Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu Alaikkum W.W.

Brother Burhan,

Take a look at the Fatwa given by one of the Mullah in Agra and tell me being a Muslim should I embrace it or reject it.

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ReportFatwa against 54 Muslims for supporting Vande MataramMarch 10,

2004 15:50 ISTLast Updated: March 10, 2004 15:58 ISTFifty-four Muslims have been excommunicated and their marriages nullified by a priest in Agra after they reportedly expressed the view that singing Vande Mataram was not un-Islamic.While issuing the fatwa, Mufti Abdul Quddus Rumi declared that singing of the national song 'would lead them (Muslims) to hell.'It was wrong for Muslims to sing Vande Mataram, he said, adding those advocating the song were deviating from the religion.Muslims who made statements in favour of the song should offer prayers to renew their faith in Islam and remarry according to Islamic rites, he said.Among those excommunicated were Mutwallis (heads) of the Loha Mandi and Shaheed Nagar mosques.Of the 54 who were excommunicated, 13 asked for forgiveness.

This is a news I read in Rediff

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Answer:

Vande mataram

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The song ‘Vande Mataram’ was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1876 and first appeared in his book called ‘Anandarnatha’ in 1882. When India as a nation got its independence from British rule in 1947, this song was a major contender for being chosen as the national anthem of the new independent India, but was rejected on the grounds that this song which glorifies and depicts India as mother Durga, a hindu goddess, would offend the believers of other faiths in secular India.

Here is the complete translation of the song ‘Vande Mataram’:

Mother, I bow to thee!   
Rich with thy hurrying streams,   
bright with orchard gleams,   
Cool with thy winds of delight,   
Dark fields waving Mother of might,   
Mother free.   

Glory of moonlight dreams,   
Over thy branches and lordly streams,   
Clad in thy blossoming trees,   
Mother, giver of ease   
Laughing low and sweet!   
Mother I kiss thy feet,   
Speaker sweet and low!   
Mother, to thee I bow.   
   

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands   
When the sword flesh out in the seventy million hands   
And seventy million voices roar   
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?   
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,   
To thee I call Mother and Lord!   
Though who savest, arise and save!   
To her I cry who ever her foeman drove   
Back from plain and Sea   
And shook herself free.   
     

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,  
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath  
Though art love divine, the awe  
In our hearts that conquers death.  
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,  
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.  
Every image made divine  
In our temples is but thine.  

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,  
With her hands that strike and her  
swords of sheen,  
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,  
And the Muse a hundred-toned,  
Pure and perfect without peer,  
Mother lend thine ear,  
Rich with thy hurrying streams,  
Bright with thy orchard gleems,  
Dark of hue O candid-fair  

In thy soul, with jewelled hair  
And thy glorious smile divine,  
Lovilest of all earthly lands,  
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!  
Mother, mother  mine!  
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,  
Mother great and free!  

There is absolutely no doubt that the writer of this song depicts the nation as goddess Durga, and the recitation of this poem would be akin to a declaration of the abomination of ‘shirk’ in the sight of Allah Subhanah. That the terms and connotations of the poem are against the very basis of Islamic belief in Absolute Monotheism is never in question!

If a believer has recited this poem in ignorance, or has declared in ignorance that the recitation of this poem is not un-Islamic, etc. they must indeed seek sincere repentance from their Lord and Creator for their deeds done in ignorance; it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54: (O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54: When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136: Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Your Question: Take a look at the Fatwa given by one of the Mullah in Agra and tell me being a Muslim should I embrace it or reject it.
The poem ‘Vande Mataram’ is indeed against the very basis of Islamic belief, and the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day must abstain from its recitation.

The real issue and your question here is whether this brother from Agra has a right to pronounce and ex-communicate some muslims who declared in ignorance that the singing of the poem is not un-Islamic. Had they read or understood the meaning of the poetry, and had even basic knowledge of Islam, they would have no choice but to declare it un-Islamic in its entirety!

One enters Islam of his own free will, and one leaves Islam of his own free will; neither can one force a person to become a believer, nor can one force someone who wishes to remain a believer to leave the fold of Islam. If someone declares the ‘shahaadah’ or testimony of faith in the Oneness of Allah Subhanah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as His last and final Messenger, he will be regarded as a muslim in the sight of Shariah and all the rights that are due to a muslim will be accorded to him in full.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2526 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Three things are the roots of faith:

to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah", and

not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and

not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action.’

If some brothers have said this poetry in ignorance, they must indeed seek sincere repentance from their Lord and Creator; it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful. Rather than declaring them apostates, it would have been prudent to present the meaning of the poetry to them and let them see for themselves how the poem glorifies the hindu goddess Durga and convince them with logic and wisdom why its recitation would be akin to declaration of the abomination of ‘shirk’ in the sight of Allah Subhanah.

If the people, after having been presented the evidence still persist in its recitation or believe that the recitation of such poetry is not against Islamic belief, they will have a severe accounting indeed in the Court of Allah Subhanah.

But because they have declared the ‘shahaadah’ or testimony of faith in Allah and His Last and Final Messenger (saws), they will continue to be regarded as muslims in the sight of Shariah, and all the rights that are due to a muslim will be accorded to them in full.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan