GENUINE AND REACTIVE RELIGIOSITY
The incident dates back to May 1922. Outside Shah Alami Gate in Lahore, Hindus constructed a temple. On seeing this, Muslims felt that a mosque should also be built alongside the temple. In an atmosphere where the temple spires were gleaming, it was considered necessary that the grandeur of a mosque’s minaret should also be visible. Accordingly, funds were immediately collected, and a piece of land near the temple was acquired for a mosque. After the night prayer, construction of the mosque began. Work continued throughout the night. By morning, people saw that a mosque stood fully built opposite the temple. It was this very incident that inspired Dr. Muhammad Iqbal to compose his famous couplet:
Masjid to bana di shab bhar mein, imaan ki hararat walon ne
Man apna purana paapi hai, barson mein namazi ban na saka
They built a mosque overnight, driven by outward religious zeal;
but the old, sinful self could not become prayerful even after years.
This is a symbolic incident that applies to most Muslim activities in the present age. In our time, many religious activities are, in fact, reactive. Their real driving force is some action by another community, not the genuine command of God and His Messenger.
Such religiosity is reactive religiosity. It is born of a national impulse, not a divine impulse. As a result, Muslims, influenced by material, geographical, and political factors, have come to regard other nations as rivals. By seeking to outdo them, they attempt to gain a sense of national satisfaction. All such actions are, in reality, national actions, even if outwardly presented in religious dress.
A believer is one who fears God, whose every activity is carried out under God’s guidance. To stop is for God, and to move forward is for God. Work done with such awareness carries God’s support and produces beneficial results. But work done in rivalry with other nations increases hatred and conflict. Its outcome is limited: the situation becomes more complicated and never reaches a good conclusion. (Al-Risala, January 1983)
