Reply to Mr. Jahed
By Aziz Ul Huq
Mr. Avijit Roy recently forwarded an articles by Mr. Jahed Ahmed who wrote in NFB: “WHY I DISLIKE RELIGION:TEN TOPMOST REASONS”.
[I excluded the details Mr. Jahed (Zahed?) wrote, but kept only the heading and added my response].
1)NO RELIGION ENCOURAGES FREE THINKING:Mr. Avijit and Mr. Jahed are absolutely free to reject God and go about their way as they desire. It is the very free will (according to Islamic value system) which necessitates that they exercise their own judgement and come to God, none can and must force them to God. A Muslim is not necessarily born. A Muslim is one who willingly and lovingly surrenders to the Will of God (meaning follow the commandments of God as prescribed in the Quran and the Sunnah). For example: it is the holy month of Ramadan. Can any one realistically force any one to fast? We can teach and encourage and may some times force our children to fast. Islam is a personal relationship with the “Unseen God”. Individuals are directly accountable to God for their actions. None can save you or plead for you, it is your own actions.
2)RELIGION IS THE GREATEST FACTOR RESPONSIBLE IN THE WORLD HISTORY THAT LED TO DEATH OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN SO-CALLED HOLY WARS.
Do you know that more people died as a result of wars based on ethnicity, tribalism and nationalism than all wars of all time combined. Look at the statistics of the 2 great world wars.
3)RELIGION DISCRIMINATES BETWEEN MALE & FEMALE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING EQUAL RIGHTS.
Islam recognizes the nature of differences between male and female.
4)RELIGION HAS KEPT MANKIND SEPARATED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS RELIGION CREATES BIGOTS & FANATICS & PROVOKES THEM TO HATE FELLOW HUMANS BELONGING TO OTHER RELIGION. AND THIS IS A MAJOR OBSTACLE TOWARDS ESTABLISHING UNIVERSAL ATTITUDE IN RELIGIOUS INDIVIDUALS(AT LEAST FOR THOSE WHO PRACTICE RELIGION SERIOUSLY).
Islam stands for universal brotherhood. The Quran informs us that we all are the children of Adam and Eve. It is ethnic superiority complex, tribalism and nationalism which has keeps us apart.
5)RELIGION TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY NAKEDLY BY SCARING PEOPLE IN TERMS OF DREADFUL PUNISHMENTS IN AFTERLIFE(?).THUS IT CONVERTS PEOPLE INTO FEAR PSYCHOTIC PATIENTS WHICH IS REALLY INHUMAN.
The life after death is real, so is the punishment for the deeds of this life. The fear of God’s punishment (knowingly or unknowingly) keeps decency in society. Could the most efficient police force maintain decency in society if people did not have some regard for God’s laws?
6)IN RELIGION, PEOPLE ARE LED BY BLIND BELIEF RATHER THAN RATIONALE &CONSCIENCE
The Quran repeatedly appeals to mankind to exercise reason, logic and asks man to reflect. The concept of “Bhaktitey Hari male, Torkey bohudur” is alien (not part of) to Islam.
7)IN MODERN WORLD, RELIGION HAS COMPLETELY FAILED TO CREATE A PEACEFUL &CIVILIZED NATION.
The Muslim nation (Ummah) is a nation comprised of people of all colors, languages, features, economic conditions, ethnicity, diverse by all imaginable characteristics and unbounded by geographical borders yet bound by a common goal. A goal to achieve success in the Hereafter by doing what God wants us to do. Muslim nation is not perfect by any definition. But have you seen any other group of individuals bound by “love and fear of One and Only One True God”. The Muslim nation (Ummah) is not bound by any geographical boundary.
8)IN WORLD HISTORY, RELIGION HARDLY, IF EVER, ENCOURAGED PROGRESS OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, RATHER MOSTLY IT HINDERED.
Islam is not against any scientific investigation. As a matter of fact the Quran always asks mankind to look around, travel through the earth, investigate and question the superstitious beliefs of ones forefathers.
9)RELIGION RESTRICTS PERSONAL FREEDOM TO A LARGE EXTENT
You are right to some extent. This is the month of Ramadan, I am fasting. I had to sacrifice my personal freedom to eat. Islam also controls what we do, how we do and what is our intention. Some times personal freedom is sacrificed for the greater good of society.
But again, do we really have unrestricted freedom in any society. I do not know where you live. I live in America. Do I have unrestricted freedom to do what ever I want to. The nature of restriction is only different.
10)LAST,SPEAKING ABOUT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE,IF I WERE TO FOLLOW MY OWN RELIGION (ISLAM) STRICTLY, I'D CERTAINLY DEPRIVE MYSELF OF FOLLOWING:
I look around and I see over indulgence. There is too much fun, too much to eat, too much reason to be arrogant, greedy, competitive and mean.
Yet time is so limited. I have friends from all ethnicity, nationality, age, language, economic background and faith. It is restraint and not over indulgence that makes one happy. When I was in Bangladesh, I saw poverty all around. I also saw over indulgence. But it is the warmth, friendship, sincerity, and ever smiling God fearing common people of Bangladesh that I miss.
I grew up in a family where there was care, love, warmth and above all fear of God and immense struggle to follow God’s law in life in a society which is gradually drifting towards dishonesty, chaos, confusion and above all Godlessness.
Mr. Jahed: Please take some time out of your busy and possibly happy life to think about what bounty God has bestowed upon you. This is not going to last fore ever. You are going to die some day. Are you ready to submit your accounts?With best wishes and hoping that some would forward this to you. May Allah (SWT) guide you back to the Straight and simple Path of Islam.
Aziz Ul HuqDecember 1, 2000