The Supreme Mufti of Russia Talgat Tadzhuddin said that enmity over caricatures is unnatural and displeasing to God. He expressed this opinion on Sunday, November 1, in an interview with RBK. He stated that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not call for revenge, but called for forgiveness, so you should not declare someone an enemy.

“And to declare war, to declare enemies because of a trifle, the fact that someone painted something, – this is not pleasing to God, not God’s messengers, or believing people, it is unnatural and disgusting to life. And how will he feel when several million people become his enemies?” – said Tadzhuddin.

“Five, six, seven years ago, they also drew caricatures and in some countries they smashed the embassies of Western states. And today, I heard, they went to the French embassy. What for?” – he concluded.

Comment:

Recall that in mid-October in the suburbs of Paris, a history teacher, who during a discussion of the topic of freedom of speech in a lesson, showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was killed at a college. After the incident, Macron proposed to tighten control over the financing of mosques, as well as create an organization that will create the so-called “enlightened Islam.” His statement triggered massive actions in countries where Islam is practiced, and not only in them.

Tadzhuddin considers the caricatures of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ nonsense, which means that he considers mockery of the religion of Allah – Islam – nonsense. Unfortunately, he was not the only religious figure who took such a position – a similar opinion was also voiced by some scientists and muftis loyal to the governments of different countries. In their opinion, Muslims should be above responding to the insults of the Prophet ﷺ, they must show patience, as the Prophet himself ﷺ showed in the Meccan period.

All these people should be reminded that at the end of the 19th century, when Sultan Abdul Hamid II knew that France was going to make an offensive theatrical performance about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, he threatened France with war. As a result, the theatrical performance was canceled, and the representative of France apologized. That is, the Khaleefa (Caliph) was ready to send hundreds of thousands of Mujahideen Muslims to fight for the honor of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

With regard to the mufti’s misunderstanding of why Muslims went to protest at the French embassies: Muslims all over the world expressed their indignation at the insult of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, trying to somehow restrain the attacks on Islam from the secularists and Macron. The source of their indignation is their faith and love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. According to the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, believers must stop evil with their hand, and if they cannot, then with a word, and if they cannot, then at least hate it with their hearts. And this he ﷺ called the weakest degree of faith. The absence of hatred and disgust in the heart for this means that a person is on the verge of lack of faith. Instead of rejoicing at the non-indifference of Muslims, Tajuddin urges them to be indifferent … That is, he demands tolerance on the part of Muslims, with a complete lack of tolerance towards them from the West.

Shaikhetdin Abdullah