This orthodoxy is killing all of us!

We Indian Muslims are spiritual minded people like other Indians and that orthodox version of religion developed in Middle East does not suite us and right version developed here is Sufism that suites us and make us able to communicate with every human being and with animals and plants and nature – Earth, Sun, Moon and we may see and find oneness in all such entities and thus we feel at home in India.

The emphasis upon external appearance, ritual cleanliness and ritual prayers is killing and is killing everywhere when ISIS is killing all those who deviate a little from their version – they are not only killing those who are without beard but also those who trim and prune their beard. How beard can be path to God and how only untrimmed beard may be so?

All such orthodoxy is alienating us from real society.

Everyone is watching everyone and asks to be correct while doing ritual cleaning, while standing in congregation, while reciting, while bowing. Newer and newer things are added and asked to be complied.

 The concept of filth and cleanliness has forced husband and wife not to have sex as majority of couple don’t feel clean without taking bath and most of the times it is impossible to take bath in early hours and so better not to have sex- this is harming both husband and wife.  

How a ritual cleaning by water or clay can make one clean? It is only change in attitude. First one is told that he is unclean because of doing urination, defecation or sex then he is told magic of becoming clean by doing some ritual. It is told that non-believers and polytheists are unclean – then who grow food, who pluck fruit and vegetables, who bring to shop and who sell? Who dig well, who lay down pipes? Is there any air where nobody has breathed out? And then how those cattle and birds whose milk we drink or whose flesh or egg we eat are clean? The modern World of surgical operations, blood transfusion and organ transplant has proved all such ideas of uncleanness absurd.

All this is orthodoxy, superstition and fanaticism and they are killing each other. All those ritual prayers, fasting and pilgrimage have become harmful now.

In Pakistan, first they killed and persecuted Ahmadiyas and now they are attacking and killing Shias and then they will attack and kill Sufis and also those who belong to other school. In Saudi Arab and Iran they are killing anybody who dissents. ISIS has killed over 10000 people who are deviated from correct path!

Let us return to humanity and have brotherly love with every fellow human being and let us see same Existence in every human being, every animal, every plant and in air, water, rivers, oceans, mountains, Earth, Moon, Sun and Stars. On practical aspect, the young Indians must try to excel in Science, Arts, Literature, Social work, Music, Mass media, Sports and so on. They must reject orthodoxy, blind following of any man, book or past and they must reject sense of uncleanness associated with gender or people.