The unfortunate death of famous film actor Irfan Khan, or simply Irrfan as he preferred to call himself later in his life, has started a stupid debate once again on his faith.
Irrfan was a versatile actor and has brought many laurels to India through his performances in international productions. I am proud of his achievements, particularly because he was not from the industry, and struggled hard to find his feet.
As someone who has written a long article not only criticizing Irrfan for his views on Ramadan, rituals of sacrifice, etc. in 2016, but also ‘tutoring’ him on the essence of faith, I am aghast to see how some people are bringing out his old videos and quotes on the day he died to malign him.
On his faith and actions, Islam teaches me, “Lakum Deenukum Valiya Deen (For you is your religion, and for me is my religion”. Who are we to judge or speak ill of him on his death?
Who among us is perfect? Who among us can vouch that s/he will definitely go to janna’h just because we offer the namaz/sala’h, or tweet and write a lot about Islam/Muslims?
Even prophets and companions of the Last Prophet cried nights after nights and prayed in the hope of securing a place in jannatul firdaus.
Irrfan suffered a lot since 2018 when he was detected with the tumour. In March 2018, he posted this poem on his Instagram that proves how his faith in God helped him in those difficult days:
God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don’t let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand #rainermariarilke
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What a person does in his or her lifetime, s/he is alone responsible for it. We generally say that we should not call even a Kafir, an infidel; for you do not know maybe secretly s/he is a believer and have a deeper connection with Allah. Or you never know when Allah shows mercy on a his\her.
A popular Pashto/Afghan proverb goes: “There are no good men among the living, and no bad ones among the dead.” We respectfully bury rapists, murderers, and traitors.
Let Allah be the Judge Alone!
Doing gheebat (slandering) of someone behind his back is considered a sin, how can we speak ill against someone at his death that too in the month of Ramadan! Allah has strictly forbidden his believers to ‘judge’ others. More importantly, we have far bigger enemies in front of us, why waste energy on such frivolous issues?
It is equally shameful how some media are using the death of an actor to use it to malign Muslims.
Rest in peace Irrfan, Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return)
