What does Zurairi expect to get by demonising the Prophet?

Zurairi AR wrote an article in The Malay Mail Online. We will not be indulging into the entire article but the last paragraph were Zurairi seemingly equated the Prophet Muhammad as the founder of extremism. Not only that, terrorism during the month of Ramadhan was linked to the Prophet.

The Prophet was said to have started the “trend” to go to war during the holy month as a ritual like any other. In order to clarify the issue we will try to be concise, as history can work better than sleeping pills for many. The first time Muslims went to war during Ramadan was on the 17th of Ramadan in the 2 Year of Hijrah.

It was not meant to be a war in the first place. It was merely an expedition to take back the property of Muslims that were looted by the Meccan Pagans. Upon the migration of the Prophet and most Muslims, the pagans of Mecca took possession of what was left behind by the Muslims.

These belongings were then brought all the way to modern day Syria and traded there. Hence the Muslims wanted to take back what belonged to them rightfully. The opportunity struck when the caravan was on the way back from Syria and would have to pass close to Medina. 

A group of around (not the exact number) 313 men were gathered to take this caravan. It was intended to be an expedition to merely take what belonged to the Muslims and not a war. However when the pagans of Mecca came prepared to defend what they stole it lead to an all out war.

The pagans numbering around 1,000 men had managed to reinforce their ranks in an area known as Badr, less than 200 miles south of Medina. Badr is somewhat in the middle of Mecca and Medina. Without going into the details of the war itself, the Muslims won and took about 73 prisoners of war and repossessed what the pagans stole.

There are a few things that need attention:

1. It was not intended to be an all out war
2. It was not meant to be a form of religious ritual
3. It was to take back what the pagans stole

In simple words, it was an accidental war that happened because the Muslims wanted to take back what rightfully belonged to them and in no way it was a ritual of any kind.

Zurairi has committed numerous fallacies, non-sequitur, straw man to say the least. One has to ask Zurairi, what does he expect to get by demonising the Prophet? Fame he might get, but for all the wrong reasons. There are other ways of being “seen”.

The comments made by Zurairi are blasphemous. Not because Zurairi’s ignorance on the matter but because he slandered the Prophet S.A.W. by equating him with terrorist he himself shunned in a hadith.

The world would not come to an end until a day would come to the people on which the murderer would not know as to why he has killed and the slain would not know as to why he has been murdered. It would be said: Why would it happen? To which he replied: It would be because of general massacre and bloodshed. And the slaughterers and the slain would be in Fire. (Narrated by Muslim)

Making such statements is a sign of ignorance and arrogance. Arrogance because, speaking without knowing and slandering anyone due to that ignorance is indeed an arrogance to deny the truth and uphold falsehood. Zurairi should study Islam before making false accusations that have no merit nor basis. It would be better to seek knowledge before making a statement that merely displays lack thereof and/or malicious intent.

Rehan Ahmad Bin Jamaluddin Ahmad
President, Intellectual Wisdom Society