Al-Qalam 
By Dr A. Rashied Omar
It is with great concern and apprehension that we received the news on Tuesday, 9 July 2024, of an attempted bomb attack on a Masjid in Durban North. We thank Allah that the masjid security guard was alert and disturbed the suspects, who fled after placing two undetonated explosive devices near the masjid entrance. We condemn this sacrilegious act and call on the South African Police Services to apprehend the suspects and bring them to justice for this inexcusable act of terror. We also call on masajid committees to put in place strict security measures and for congregants especially to be vigilant and proactive so as to avert any attacks on our places of worship.
The Qur`an on the Preservation and Sanctity of ALL Places of Worship
At this time, it is fitting to remind ourselves of the sanctity and sacredness with which Islam regards not only masajid but, indeed, ALL places of worship. Allah, the Lord of all Humankind, proclaims in Surah al-Hajj, chapter 22, verses 39 and 40, the following: Permission (to defend themselves) by means of armed combat is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged. And indeed, Allah has the power to succour them. Those who have been driven from their homelands against all right and for no other reason than their saying, ‘Our Lord and Sustainer is Allah!’ For, if Allah had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, monasteries and churches and synagogues and masajid – all in which Allah’s name is abundantly extolled – would surely have been destroyed. Allah will certainly help those who assist Allah’s cause. Allah is truly All-Powerful, Almighty.
The above Quranic verses were revealed shortly after the Prophet Muhammad’s migration (hijra) from Makkah to Madina. The above Qur’anic verses are significant since they mark a policy shift from passive resistance – and, for the very first time after 15 years, grant the Prophet (PBUH) and the early Muslims permission to resist the relentless persecution of their enemies through armed struggle. These Quranic Verses, however, not only provide legitimation for resisting persecution and oppression through armed struggle as a last resort but also underscore the high and lofty ethics-moral virtue for which Muslims are charged to do so.
It is edifying to note that verse 40 of Surah al-Hajj gives precedence to the protection and preservation of monasteries, churches and synagogues over that of masajid in order to underline the sacredness and sanctity of ALL places of worship and, ultimately, freedom of religion.
`Umar ibn Khattab (ra) and the Church of Holy Sepulcher
The Quranic exhortation and injunction to protect and sanctify ALL places of worship, including Synagogues and Churches, found in the Quran is supported by a number of prophetic traditions and was embodied in the praxis ofour pious ancestors. I would like to provide the example of `Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) as a case in point.
When `Umar ibn al-Khattab liberated Jerusalem in the year 638 of the Common Era, he was invited by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Sophronious to pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. `Umar (RA) politely refused to do so because he was afraid his followers may misinterpret this and destroy the Church. `Umar (RA) thus chose to pray outside the Church, and subsequently, a masjid was built outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to remind future generations of Muslims of the great sanctity and respect Islam holds for all places of worship.
This is indeed a far cry from the current situation in Jerusalem and its blessed surroundings, where Israeli Zionist forces have thus far destroyed over 300 masajid and several Churches, including the damaging of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, thought to be the third-oldest Christian church in the world
The Importance of Observing Masjid Safety Protocols
I have been inspired and reassured by the response of the Muslim community to the news of the aborted bomb attack on a masjid in Durban North. They have used this shocking news not to create panic and paranoia but rather to bolster and augment the existing safety measures instituted at all masajid. I would like to commend their efforts and ask Allah to keep us all safe.
I would like also to make a special appeal to musallis to be disciplined and vigilant whenever we visit the masjid. I urge you to inform yourself and comply with masjid safety protocols. Chief among these is to avoid coming to the masjid with large bags and especially not to leave these bags unattended.
In conclusion, we supplicate and ask, Allah, the Lord of Mercy, to protect and preserve all of our places of worship and render them sanctuaries of safety, peace and tranquility and to keep our physical bodies, our mental health, and most of all our faith secure and flourishing.
