Not only Muslims of Zaporizhzhya — citizens of other religious views (heads of Social organisation, University professors, Director of Zaporizhzhya Culture Department Mr.Vladyslav Moroco and Zaporizhzhya National University Provost Mr.Gennadi Vasyl’chuk) were invited as well to attend the event “Muhammad — Mercy for the worlds” which took place at the local Philharmonic Hall on January 25. Besides the Imam of the Zaporizhzhya Islamic Cultural centre’s mosque, Mr.Muhammad Mamutov, the word was given to a guest from Kyiv, Mr.Said Ismagilov, Mufti of Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Umma”.
It’s necessary to know bios of the people who changed the world, at least for erudition, no matter what your own religious views are. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was and still remains one of the greatest figures in the history of mankind, and this was repeatedly recognized by representatives of the Western, mostly Christian, civilisation.
In 1935, for instance, the United States Supreme Court honored Prophet Muhammad as one of the 18 greatest lawgivers in human history, and recently deceased professor at University of Edinburgh, William Montgomery Watt, who dedicated his life to explaining the genesis of Islam and the impact this religion had on the human civilization, wrote: “His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement - all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.”
Indeed, prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, had deepest respect for every human being regardless their religious views, ethnicity or roots. Mr.Mamutov recalled the well-known hadith about the last tributes paid by Prophet Muhammad to a funeral convoy. “But Messanger of God, the late person was a Jew!” — his companions probed. “Was he not a human being?”, the Prophet retorted.
Recent events in Paris weren’t come by as well. Said Ismagilov told how a Muslim should really react for such ignorant mockery — with educating people in a good and kind manner, as the Prophet himself used to do, not aggressively. He also explained the difference between the “freedom of speech” and “overindulgence”, drawing everyone’s attention that the latter is inadmissible not only for the cartoonists, but first of all for Muslims in their calling to religion.
For the last Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, never went down to insulting another person no matter how this person insulted him, as he understood that closing the circle of hate blows his chances to reach out this person’s heart for a very long time, if not forever. It has been well said by the God that He sent His Prophet as a “Mercy for the worlds” — not just “Mercy for Muslims”, not “Mercy for people who believe at least in anything”, not “Mercy for certain ethnic group or civilization” — for everyone.
The facilitators presented every young Muslim who attended the event with sweets in the end, so that to make it more pleasant and memorable for them.
