I am used to receiving angry letters from readers who strongly disagree with what I write. Some even collect my published articles to use as references and quote from them when they want to attack me.
The letters I receive sometimes contain a great deal of hatred and, in certain cases, use vulgar and defamatory language. Some use extremely offensive words, cursing me and praying that my family and I will suffer misfortunes and trouble.
Had Almighty Allah not been so kind, merciful and just to people and had He answered those prayers by people seeking misfortune to befall others, the earth would indeed be even fuller of tragedy and hardship than it is.
The kinds of messages I receive are without exception coming from the very people who claim to be motivated by religious devotion and commitment. They try to lead others into believing that they are serving religion by what they do while in fact all their acts are contrary to both religious and human values. These are the enemies of Islam; they do not hesitate to declare all those who disagree with them unbelievers and infidels.
What is most offensive in the behavior of these people is their total disrespect for family life. They are not ashamed to use the kind of brazen and obscene language that would embarrass anyone. What kind of Islam do these people think they represent? The Holy Qur’an says “Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee.” The Qur’an has laid down principles of religious teaching which are good for all time. Almighty God tells the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, “Invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching in ways that are best and most gracious. For thy Lord knoweth best who have strayed from His right path.” Those people are only deceiving themselves when they think they alone are right while all others have strayed from the right path.
One of these individuals once telephoned my home. My wife answered the phone and told the man I was in the mosque praying. The man was astonished to learn that I do pray and told my wife that Almighty God would not accept my prayers. My wife was so upset that she asked me to stop writing. The language of cursing, of defamation and of threats will only block the road to convincing, reconciling and understanding. It is unfortunate that the extremists have helped keep open the path beloved of Satan and by so doing, earning Muslims the enmity and wrath of the world.
