Anybody who seriously studies the Qur'an knows that Allah records on multiple occasions how Prophets were insulted. How they were made fun of. How they were rejected in the most obscene ways. And how even the Prophets themselves felt the pain of those disbelievers making fun of them.  Nuh (علیہ السلام) complains about how people found him disgusting. And that they would plug their ears with their fingers and walk away from him and pull their clothes back as a show of insult to him. And our Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) is no exception.This Qur'an that honors our Prophet, also records the most hurtful words that were said to him that the Prophet would have to recite himself, and remind himself of the words that were said about him. For example: Sahir (Majician), Majnoon (Insane), Kazzab (a perpetual lier) so many accusations are made against our Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) and they are all recorded in the Qur'an and Allah wants us to remember that this is a fact, that all the Prophets, though they are the most noble of Allah's creation, and that Allah himself has honored them, are at the same time the people who will face the worst kind of insults, the worst kind of ridicule. But what is suppose to be the reaction?

And if anybody would be angry, and overwhelmed with rage when the Prophet is insulted, I would argue it would be his companions (رضی الله عنهم اجمعین).  Who's faith cannot even be compared to yours and mine. But how come they don't react the way we do? How come they never had any 'protest?' How come they were not going out and yelling and screaming in rage? Because they understood that the Qur'an didn't just come to give them a love for the Prophet, but also to 'guide' that love. And to also teach them how to respond to these kinds of insults. How is it that we don't know, that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) himself is told:

وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ
Az-Muzzamil [73:10]

.. be patient over whatever they say. I am fascinated by this Ayah. Because the word 'مَا' means 'whatever.' 'Whatever' they say. Not whatever they have said, but whatever they might even come up with. And the form of the word in the Arabic suggests 'what they may have said in the past, in the present and even in the future till this day.' The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم)'s policy is to be patient himself. Where in the Qur'an does it justify our anger like this? And even if our anger is justified, if any thing I argue, is the one thing we should feel towards those who hate us and make hateful speech towards our Muslims is 'sorrow.' We should feel sorry for these people. They can't hurt the Prophet? They can't take away his honor. It was given from the sky. It was given from Allah. Nothing on earth can take it away. No article, no cartoon, no film, no speaker, no hate speech, you know.. no form of art? Its not going to take away the dignity of our Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم). And these films and these kinds of attempts are futile and wasteful attempts to try to undermine the message of Islam and to misrepresent Islam. But think about it: us reacting in this emotional manner and engaging in senseless violence, is this also not misrepresenting Islam? Aren't we doing exactly what the enemies of Islam want, i-e Islam to be misrepresented? The only thing that makes me angry is the anger at our own selves, that we don't understand the policy of  the Qur'an and how to respond to insults:

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ
Al-Mu'minoon [23:96] & Fussilat [41:34]

.. respond with that which is best.

Finally what I want to share with you guys is that some people think that this was an early policy in Islam that in the Mekkan time of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) that he was suppose to be passive. But when he migrated to Madina, battles began like 'badar' and 'uhud' and 'ahzaab' and 'tabook' etc, so now the policy was not to be patient and therefore we should take that. Lets look at Surah Aal-e-Imran, the battle of Uhud.. what does Allah say to us?

وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ أَذًى كَثِيرًا
Aal-e-Imran [3:186]

.. you will absolutely hear hurtful words from those who were given the book before you and from the people who commit shirk (associate partners with Allah) and blasphemy with God. You will hear hurtful speech 'absolutely' coming from them. These kinds of things are a manifestation a proof that Allah prepared us mentally for that but what was suppose to be our reaction, Allah himself tells us (in the same Ayah):

وَإِن تَصْبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُمُورِ
Aal-e-Imran [3:186]

.. if you can be patient, and you can maintain the consciousness of Allah then that is the most noble of the deeds, the highest of accomplishments that you can accomplish. That is suppose to be the reaction of the Muslims. This video was watch by .. what? 30 people? This looser and his cousins? Before 'we' gave it support. We made it popular. We are the ones that are giving it more flame.

And I want to end with this, that you know in school, bullies tease the kid that they know gets teased and shows a reaction the more we react in this way, the more we encourage others to pursue more hateful speech. We have to learn to respond in mature, civil and higher discourse the way the Qur'an and the sunnah and legacy of our Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) expects from us. I pray that this is the message that reaches all of my young brothers and sisters who are feeling the sadness, the rage because of this incident but I hope that we can turn that rage into something positive.

بارک الله لی ولکم و سلام علیکم و رحمه الله و برکاته

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