Why Not Observe December 6 As World Namaaz Day Rather Than A Black Day?

For a large majority of Muslims in India and abroad, December 6 rouses emotions and grief for it was on this day that the Babri mosque at Ayodhya, disputed site for the Hindus, was brought down by frenzied Kar sewaks in 1992. The community observes it as ‘Black Day’. However I beg to differ and have another viewpoint.

First things first. Muslims must take a note that a mosque cannot stand on a disputed site. Islam means peace and therefore a muslim, in any matter, has to take the path which ensures peace.

If a community has some belief attached to a place and they consider it sacred, in order to maintain peace, it can definitely be handed over to them, even if a mosque stands on that ground. History, Geography can come later. In my opinion, it was to improve the political graph of some muslim politicians, that the Babri Masjid was deliberately made into an issue.

Otherwise noted Ulemas from the muslim world were of the same opinion as the rest of sensible world, that the site of mosque should be handed over to the people who regard the site as sacred and Janambhoomi of Lord Ram.

I may have upsetted most Muslims by now. But we must understand that a Mosque in Islam is a place of offering Namaz together, a community center for dispute settlement, for social welfare, for learning, education or exchange of information or knowledge, carrying out events of Ramzan, ghusl and kafan of the dead, carrying out Nikah etc. It needs not be an architectural marvel, grand or luxurious. Just a roof and an enclosure would do.

Whats of utmost importance is that all muslims, professing of practising, should visit it all five times and not just Fridays or on eid and baqreid and connect with Allah in all actuality. Muslims should focus on the basics of Islam and teachings of Prophet s.a.w. and stop serving as pawn to filthy politicians.

Imagine if it was handed over to our Hindu brothers decades ago, today it would have served as center for Unity, Harmony and Brotherhood. We can still make up for what we lost by not observing December 6 as Black Day and rather making it World Namaz Day where we can invite non muslims to mosques.

Namaz is essentially a combination of Yoga, Meditation and prayers or communication with God. If we do not bring out the basic theme of Namaz, obviously it would seem as acrobatics to all those who don’t know about it. Similarly we should focus on the converging points of all rewligions. We would be amazed at the number of similarities we have which would surely outnumber differences. Religion, places of worship can never outpass humanity. And peace should be maintained at all costs.

(The author is a Homeopathic practitioner, views expressed are personal.)