Violence Against Shias: An Assault on Islam

It is another day in Pakistan and it is another assault on Shias in Pakistan. It does not matter how many have died. It is not a game of numbers because the life of every human being is sacred. What matters is the continued helplessness of those who stand for human dignity and life. Fourteen-hundred years have passed and the Muslim community and its scholarship, by and large, has failed to effectively develop a method to resolve peacefully its political, social-cultural and theological differences. On the contrary, the idea that the opposition must be eliminated physically has gained more popularity. It is a sad situation for every sincere and serious follower of the Quran and its eternal message of peace, freedom, unity, and justice for all. An assault on Shias is anti-Islam. In fact, killing a fellow human being unless it is in self-defense without the intention of killing is anti-divine.
The Prophet and his closest supporters, including the first four Caliphs did not identify them as Shias or Sunnis. They had differences over their style of governance and their interpretation of the Quran, but rarely did they demonstrate violent tendencies towards each other to settle them. Imam Ali did not exhort his supporters to take up arms against Caliph Abu Bakr or Omar. Rarely did we find any reference in his or their sermons of cussing or cursing those who are often accused of usurping his right to leadership or challenging their authority.
The Shia and Sunni differences rest upon the issue of political and spiritual leadership of Umma. For 1.1 billion Sunnis it is the Khilafat that is important and for 350 million Shias, it is the Imamat that is significant. Even though the majority of the religious leaders of the two communities (leave alone the masses) would not be able to clearly identify the differences between the two approaches of governance and succession of the Prophet, they are willing to condemn each other for it. Sunni leaders, by and large, think that Shia's are not genuine in their commitment to Islam and the Shia leaders, by and large, view Sunnis as supporters of a political system that was illegitimate and corrupt. For over 6 billion of people of the world, this debate is irrelevant. A great majority of non-Muslims have adopted political ideas that negate the philosophy of Imamat and Khilafat altogether. And in the most world, including the predominantly Shia Iran or Iraq or Sunni dominated Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, no one takes the khilafat or imamat seriously in political realms.
All other differences have stemmed from this basic issue that emerged in a tribal culture and played out in a despotic environment that was still adjusting to divine teachings pertaining to the sanctity of human life and dignity, equality, the rights of women and the right to dissent.
People usually interpret violent events such that took place in Pakistan with political spectacles. Some have already argued that India’s intelligence RAW, or CIA or Mossad might be involved in them as they want to destabilize Pakistan, especially at a time, when China and Pakistan are increasing their level of cooperation in the upcoming port of Gawadhar in Baluchistan.
Regardless, the fact is that the seeds of hatred often leading to violence are sown by those who claim to speak in the name of God and his Prophets. They could have come together to look at the differences to decide that they would not resolve to violence to settle them, that they would refrain from using vulgar language to denounce each other and that they would deal with the opposing viewpoints with respect.
The divine teachings do not promote violence or terror. Their purpose is to help individuals to control their anger to create a peaceful environment so that people can learn to grow out of their differences. By emphasizing the differences, the clergy, is not only defying the divine teachings, but also rebelling against it, a sad reality that most of us have accepted and cherished.
The only way out is to stand up against these differences and assert that Muslims will not identify them with either Shia or Sunni or Hanafis, Maliks, Ibadis, Ismaelis, Hanbalis, Shafais,  Malikis, Deobandis, Barelvis. The malice of disunity and conflict has pervaded our culture for long and it would take long before its impact can be reduced. The first thing we need is to have people who can say boldly and clearly that we are Muslims and we are part of the Umma of the Prophet. It means that we stop asking the question: are you a Sunni or Shia or this or that? It means that we stop fighting over differences that we see among ourselves. It means showing respect to differences even if the opponent is not willing to show respect to you.

If we do not change ourselves, both Shias and Sunnis would become irrelevant to Islam as they have already become irrelevant to the world. They would have only a nuisance value that through these killings they have been demonstrated. In the words of the Quran: “while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth. Thus Allah sets forth parables.” (13:17)

British Muslim Vigilantes Make Mockery of Divine Teachings

Muslim patrol, Muslim vigilante, Muslim police, or religion enforcers are now in news in Great Britain. It is said that groups of young Muslims are patrolling areas and forcing non-Muslims to stop coming to their area if they consume alcohol or dress in an inappropriate manner. Comments such as “we do not respect those who do not believe in Allah,” “We do not care what your belief system is” and “Go away from our area because you are not Muslim,” are clearly heard in the videos posted by such groups on YouTube. Should we Muslims call such groups, racists, bigots, fanatics and anti-Islam, should we remain quiet or should we support them?
Before we attempt to answer these questions, let us modify the situation slightly. Change Muslim patrol to British nationalist patrol or Christian evangelist vigilante and imagine these vigilantes going from the streets to streets in areas per-dominantly populated by Muslims or Hindus or immigrants and demanding that the residents either leave or adopt their customs or religion or the way of life. They ask Hindus to eat beef and Muslims to eat pork and ask women to remove their hijab if they have to live in their country or they demand that Muslims should not make loud their call to prayer.
Every one of us would feel repulsed. We would call such acts racist, bigoted and fanatic. So why do we have to apply different standards to these identical situations. One may argue that alcohol is “haram” (forbidden) in Islam and Muslims have a duty to enforce this divine command in their lives. So apply it in your life and when you get the mandate by the people on a clear manifesto to ban consumption of alcohol openly in your country or your town, do it. But to arbitrarily force people to change their lifestyle is against all that Islam stands for. The Quran recognizes people’s right to reject God and adopt a lifestyle contrary to the divine teachings and guidance. A Muslim cannot be a Muslim unless he believes in the validity of the Quranic teachings and makes efforts to live by them.
So respecting and protecting others’ belief systems and style of life is part of the Quranic mandate. Those who are making comments that we do not care about your belief system are in fact making a mockery of divine guidance.
If these vigilantes are serious about Islam’s prohibitory guidance regarding alcohol, or improper dress or a lifestyle that harms the people in general, they should try to educate people and through an electoral process win over the electorates to their perspectives and policies. Even then, from a sharia perspective, it would be wrong to impose one's religious beliefs upon others.

A Saudi Preacher, torture, rape and murder: A Tale of Twisted Justice

A Saudi preacher is accused of raping and torturing his five-year-old daughter to death. He admitted using a cane and cables to inflict the injuries after suspecting his daughter’s virginity. He served a few months in jail and then a judge ruled that the prosecution could only seek blood money and not the death penalty or life imprisonment. The scholar paid about $50,000 blood money to the mother of their daughter and was released from the custody. (Thank God that the judge did not allow the guilty preacher to keep the money under the pretext that he is the father of the girl.) Thus the value of a five-year-old was determined and that included compensation for rape and torture.

The judge based his ruling on sharia, so is the claim. Does the sharia want a murderer to get away with the crime? Does the sharia offer no punishment for torture and rape? Does the sharia have no rulings on child abuse? Does the sharia place a dollar value on torture, rape, and human life? Does the sharia absolve parents from the abuses committed against their children or spouses? These questions must be asked honestly because the ruling given in the name of God and Islam does not make any sense no matter how the legal experts interpret the Quran and the Sunna of the prophet.

If the Sharia is defined as a license to torture, murder or rape, then this is neither divine nor prophetic. It is simply male-chauvinistic tribalism immersed in ignorance and total disregard to human life and dignity. This cannot be allowed in the name of God or Islam. Muslims in general and Muslim scholars, in particular, owe it to their creator to question the legitimacy of this ruling and take a stand against it. Yet few would dare to do that. Most of them did not care about this case. Most of them didn’t bother to follow it and question the logic behind the verdict.

It is sad that despite the presence of so many learned scholars of Islam in the world, few are willing to condemn this verdict and openly distance them away from this vulgar interpretation of sharia. On the contrary, many are trying to justify this verdict in the name of God and Prophet. Shame upon them.

The Quran demands equal rights for children, boys and girls included. The Quran does not give parents the unlimited authority to do whatever they want to do with their children. The Quran condemns rape, torture and child and spousal abuse. There is no room for these things in a society that claims to follow Islamic precepts. However, violations of these mandated Quranic rights do occur. It is in these circumstances that justice and those who are entrusted with the responsibility of preserving it must play their roles properly. If they do not, then it is the duty of Muslim scholarship to take a unified stand against this. The silence in these matters is like condoning and supporting crime and injustice.

Rejoice: It is the birthday of Prophet Muhammad: Let us Celebrate and be proud

Today is one of the most significant days in human history. It’s a day when the one who challenged the superstitions and ignorance of his times was born. It’s a day when the one who brought consistency and authenticity in religious ideas opened his eyes in this mortal world and it’s a day when the one who changed the social fabric of the world forever arrived in the physical world at a time when he was needed most. It is the 12th Rabi ul Awwal. It’s the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. It’s a day of joy and happiness. It’s a day that should bring the entire world together and not just Muslims.
Instead, the world of Islam is divided on this occasion and a simple act of showing love and happiness has become one of the most controversial issues. The divisions are about the date of his birth or the authenticity of celebrating Mawlid or initiating an innovation etc. In a Friday sermon in India on January 18, 2013 an Imam declared the Mawlid (the birthday of the Prophet) an innovation and warned the people that those who celebrate it or attend any function related to it would not only be frowned by Allah and His messenger but would also be sent to hellfire to live there forever. Those who celebrate Mawlid are the worst of humans, he concluded. He described the practice of celebrating Mawlid a Shia practice and said that Shias were not authentic Muslims.
Showing love to the Prophet is part of Muslims’ conviction or Iman. “Say: "If you do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (3:31)
“Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that ye have gained; the commerce in which ye fear a decline: or the dwellings in which ye delight - are dearer to you than Allah, or His Messenger, or the striving in His cause;- then wait until Allah brings about His decision: and Allah guides not the rebellious.” (9:24)
Expressing one’s love for the Prophet and showing it openly on the day of his birthday cannot be termed a sin or a bida or innovation as is evident from the Quran. Yet, those opposed to Mawlid, take a hard line and based on the opinions of some of the Muslim scholars of the 9^th and 12^th Centuries declare others as deviant Muslims.
Regardless of the opinions of scholars, we the Muslim people have every right to express our commitment and dedication to the Prophet and if we do it on 12^th of Rabi ul Awwal, it should not cause anyone any pains or trauma. Showing love to the prophet is a virtue and we are promised the reward for that.
It is the prophet who introduced the world to the Quran. It is the Prophet who lived the Quran in his life. It is the prophet on whose authority and authenticity Muslims accept, the Quran. It is the Prophet who established a community based on Quranic principles. It is the Prophet who suffered at the hands of his opponents for declaring the oneness of Allah.
It is through his life we understand the Quran as he is called the best example for us. When we celebrate the birth of the Prophet, we celebrate the Quran and the emergence of the last of the divine messages and its relevance to the world.
Rather than having the controversy about the Mawlid Muslims should be exploring new ways to celebrate his birthday. His life is for all time and relevant in every day for all people. So on this day when Allah brought him to this world, we should do something more than usual to thank Allah for this act of mercy. And why should we not? Allah himself gives glad tidings in the Quran of the birth of Prophets and describe it in a positive manner.

“So Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)” (19:15)
It is sad that the birthday of the one who is the foundation of our faith is being used by various groups to settle issues related to their intellectual insecurities. In our world, this issue has become a source of the conflict between Barelvis, Deobandis, Salafis, sofas, Malikis, Hanbalis and Hanafis as well as shoes.
Rather than focusing on the prophet and his life and work, each one of them is showing their intellectual bankruptcy in dealing with the situation. They have spent countless hours in debating a non-issue.
We must understand that celebrating Mawlid is not controversial and is not a sin. Those who oppose it are wasting their time and confusing people about the event. They have a political agenda for which they use their religious understanding. They do not revere the Prophet; rather they worship their scholars and their respective positions that emerged in a political culture controlled by despotism and religious obscurantism.
Let us celebrate the Mawlid without any guilt and feel proud because the Quran tells us:
“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you that believes! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.” (33:56)

Religions of the World

If the findings of the study entitled “The Global Religious Landscape” issued by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life issued on December 19, 2012 are accepted, then all the myths that Muslims in general and the world in particular had held about Islam are shattered clearly.
Muslims are 23 percent of a world population of 6.9 billion people. Of the 230 countries surveyed, they are a majority in 49 countries where 73 percent of them live. Twenty-seven percent of them live as a minority.
985 million of 1.6 billion Muslims or 62 percent live in the Asia-Pacific region. In the Middle East, there are 317 million or 20 percent of the world Muslims. In Africa some 16 percent or 248 million, in Europe some 3 percent or 43 million and in North America and Latin America some 3.4 million and less than a million respectively live. Despite their heavy concentration in Asia-pacific, only one in four is a Muslim in that region. Sixty-six percent Muslims live in 10 countries, namely, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Algeria, and Morocco.
In North America, the number of Muslims is estimated at 3.4 million. Muslim Americans have long believed without any definite data that they are over 6 million. In fact, some believe that they are 12 million. The total number of Muslims given by the Pew Forum is 2.77 million including non-citizens Muslims as well.   
Equally ridiculous is the claim by some that Muslim voters total 6 million in the US. No one has produced any serious study so far in their demographic claims, but everyone seems to be in a race of exaggerating the actual numbers. Muslim organizations, if they claim that the numbers given by the Pew Forum are wrong, can pool their resources to sponsor a study of Muslim demographics in the country.  
The other myth that is shattered by this study is the claim about the phenomenal growth of Islam in the world, especially in the US. It is said that Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the US and the world. How this notion has become part of Muslim discourse, no one really knows. However, quoting from the Muslim writers and speakers, many in the right-wing Christian evangelical and the Zionist groups have created a climate of fear and anxiety about Islam and Muslims. Muslims tend to enjoy the fact that their faith is attracting large numbers of converts while others tend to fear the growth of Muslims and Islam as they alert their followers of the danger of this new challenge.

None offers any credible data in their claims. People who are leaving the religious establishment and who identify with no religious institutions are growing faster than any other group. They are 1.2 billion in the world almost identical with Catholics who also make up 1.2 billion of the world population. In the U.S., the number of unaffiliated people has been on the rise. In 2010, they were 16.4 percent of the population, but in 2012 their number reached 19.6 percent, a net gain of 2.9 percent.

Christians are 31.5 percent 2.2 billion of the world population. They are in the majority in 157 of the 230 countries of the world.  Four regions have Christian majorities: Latin America and the Caribbean (90%), North America (77%), Europe (75%) and sub-Saharan Africa (63%). Christians live as minorities in the Asia-Pacific region (7%) and the Middle East-North Africa region (4%). 99% percent of Christians live outside the Middle East, the birthplace of Christianity.  Europe has 26%, Latin America and the Caribbean, 24% and sub-Saharan Africa has 24% Christians. In Asia and the Pacific only 13%) are Christians

The 10 countries with the largest number of Christians account for about half (48%) of the global Christian population. They are the United States (11%), followed by Brazil (8%), Mexico (5%), Russia (5%), the Philippines (4%), Nigeria (4%), China (3%), The Democratic Republic of the Congo (3%), Germany (3%) and Ethiopia (2%).

87% percent of Christians live in countries where they are in the majority. It shows that Christianity is more evenly spread religion present in all regions dominating the culture and politics of those countries.

Jews are 14 million or .02 percent of the world population. Their majority lives outside Israel. Forty-four percent of them are in North America and 44%, in the Middle East 41%.

One billion or 15 percent of the world population is Hindus.  Ninety-four percent of them live in India, 2% in Nepal and 1% in Bangladesh.  An overwhelming majority of Hindus (94%) live in one country, India. The largest populations of Hindus outside India are in Nepal (2% of all Hindus) and Bangladesh (1%). They are the majority in India, Nepal, and Mauritius.
Buddhists are 7% or 488 million of the world population. Ninety-nine percent of them live in the Asia-Pacific region. Seven countries have Buddhist majorities: Cambodia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Laos, and Mongolia.

The third-largest group in the world comprises of the unaffiliated number who make up 16 percent of 1.1 billion of the world population. More than 76% of them live in the Asia-Pacific region while in North America about 5% live. The largest number of unaffiliated people live in China (62%) followed by Japan (6%), the U.S. (5%), Vietnam (2%) and Russia (2%).

It seems that this century would witness the competition between religious establishments and free thinkers.  A large number of people from every religious establishment seem to be renouncing their membership and joining a growing number of unaffiliated people. Many of them may still believe in the ideals and ideas of their faith, yet they do not want to identify with the institutions or leadership of their faith. This number is going to rise sharply in the decades to come as people would start critically examining their faith traditions. This would offer one of the biggest challenges that the religious establishments have faced in centuries.

The Connecticut Shooting

The Connecticut school shooting and the cold-blooded murder of 20 children have reminded us of the dark realities of the world in which we live. Innocent lives were lost due to the alleged anger, insanity and crazy behavior of an individual. But he is not alone in our world
The culture of violence pervades our world everywhere. On an average 1,600 people were murdered every day per 2000 statistics.  That number is on the rise ever since. An estimated 800,000 people were murdered in 2011 around the globe. Two-fifths of them were young people between the ages of 10 and 29 who were killed by other young people. These figures do not include people killed in terror-related acts, drone-killing or a sustained and organized killing done in the name of securing national interests. In all of these cases, there were specific gunmen involved in the murder of the people. But there is another type of killing that takes place in our world daily. Some 25,000 people die every day, almost 9 million per year, as a result of hunger, while we waste some 40 percent of the food that we buy to consume.
Wrongful death is a wrongful death, whether through gun violence or through artificially created hunger. We cannot blame just an individual for these killings. In a global world, each one of us is responsible for the acts of violence killing hundreds of people daily.
We are the ones who do allow our governments to use violence against the enemies in the name of national security.
We are the ones who promote the idea of a just war to eliminate those who do not fit into our thought paradigms.
We are the ones who manufacture guns and weapons of human destruction and glorify them.
We are the ones who promote movies and documentaries depicting uncontrolled violence in the name of entertainment.
We are the ones who extol the virtues of war to please God.
We are the ones who glorify those past rulers who took pride in building piles of human bodies.
We are the ones who teach our children ideologies that promote hatred and anger against others.
We are the ones who allow domestic violence prevails in our family culture.
We are the ones who allow the killing in the name of honor.
We are the ones who promote the killing of others who are different than us or who differ from us or who refuse to acknowledge our superiority.
We are the ones who create an artificial scarcity of the most essential resources.
We are the ones who create an artificial hunger to maintain a price structure that suits some.
We are the ones who deny basic food for others to align ourselves with a capitalist economy.
We are the ones who promote the culture of haves and have nots in the name of progress.
This is what our man-made philosophies and ideologies have given us in the last 5,000 years. They have told us that might is right and the one who would possess the mightiest weapons would be the most right and powerful. We live this axiom every day in all aspects of our life.
In contrast to that is the divine guidance that declares humanity as one with dignity to all. It promotes the idea of the sanctity of human life and it takes a stand against the race to pile up weapons to kill others. It talks of the brotherhood and sisterhood of all human beings. It invites people, to peace, the essence of life. It tells us to live the peace within ourselves and to practice it in our daily life especially towards those who are the others.
That divine guidance is the essence of human life. This was the mission that messengers lived for. This was the message that they invited all to believe. Yet, under our own whatever instincts we have twisted the divine guidance and turned that into a sectarian call not different than the violent ideologies that pervade around us.
It is time that we bring God back in our lives as individuals and as a society. It is time that we focus on those divine ideas that invite us to peace, non-violence and dignity and respect for all.
The Connecticut shooting should remind us that gun control would not be enough, and tougher laws would not be sufficient. What is needed is a valuable framework taught in our families, communities, and schools that promote a culture of peace, a culture of the sanctity of human life and the respect for each and every individual regardless of his or her background.

Weddings: An Islamic Way

On average, I perform 15 to 20 weddings each month in this so-called sin city. People always fly from different parts of the country or the world to get married. Las Vegas has become the wedding capital of the world. In most cases, the marriage ceremony is civil but some prefer to add religious rituals also. Right outside the marriage bureau are several chapels who charge quite a lot to offer their service. These chapels usually have access to local clergy belonging to different denominations. Depending on the religious orientation of the couple, they invite the priest belonging to that particular denomination. In some instance, where the groom and bride are of different religious traditions or denominations, the marriage is performed by two priests, one after the other to accommodate the religious identity of each person.
I have encouraged Muslim couples to come to the masjid to get their nikah performed Islamically in addition to getting it registered at the marriage bureau. Sometimes people insist that they only want the Islamic part and do not like to register the marriage with the city. Unless I know the couple well, I refuse to perform such marriages. The reason is very simple. Our masajid do not have sufficient information about walk-in-getting-married couples.
Most of the time, these weddings are very simple and the services offered by the Jamia Masjid are free. Occasionally, the couple or their relatives would bring some sweets for the people in the masjid.
However, there are other types of weddings that are arranged in big banquet halls and fancy places. In most cases, the couples’ families invite their family and friends. I personally feel that the Nikah should be performed in the masjid. People can have wedding receptions later either in the mosque if there are such facilities or at a banquet hall. This will maintain the sanctity of weddings and increase the interaction between masajid and the community. Many times people invite their non-Muslim friends to join the nikah ceremonies. The visit to masajid would indeed give such people a good exposure to Muslim places of worship. This way, we will be closer to the teachings and lifestyle of the Prophet.
In weddings that are organized at banquet halls or hotels, some are very lavish and some are modest. Some families spend a huge amount of money on these weddings.  Probably, the newly married couple would be better served if the amount of money spend on celebrations is spent on helping them settle for their future life. Yet it is an individual choice and people should never lose sight of the modesty that is recommended in Islam.
Mehr is a well-established Islamic practice and most of the time people would want the same amount of mehr for their wife that was given by Ali Ibn Talib, the fourth Calilph to the daughter of the Prophet, Fatima Zahra.
The mehr of the Prophet's daughter, Fatema was
1. An armor worth, 400 or 480 or 500 Dirhams.
2. One pair of cotton Yemeni Gloves.
3. Raw and untanned hide of a goat


The mehr is a woman’s right and her property and it must be paid, preferably at the time of the wedding. While calculating the value of mehr in our times, people should weigh in all factors, including, inflation, and the cost of living, etc. It should not overburden the husband nor it should diminish the value of the gift being offered to the bride.
Most of the weddings, even with lavish spending are not an expression of pomp and show. But sometimes, one finds an occasional display of mixed dancing and loud music and transparent, sleeveless or tight dresses. This is when I have always felt uncomfortable to stay longer than the usual. I usually tell the host politely that I would not stay during the dancing, regardless of who is performing it. I usually leave immediately after the nikah and I often request the families to ensure that loud music inviting people to dance should not be played before the nikah just to maintain the sanctity of the Quran. I think there are better ways to display one’s excitement and happiness than showing it off with dancing where almost every curve of the body become visible to those who watch it. I fully realize the nature of the event, but again, there are certain styles of happiness that people should limit to those who are eligible to appreciate it.
One can argue that people watching these people dancing should control their thought process. This is an ideal situation, but we can safely assume that each one of us is at a different level of controlling one’s looks and one’s thought process.
The wedding gifts are also important. Perhaps, a better way is to offer cash as a gift rather than offering things in kind. At times, people do not find the best use of the gift in kind; the cash will help them to spend on their needs. One should not overspend on buying gifts to burden one. Those who receive the gift should be considerate toward the giver in this aspect.
The marriage sermon is very important. I avoid giving long sermons. It should explain the importance of the event, the responsibilities of the bride and bridegroom towards each other and towards their families, the methodology to resolve their differences of opinions in the future if there are any and the vision of a happy and prosperous life built around love and kindness. It is an event that brings a man and a woman together and the sermon must emphasize love and compassion towards each other. Many times, such events are attended by non-Muslims. So before the end of the sermon, I usually request the people make silent prayers in their own religious traditions to acknowledge their presence and then ask all to join in loud prayers usually given in Arabic and in English.
I believe that our wedding ceremonies can be an expression of our commitment to the teachings of our Prophet in a modest manner. We must always remember that this event is all about coming together of two individuals under the divine guidance, going against the general practice of living together as is generally practiced at least in the Americas and Europe. The couple must be congratulated, appreciated and encouraged for this. They are the stars of the event and the focus of the sermon and celebrations should ensure that within the guidelines set by Allah and his prophet, their happiness is a priority. It is not a time to preach, but a time to celebrate.