem of clear demarcation in matters of faith is brought up by semi-educated clerics who because of a lack of resources and their incapacity to understand the real problems of Ummah bring these trivial issues up to seek attention and gain importance. It has got nothing to do with the real message. Some argue that if you understand the Arabic language like an Arab, the Quran will guide you out of these mundane issues and usher you to develop a deeper understanding of the transcendent reality. Petty arguments will lose significance, and you will stop judging others.
Many suggest that the message of Islam is to create an egalitarian society where no human being, or even an animal, would die of hunger, poverty or a lack of free healthcare system where people would rush to help others in need.
So if someone understood Islam, do you think he will pass a statement like the following?
“We must understand these [Shias] are not Muslims, they are children of Magi (Zoroastrians) and their hostility towards Muslims is an old one. Especially with the people of Sunnah.”
No, it is not coming from an ignorant non-Arabic-speaker, or a poor cleric of your local mosque. He is not trying to create a rift between Shias and Sunnis to collect money or to gather more followers. These remarks came from Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah who shared his ‘understanding’ of Shias a couple of weeks ago. He was talking to a newspaper after the Ayotullah of Iran Ali Khameni had criticised the Saudi regime for the loss of 2,000 lives during pilgrimage last year and suggested that arrangements of Hajj should be the combined responsibility of the Ummah and not just the Saudis.
No one can argue against the Grand Mufti’s understanding of the Quran since the Book of God was revealed in Arabic, Mufti’s own mother tongue. Lack of financial resources cannot be blamed as the reason for his prejudice either, since he must be getting highly compensated by the Royals. In regard to drawing attention, how much more prominence can he ask for as the lead cleric of the holiest site for Muslims? He is received as a state dignitary when he visits countries like Pakistan. People look up to him for guidance and wisdom. They want to believe that the person who speaks from that sacred pulpit spreads the message of peace. And what does the Grand Mufti do? He calls the largest minority of Islam as Magis.
The writer is a US-based freelance columnist. He tweets at @KaamranHashmi and can be reached at [email protected]