Mosques should not be used for mischief, says Imam-e-Kaaba

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Imam-e-Kaaba Sheikh Abdur Rehman Al-Sudais on Saturday criticised the Lal Masjid administration for taking law into their own hands and said that mosques should not be used for mischief and conflict.

Talking to reporters here, the Imam said he was shocked to hear about the Lal Masjid issue, adding that individuals could not enforce Sharia in the country, as an Islamic state had its own institutions and nobody had right to impose Sharia in their own way.

Hoping that the issue would not spill over to other parts of the country, he called for its peaceful resolution through dialogue without involvement of women and students.

The Imam urged both the Lal Masjid administration and the government to protect peace in Pakistan and warned that only the foes of Islam and Pakistan would benefit from continued confrontation.

He noted that a large number of people in Pakistan understood the spirit of the religion, and wrong attitude of a handful of people would not make a big difference. He said all problems should be resolved in line with the broad objectives and principles of Islam.

He said Sharia did not permit any steps leading to chaos and anarchy, and opposed all divisions, which tended to create confrontations. He said no one was infallible in Islam, but stressed that there was a manner to rectify mistakes. Answering a question about inter-faith dialogue, Al-Sudais said Islam was a comprehensive religion that emphasised the welfare of humanity. He said the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) spread Islam through dialogue and had not imposed religion on anyone. “Islam never failed in winning hearts and minds of the people by way of dialogue,” he remarked.

He underlined the need to present a true picture of Islam to the world and regretted that it was the most misunderstood religion in the world. He said Islam was not merely a religion of rituals rather a complete code of life. He said there were many misconceptions about Jihad. He said there were various ethics and conditions essential before giving a call for Jihad. He said it was not for individuals to give a call for Jihad rather it had to be arranged and organised under an Imam. Al-Sudais said the call for Jihad must be preceded by formation of a decisive opinion by people enjoying the trust of the Ummah.

Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk
Sunday, June 03, 2007