Is Namaz prayer to God or trouble for others? Should the majority Hindus and others too occupy the streets to pray ?

Today this question is repeatedly flashing in the mind that if, like the Muslims offering Namaz on the streets of India, the majority Hindu community of the country and the followers of other religions also come out on the streets to pray, then what will be the situation in the country? Chaos? Because there are so many diverse beliefs, sects and philosophies in India that if everyone is given an opportunity to pray on the streets at a fixed time every day, then 24 hours will still be less for people to worship their God.

Imagine - What will happen if everyone in the country gets exemption in this way? Will anyone be able to walk on these roads of the country? Will any sick or needy person who has to perform tasks at a specific time be able to complete all his tasks? If the answer to these questions is no, then why and under which law should Islamic worshipers be allowed to pray on the roads?

First of all, what happened during Friday Namaz in Indralok area of Delhi should not have happened, no police personnel should insult anyone by kicking them while offering Namaz. What happened is very unfortunate, no one in any civilized society would support it, but why did it happen? Why do such situations arise again and again; this too must be answered?

In fact, this is not the first time that collective namaz was being offered on the streets in Delhi. At many places across the country, there are often attempts to harass the common citizens of India by offering Namaz in this manner. The sick in ambulance does not reach the hospital on time; due to this many people die for not getting timely treatment. If someone accidentally comes to the road where Namaz is being offered, he is unable to reach his office on time. The person who has been given time to meet is not able to meet him at the stipulated time . Under these situation many times the person not only suffers huge financial and social losses, he even has to lose his job. The Boss says, “Why didn't you leave for office earlier? Why did you go on that path (where Namaz was being offered)? Choose some other path!”

It is being seen again and again that suddenly crowd start coming to playgrounds and public places from all directions, children playing and other people who have come there to rest for some time to find peace in this hectic life. Someone has come to talk to his friend in private. All such people have to immediately leave their game and place because of this sudden Islamic mob. Even if they have no faith in Islam. In fact, here they are forced to flee from a public place under duress. Those whose constitutional right allows them to sit without any restriction as long as the time for sitting at that place is fixed. Will anyone think about the injustice being done to these people and about their constitutional rights? In such a situation, if anyone opposes leaving his place, he is declared anti-Islamic and a traitor to Islam without any delay.

This figure should also be taken into consideration that after Indonesia's eight lakh mosques, India has the highest number of mosques, more than three lakh. However, many people have objection to the number of three lakh mosques built in India. Because some reports suggest that India has the largest number of mosques in the world, not Indonesia. But the moot question here is that despite lakhs of mosques in India, why do the Muslims here offer Namaz in the open roads and public places? World over countries whose national religion is Islam, even there Namaz is not offered in the open on such a large scale! Is this not a subtle demonstration of Islamic power being carried out across the country every Friday in the name of prayer?

India is a democratic country, people of all sects and religions live here, but there are 57 Islamic countries of the world which claim to follow the path shown by Prophet Mohammed purely on religious basis and base their faith on a book, the Quran. Let us understand that even in those Muslim countries from where Islam spread across the world, worshiping Allah on the streets has been declared a crime.

There, if someone is found not following the law, a huge penalty is imposed on him as punishment. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a big and clear example of this. In this Islamic country, it is a crime to stop your bike or car on the roadside and offer Namaz. This is an offense under Traffic Law Rule No. 178. The police here say that stopping the vehicle on the roadside and offering Namaz poses a danger to other people walking on the road. Therefore, a fine of 500 dirhams i.e. Rs. 8800 is imposed for offering Namaz on the roadside. Worship should not be done by disturbing anyone, even the Quran does not give the right to do so.

Lieutenant Colonel Salah Abdullah Al Hamairi, Deputy Director of Abu Dhabi (UAE) Transport Department, says that instead of offering namaz on the roadside, Muslims should use rest rooms and mosques built in petrol stations, residential areas and labour camps, otherwise they will have to pay fine without any consideration. They say that even though their country is an Islamic country, the law of the state is there only to ensure that there is good governance in the state system and no one faces any inconvinience.

It must be said that this is why the police of this Islamic country today impose fines on those offering Namaz in public places and if necessary, act strictly and even used batons. But compared to this (UAE) country, you cannot do anything like this in India. If you try even a little, you will be declared communal. Even after repeated explanations, if some people do not agree and continue offering Namaz on the road, then if even token strictness is taken against them, then it is certain that you will be suspended or removed from the job by the government following appeasement policy. After all, what kind of India are we creating? The rules of worship are one for some and different for others?

A year ago, many such reports had come from Gurugram near the country's capital Delhi, in which local people were opposing those offering Namaz in the open. Local people said that there are a total of 22 big mosques in this city alone, yet a large number of Muslims gather around the roads and parks and offer namaz, which causes a lot of inconvinience to them. A huge uproar was seen in Gurugram on this issue for several days. In protest against Namaz, people of other religions and sects also took to the streets and started their religious events. After which the Haryana government had to take a tough decision. Similar pictures of Muslims offering collective namaz on the streets are emerging from many states including West Bengal , Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh every day.

At present, the Yogi Adityanath government has imposed a complete ban on Friday 'Namaz' held on the streets in Uttar Pradesh. Regarding this an order was issued in 2019, the then Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh had also said that “On special occasions when large crowd gathers, it can be allowed by the district administration. But on every Friday prayers this practice will not be allowed .” Guidelines have been issued to all district police chiefs and other officials to ensure that Namaz is not offered by blocking roads.

In Uttar Pradesh, many clerics have even issued an appeal asking Muslims not to disrupt traffic and not to offer namaz on the roads. Sunni Maulvi Maulana Khalis Rashid Firangi Mahali, chairman of the Islamic Center of India and Imam of Lucknow Eidgah, says, “In the past too, we have appealed to Muslims not to offer namaz by blocking the road.” Still, photographs of people offering Namaz on the streets are emerging from many places. It also comes to light that there is a very large number of Muslims living in India who have no faith in the Indian law and Constitution.

In such a situation, it has to be said here that the way the Islamic leaders of the country from time to time call for adherence to the Indian Constitution. That observance does not apply only to non-Muslims. As citizens of the country, it is their (Muslims') duty to follow the dignity of the Constitution and law and order as much as it is the duty of people living in India following any other faith, sect or religion.

According to Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, all persons have the equal right to freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. This right is available to citizens and non-citizens also. But this does not mean that one religious or sectarian community should insult another belief, sect or religion and create obstacles in the path. It would be good if they (those offering Namaz on the road) understand that if they want to live in India, they will have to follow the Constitution and if they or anyone else does not want to follow the Indian Constitution, then they have the option of leaving the country or face the law.

Article by

Dr. Mayank Chaturvedi
Journalist