Is Allah really the ‘monster’ we have made him out to be? I am a Muslim by birth, with very pious and religiously-inclined parents. My parents have taught me never to blame Allah for all the travesties in life, because Allah’s love will never end, irrespective of what our actions have been. He is the most beneficent and merciful. I have always been taught to trust Allah alone, to take care of things that are out of one’s understanding or control. In the end, it is just me and Allah.
Being Multicultural, Multi-Faith In Both Prayer & Deed
I must share something very personal here. I am married to an Army Officer. Multi-faith prayer meetings are an essential part of this amazing organisation, i.e. the Indian Army, and its culture. We are multicultural, multi-faith in both prayer and in our deeds. Sarv Dhram sthals of our regiments are not just a place of worship, but it is the soul of each one of us.
Being born into a different faith hasn’t stopped me from actively participating in Ram Navami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Satya Narayan puja, Karwa Chauth, and even church functions, just as people from other faiths too have offered namaz during Eid.
Being the first couple from the regiment that my husband was commanding, we have led prayers of all faiths. I am sharing a couple of our photographs here, to make my message clear.
When I’m Distressed, the ‘Gurbani’ Brings Me Peace
My husband was, at one point of time, the in-charge of a detachment of the Indian Army at Vaishno Devi, and had visited the shrine 29 times and even performed aarti there. Later, at another posting, he was one of the officers in charge of the Amarnath Yatra. He has visited the cave seven times, and was privileged enough to have performed the first aarti once.
We never saw this as a threat to our religion or our upbringing; rather, we felt blessed.
Never even once did our acts or participation in religious functions of other religions, interfere with the religion of our birth. Rather, the pujas, the vrats we kept, the rituals along with our daily offerings of namaz and the Quran, brought us closer to Allah. Does it make me a lesser Muslim? No. I must tell you here, at times of distress, it is a Gurudwara which gives me peace.
I don’t understand Punjabi, but the Gurbani there, the atmosphere, soothes my heart and soul.
“All Religions Lead to God”
I can only speak for myself, and I firmly believe that my relationship with Allah is not so fragile that it will be threatened by an outside force, whether it is my work, my duties or my relationships. My mother always taught us that all religions lead to God. Our paths may be different, but God is always there to guide us. He is all around.
“Then know that Allah is your protector. Excellent is the protector and excellent is the helper.”Quran | 8:40
When actor Zaira Wasim struggles with her relationship with Allah, and actor-parliamentarian Nusrat Jahan Ruhi Jain draws flak for wearing sindoor and a mangalsutra, all I want to say is, stop making Allah out to be the monster that he is not.
Allah guides us all the time. He has a plan for us, wherever we are, whatever we do, is going on as per his plan.
Let’s Stop Blaming Allah
The Quran emphasizes on making good use of your mind and reasoning (Al-Aql), where Allah says: “In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all these for those who use their minds.”
So, please stop blaming and burdening Allah so much that we forget to use our own logic and reasoning.
Be the good person that Allah wants you to be and leave the rest to Him. Do you really think all these self-proclaimed ‘Mullahs’, who have 3-4 wives, have children in double digits, are abusive towards anyone who doesn’t agree with their version of religion, and issue fatwas at any given opportunity, only to instill fear, are good in the eyes of Allah? The answer is NO.
If you read the correct interpretation of the Quran, you will realise that Allah and the Quran tell you to be a good and kind human being.
“For verily, Allah loves those who are righteous” (3.76)
(The author is an Army wife, writer & founder of The Changemakers, an organisation fostering social and economical development of ex-soldiers, war widows and orphans. This is a personal blog, and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
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