LEAVE OUR PROPHET ALONE

The noble prophet Mohammed (pbuh) is our beloved and the last prophet of the world. We adore him and are very passionate about him and his teachings. He like other prophets came to preach the message of God the almighty. This means to muslims he is not so different from the son of Mary Jesus.

Muslims believe in holy books such as the book of Moses and the book of Jesus implying that we believe strongly in Jesus and all other prophets. Any muslim who does not believe in any one of such prophets ceases to be a muslim. It is these obligations and the fact that muslims do not make pictures of their prophets that tend to inflame passions among us when arrogant and notorious people under the disguise of freedom of speech and expression make portraits of the holy prophet.

First, it was a Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaad who decides to paint the holy prophet of Islam as a terrorist. What is the motif behind such an act muslims all over the world will ask themselves in drawing a cherished person of a particular religious minority. It is not good for us to do so that is why muslims by themselves do not make pictures or cartoons of these prophets.

However there are several pictures of Jesus and other prophets in circulation and this is because other religions which share these prophets with Islam have decided to make pictures of these people of God.

Quite recently Kurt Westergaad again decided to welcome an initiative to organize an online competition for other cartoons of the prophet. ’The initiative should be seen as a manifestation of freedom of speech, where Mohammed and my cartoon have become icons for this cultural struggle’ this cartoonist told the Danish journalist federation’s union newspaper journalisten.’ I always think that debate is great. Of course, there is a risk that it can provoke some of the dark forces that are inspired to (cause) terror’ he added.

Another Swedish artist who has angered muslims is Lars Vilk. He depicted the prophet Mohammed as a dog in a university lecture by drawing him with a dog’s body.

In South Africa as reported on VOA news some days ago tension flared in this African country as another artist decided to make pictures of the prophet. The muslims in this country have petitioned the courts of the land to intervene to stop this disgraceful attitude.

Sahih Muslim vol.3 no. 5271 page 1161 ‘this hadith has been reported on the authority of Abu Mu’awiya though another chain of transmitters (and the words are): ‘verily the most grievously tormented people amongst the denizens (inhabitants) of hell on the day of resurrection would be the painters of pictures.

This verse from the hadith and other verses caution muslims not to draw pictures and this we have all abide by.