Muslims need to protect their heritage

The general feeling of Muslims in the Islamic world is that they are under siege and that the world has turned against them. This might be true, or at least partially true, but there is also an internal danger that has to be faced.

Some Muslims believe that heritage is a threat to pure Islam because it diverts from the true path of Islamic beliefs. This is a disputed opinion because the level of education in the Muslim world prevents Muslims from being misled to an erroneous view of God and his omnipotence. It is hardly credible that some Muslims believe that the saints of Islam, and their shrines, have a power independent or parallel to that of God. At most, their visits to these shrines are a sign of respect for the Prophet, his family, and the true followers of Islam. They also want to use them as a good example in their lives and to base their daily conduct on the principles of Islam, the life of the Prophet and the saints.

Islamic heritage, represented by tombs of the early sahaba and saints of Islam, as well as historical places where the Prophet dwelled and the Dawa (Call of Islam) and state was created should be preserved and brought back to life. Muslims should be encouraged to visit these places for the inspiration of the spirit of Islam.   The shrines of the saints of Islam should be protected. Scholars should fight on two fronts:   to counter the destructive mentality and opinions of a small minority which is trying to create schisms in Islam from within by criticising Muslims in their beliefs and conduct.  It is also necessary to correct the opinions of fellow Muslims peacefully be they wrong beliefs or practices symptomatic of these beliefs.  The destruction of human lives, places of worship and holy shrines is a form of self mutilation. It must stop. The role of Islamic scholars is to condemn these attacks and to guide Muslims towards much-needed unity. The damage to the Islamic world can be limited by fighting destructive trends on the internal front.

Islamic Tourism has done its best to highlight the importance of Islamic heritage and it will do so in future. The view presented here is a response to one of our readers who stopped me in some Islamic event to discuss this matter. We both agreed about what has been said above. If you would like to contribute to this discussion please e-mail: post@islamictourism.com

Dr. Abdul-Rahim Hassan
Editor-in-Chief