In the first part of this article we discussed the issue of supplications against Christians. There is no basis for such supplications. In fact, they involve injustice which Islam clearly prohibits.

This type of supplication goes against Qur’anic teachings. "You should do justice when you talk." (Al-Anaam: 152) If this is the Qura’nic injunction, then how can we make supplications calling for injustice to others? The person who makes these supplications not only disobeys God but also rejects Qur’anic teachings.

The Holy Qur’an does not look at all People of the Book in the same way. It says: "They are not same." They differ from one another. There are peace-loving and innocent people. Some of them take neutral stands. There are wrongdoers. Many of them establish close ties with Islam either because of their nature or because of their search for truth.

The Qur’an, being the holy book that offers absolute justice for all and is known for its precision, says the People of the Book are not the same and that we must differentiate between the good and bad. It directs Muslims to consider this fact when they deal with the People of the Book.

This Qur’anic approach also prevents Muslims from finding themselves in contradiction with reality. They have seen that most of the People of the Book are known for justice in trade, education and general dealings. There are tens of thousands of Muslims today who have received education in economics, engineering, medicine, business administration and other subjects from Christian and Jewish professors. They never cheated their students or treated them arrogantly. They did no injustice to them in evaluating their academic work. These are facts and nobody can deny them. So how can we pray against Christians and Jews who have done great service to Muslims?

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was driven away from Taif, Muteim ibn Adiy helped him. Later, at the Battle of Badr, polytheists were taken prisoners. When the Prophet passed by the prisoners, he commented: "If Muteim ibn Adiy were alive and had talked to me in favor of these people (polytheists), I would have released them for him".

The Prophet did not pray against Muteim although he died a polytheist. On the other hand, he spoke of his noble deeds and qualities. He also expressed his wish to release the prisoners in Muteim’s honor without any ransom.

The concept of mercy is another important factor that prevents us from committing aggression while engaged in supplication. "We have not sent you except as a mercy to the whole world," the Qur’an says, highlighting the role and mission of the Prophet. Aggression in supplication goes against this verse. It has become customary for some Muslims to curse others but this violates the concept of mercy. We should not use the religion, which came to promote God’s mercy on mankind, as a pretext to push people away from His mercy.

There is a Hadith (saying) of Prophet Muhammad. Somebody requested him to pray against the polytheists and curse them. He replied: "I was sent as a mercy, not as one to curse." Another Hadith states: "A believer is not the one who defames or curses others nor the one who uses obscene words." "A believer will not curse," another Hadith says. The Prophet has even objected to cursing winds and animals. From these Hadith, we can easily conclude that aggression in supplication is prohibited, even against the elements and animals.

These teachings of the Prophet also prohibit Muslims from uttering abuse. Anas ibn Malik says he never saw the Prophet curse or abuse anybody. So if we find any Muslim or preacher abusing or cursing anyone, we know at once that he is going against the Prophet’s example.

It is true that the general public uses many of these terms — abuses and curses — in their daily lives. But we should not hear them from imams, khateebs and preachers. That group should be very fastidious with every word they use. They should be different from others in their thoughts, in their use of words and in their deep knowledge of Islamic teachings.

There is no doubt that people should use kind words to promote harmonious relations in society. What can you say about a person who abuses others whenever he opens his mouth? The khateebs and preachers should maintain the highest standards of decency in both their words and deeds. Ibn Al-Qayyem says: "Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the most eloquent among creatures and the most pleasant while speaking. He was selective in his speech and looked for the best of words that were beautiful, soft and sweet."

There are certain conditions and features which make the Friday sermons perfect. They should make people love God and His servants. They should unite the Ummah and give them glad tidings and should not make them turn away. They should encourage people to righteousness and accepting their responsibilities. They should address major issues without frightening the public or provoking them. The Friday sermons should serve the higher interests of Islam, without tarnishing its pure image.

Supplication against others has become part and parcel of Friday sermons these days. You will never, however, find an example of it either in the Friday speeches of the Prophet nor in that of his caliphs. Some people give the impression to the general public that the Friday speech is incomplete without cursing others. It is high time imams and preachers stopped such supplications and upheld the correct image of Islam and Muslims. (Concluded)

—Zain Al-Abidine Arrekabi is a Saudi columnist based in Riyadh.