Some people actually have no regard for Divine commandments but, in an Islamic country or in an Islamic society, they do not have the courage to openly say that they do not accept Divine commandments. At such places, some of them get rid of Divine commandments by means of hypocrisy, treachery, verbosity, clever use of words and ambiguous wording. Some others make an effort to explain the Ayahs of the Holy Quran according to their poor understanding and on the basis of their opinion. For example, they say that it is stated in Quran that there is no compulsion in religion. And when there is no compulsion in religion, it is a mistake of Islamic scholars to impose such restrictions on people as “Look at this and don’t look at that?, listen to this and don’t listen to that, do this and don’t do that, eat this and don’t eat that etc.” A simple answer to this objection is that Islamic scholars do not impose restrictions but rather they just inform people about Divinely-imposed restrictions.
Anyway, a person is confronted with this thought or satanic whisper or deception when he attempts to understand the Word of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ on the basis of his own opinion or when he tries to make the meanings of the Holy Quran follow his whims and wishes. The real meaning of the blessed Ayah, i.e. ‘There is no compulsion in the religion (of Islam)’ (Part 3, Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 256) is that no disbeliever will be forced to become Muslim i.e. no one will be made to recite the Kalimah of Islam at gunpoint. This Ayah doesn’t mean at all that Divinely-revealed commandments will not be imparted to anybody; nor does it mean that it doesn’t matter whether anyone acts upon them or not; and nor does it mean that there is no need to advise anyone who freely does what he wishes without caring about right and wrong. But the fact is that اَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَ نَھْیٌ عَنِ الْمُنْکَرِ i.e. the act of calling people to righteousness and prohibiting them from evil is like a red rag to a bull for these liberals and so-called modern scholars.
Therefore, those who reject Divine commandments or distort their meanings using fancy words and verbal fluency, have the mistaken idea that movies, dramas, musical evenings, singing and dancing programs must not be criticized as these are actually included in the arts. Likewise, in liberals’ eyes, those giving performances in catwalk-shows while wearing extremely immodest and indecent dresses and those showing and promoting obscenity and indecency at different places must neither be disrespected nor be criticized even slightly. This is because liberals and modern day so-called scholars are under the impression that other than Quran and Hadees new sources have come into being which will determine what is lawful and unlawful. These sources, they think, are the arts, aesthetic sense, and natural phenomena etc.
اَلْاَمَان وَالْحَفِیْظ! How times have changed! The Lord and the Creator of this universe has clearly said:
قُلْ اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّیَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَ مَا بَطَنَ وَ الْاِثْمَ
Say you (O Beloved), ‘My Lord has made indecencies unlawful; those which are open and those which are hidden, and sin.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 8, Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah 33)
Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has declared obscenities i.e. indecencies Haraam [unlawful]. Now just for a moment, think of the scenes of movies and dramas and whatever happens therein; isn’t it a hundred per cent contrary to this commandment of Allah, and isn’t it indecency? Most body parts of the woman are shown, immodesty is promoted, those parts of the body which should be kept covered are brought into focus, dancing styles, conversation between a boy and a girl, different styles of standing, sitting, lying and many other such things which are contrary to modesty are shown. Are all of these not the acts of indecency and are these not unlawful in the light of the Word of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ stated above? Without any doubt and hesitation, every Muslim regards them as unlawful and sin, and thinks of them as gross indecency.
Now go through the Ayah mentioned above again and then look at the arguments of liberals and modern Maulvis. Despite knowing and understanding the same details of these films, playing the roles of priests and monks in defiance of the commandments of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, they openly declare lawful what Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has declared unlawful and they assert, ‘Society is like a human being, consider it dead, if it has died aesthetically, and then what you see is merely a soulless body. The aesthetic death of society is the announcement of the death of an individual too. It is the arts that provide aesthetic life to society. Life can’t grow where these arts are strangled. If poetry, music and singing do not coexist with the recitation [of Quran] in society, it is not a society but rather it is a graveyard. Certain groups have been campaigning to destroy our sense of humour and are bent upon eradicating every such thing which is the lifeblood of my aesthetic being. Alas! It is religion that has mostly been used as a tool to serve this purpose.’ You have read the comments of these liberals. There is no need to explain something that is already self-evident or nor is it needed to awaken the one who is already awake. Modern day scholars argue that if society has no disco music, no song, no beautiful and sweet singing by female singers who arouse audience and if men and women do not make merry together and do not go to cinemas; this is dead society. According to modern scholars, only Quran is not sufficient to establish society (مَعَاذَ اللّٰە). Rather, if aesthetic sense, the arts, films and dramas also coexist with Quran in society, this will enliven society. Moreover, they complain that a campaign to eradicate their sense of humour has been going on for a long time and that people are bent upon wiping out every such thing which is necessary for the survival of our aesthetic self, and they also argue that it is religion which has mostly been used as a tool to serve this purpose.
It is as if, according to these modern scholars, Quran and Hadees are destroying their sense of humour and aesthetic being. Since the writers of these words don’t have the courage to openly say that Quran and Hadees are destroying their sense of humour or Quran and Hadees are murdering their aesthetic being, they mention such words as ‘religion’ or the ‘use of religion’ to avoid enraging readers. If it is what they have to teach in the name of religion, one might think what’s wrong with those who reject Hadees or even with Chakralwees?
Waa`ay nakami mata’-e-karwan jata raha
Karwan kay dil say ehsas-e-ziyan jata raha
Rah-e-manzil mayn sab gum hayn mager afsos to yeh hay
‘Ameer-e-Karwan’ bhi hayn unhi gum kardah rahaun mayn
Mayn tujh ko batata hoon taqdeer-e-umam kya hay
Shamsheer-o-Sina awwal ta`oos-o-rubaab aakhir
A Muslim feels no doubt that the real teachings of Quran and Hadees are foundations for setting up society. These teachings bless the Nafs, heart and mind with purity, thoughts with brightness, eyes with modesty, and character with obedience to Allah Almighty, inspiring a Muslim to ponder over the Hereafter. Remember, it’s Quran and Hadees that establish the principles of declaring something to be lawful or unlawful. For centuries, the whole Ummah and Islamic scholars have been describing the same fact. But, all of a sudden, if it is said that the arts, aesthetic sense, and society are the sources of declaring something to be lawful and unlawful; by Allah Almighty, this is not Islam but rather these are the arguments used by western society. Attempts are being made to develop and propagate these arguments among Muslims in Islamic countries. Further, by using the above-mentioned attractive words, if anyone declares such goings-on Halal as the dance performed by indecently dressed girls in a sexually attractive way, romantic scenes and films and dramas full of immodesty and indecency; this is nothing but clear deviation from Islam. Remember what Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has said:
وَ لَا تَقُوْلُوْا لِمَا تَصِفُ اَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هٰذَا حَلٰلٌ وَّ هٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوْا عَلَى اللّٰهِ الْكَذِبَؕ-اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ یَفْتَرُوْنَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا یُفْلِحُوْنَؕ(۱۱۶)
And do not utter the lie which your tongues speak, (saying), ‘This is lawful, and this is unlawful,’ in order to fabricate lie against Allah; indeed those who fabricate lie against Allah will never prosper. [Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 14, Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 116)[
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