How Should Muslims Respond to ‘Burn a Quran’ Day?

Asslamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

This incident has provoked outrage across the globe, and although I believe every muslim should and would be disturbed by such an act, trying to turn to the Qur’an and the Sunnah for guidance, I can’t help thinking about the hadith in which the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wa salam) was asked for advice and he responded ‘don’t get angry’, when asked the same question twice again the same answer was given twice again. If we are angered perhaps we should not act while angry. I think many, in the seen and unseen realm, would encourage such an event in order to anticipate a violent response. And any response other than that arrived at through careful analysis and deliberation, would just be giving them what they want.

I’m not saying we should be indifferent, but rather we should not be impulsive or impetuous people.

Here are some points to consider:

– Alhamdulillah, the Qur’an was delivered as a fireproof revelation. They can burn the mus’haf, but no one can burn the Qur’an. Insha’Allah other copies of the mus’haf will exist, and we have been blessed with the memory of innumerable huffaz.

– Those who burn the mus’haf are (from what I understand) using the correct method for disposing of the mus’haf. Perhaps those who proceed with this gesture are fulfilling the Qadr of Allah by appropriately removing the guidance of Allah from those who are not deserving of it (i.e. themselves). Allah tells us in the Qur’an (appologies for using English translation):

2:7 – Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they incur.

7:186 – To such as Allah rejects from His guidance, there can be no guide: He will leave them in their transgression, wandering in distraction.

– They are responsible for the deeds their hands put forth. As muslims our duty should be to inform, but if they have in their possession the mus’haf then there is probably not much more we can offer.

– Perhaps acquisition of copies for burning will result in some of those copies being read. An English film maker (Chris Morris) made a spoof film which attracted controversy in the UK. During his research for the film he met a man who was an active member of the BNP (British National Party (extreme racist group/political party in the UK, not the French Bank!)). His activism centred on aggression towards muslims. One day he thought he would take a step up and attack them on an intellectual level. He decided to read the Qur’an so that he could debate them. By the time he finished reading it, he had taken shahada and became a muslim. Subhanallah.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my humble thoughts, and please forgive and overlook anything I have written which is erroneous and/or not in keeping with the accepted understanding within the deen.

May Allah bless you,

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh