Bakriyon ke Buqraat - Poem Hindustani - बकरियों / بکریوں
Channel: owais sarvasukhsevaka
Date: 2012-09-19

This is my new Hindustani Poem.  I am basically protesting the 'abduction' of a beautiful concept from Islam, by obscurantist Islamist forces.

The word in question is 'Ummah'.  The basic meaning of the word is 'community'.  Islamists, i.e., the votaries of political Islam, and Islamic clergy, however, in keeping with their narrow, sectarian ends have made sure that 'ummah' is never seen as a 'community', which, often is merely a set of residents in a geographical unit; instead, is seen as 'Islamic peoples'.

Now, since in Islam, the buck stops at Muhammad, let us look at what Muhammad says on this issue.  (Of course, there will be views of Muhammad, contrary to this rendering, since, most likely, he is, historically, either not exactly the person that the Islamic legend claims him to be, else, if all hadith and seera accounts are accurate, and Quran is a perfect rendering of what he uttered, then he was most likely no prophet!)

Muhammad at the beginning of Islamic era, i.e., beginning at 'hijra', migrated to Yathrib, later known as Medina.  On arrival there, it was found necessary to write out a contract between the various residents of the city.  Thus was born the Charter or the Constitution of Medina: ميثاق المدينة, دستور المدينة‎, or صحیفة المدینه.

In this 'Constitution', all Medinan residents are defined as one Ummah, i.e., one community.  Specifically, it is mentioned that وأنّ يهود ... أُمّة مع المؤمنين   ...and...  لليهود دِينهم وللمسلمين دِينهم  ( http://www.sudanile.com/2008-05-19-17-39-36/181-2009-03-08-09-45-54/42800-2012-07-23-08-15-06.html ).  In English, this means, "The Jews ... are one community with the believers ...  the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs".  ( http://www.constitution.org/cons/medina/con_medina.htm ). 

This contract was drafted with the express intent of Muhammad, thus cannot be seen as anything but Muhammad's most formal definition of the word 'ummah'.  At least, that was his definition when he came to Medina.  If he did change his mind later, which he most probably did, then there is all the more reason to reject his prophet-hood claim as bunkum.  For a person guided by a supposed omniscient power cannot stop being a caring, just, compassionate person, and turn into a blood-thirsty marauder, after his stock rises in the material world!

In the poem, a reference is made to this part of the Constitution of Medina, and the obscurantist forces within Islam rejected.  For, if Islam cannot meet this basic requirement of promoting universal brotherhood with all humanity, if not with all existence, then contemporary Islam has no right to exist as an acceptable human worldview. 

It is extreme dishonesty on the part of Islamists and Islamic clergy to fool mainstream Muslims into that hateful hole where a human being is fundamentally to be defined NOT on the basis of their humanity, but on the basis of their religion; not on the basis of their actions, but their beliefs.  The poem says that if these people cannot rid themselves of this dishonesty; cannot see themselves as one with other humans irrespective of their being polytheists, or atheists; then contrary to their claims of being the healers of the Islamic community and the world, these bearded con-artists can perhaps be only good enough to live amongst a herd of (bearded) goats, and try being their healers.

Such an action would most likely also reduce Islamic terrorism.