After the uproar over the controversial remarks of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammad, a new debate is going on in the country regarding religion. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, every fourth person is a Muslim. Many even claim that Islam will be the largest religion in the world by 2075. On the other hand there are some people who are leaving Islam, becoming critics of it.

Today read the interview of one such young Muslim Sahil, who left Islam two years ago. Now he also runs organizations to help people who have left Islam. So let’s start..

Question- When and under what circumstances did you leave Islam?

Answer: I left Islam about two years ago. I did not find many things right in Islam. When I read Islam through Quran, Hadith and other books, many of the basic things that were told in them about God and humans did not seem right. I realized that Islam divides human beings into two halves. One Muslim and the other Kafir.

A question arose in my mind that how can someone be divided according to his faith? It is understandable that people should be differentiated on the basis of good and bad deeds, but I did not understand to divide people on the basis of who worships whom.

Questions also arose in my mind about the doctrine of instruction and misguidedness in Islam. It is claimed that the Quran has been sent by God as a guidance to humanity. A question arose in my mind – the book which has been sent for humanity. Sent to all humans. It should have been very simple, but after reading the Qur’an, it seemed that it was very vague.

Many verses are unclear. For this reason, do not become many spinners in Islam. Everyone believes that he is on the right path and the rest are on the wrong path. People take the meaning of the verses according to their own accord. Eventually I decided to leave Islam.

Question: Has anyone else in your family left religion? What was your family’s reaction when you broke away from Islam?

Answer: No one else in my family has left Islam. When I left Islam, the family members called an Alim Sahib. Through him, by answering my questions and giving many arguments, an attempt was made to bring me back to Islam, but I did not agree. After this the family members left me for a few days. However, later he came back with me.

Question: You have separated from Islam, then why criticize it?

Answer: Islam is such a religion due to which bigotry comes within the people. I think Muslims are naive and they don’t know the real Islam. In front of them is Islam with sweet syrup. In education, science and other fields, Muslims have been left behind because of Islam.

Now I think that I should make the Muslims aware so that the bigotry will end from within them. The Muslims who were left behind in the society should move forward. Muslims should start considering others as human beings and the thought that they are the best and better than the rest of the human beings should end in them. That’s why I keep raising my questions about Islam.

Question: What will you say on tawheen-e-risalat and blasphemy? Do you ever feel that your words can hurt the feelings of others?

Answer: There is no one fixed definition of insolence or disrespect. The Muslims of one sect say that the Muslims of the other sect are arrogant and misguided. Anyone’s feelings get hurt over anything. Our intention is not to insult or insult anyone, but to raise questions. Our method is very clear. We raise questions in the light of facts.

We keep our point in such a way that there is no arrogance and our objection is also registered. I believe that even if you want to criticize a very honorable person, it should be done in a very respectful manner.

Question: Our constitution gives freedom to the people to practice their religion in their own way. Don’t you think that by criticizing Islam you are interfering with their rights?

Answer: I never said that Islam should be abolished or Islam should be banned. I understand that religion is part of personal freedom. If someone wants to be a Hindu, Muslim or atheist, then no one should have any problem with that.

The problem arises when a Muslim tries to impose his Islam on another. The Constitution of India gives freedom to everyone to follow their own religion, but there is no freedom of religion in Islam. If you read Islam, you will know that if someone leaves Islam, then the punishment for him is death.

Question: What is your opinion on the controversy that has arisen over the remarks on Prophet Muhammad?

Answer: What Nupur Sharma said about the Prophet was not from his side, but from Islamic sources. So why so much controversy over his remarks? If there is a problem with this, the source should be denied. In what way is it rude to quote something from what is written? This is the whole game of Maulanas, who raised this issue by tricking the common Muslims.

There is no measure of gullibility. If someone calls the Prophet Sahib only Rasool, then he can also consider it as arrogant. I think the atmosphere of the country has been spoiled. Those Maulanas who instigated people in the name of Tawheen-e-Risalat should be punished. Who gave the slogan of separation from the head.

Question: Did you talk to any Islamic scholar to answer your questions, could he answer?

Answer: I watched videos of Islamic scholars on YouTube to find answers to my questions. I talked for hours and hours with Islamic scholars whom I knew, but I did not get satisfactory answers to my questions. When I left Islam, the family had called a mufti from Deoband, a specialist in atheism and religion. Talked to him for four-five hours, but he did not have any satisfactory answer to my questions.

I spoke to an Islamic scholar who has millions of followers. He also has a TV channel. He could not answer my seven-eight questions till date. He had said that he would answer after doing research.

I wondered if I was mistaken. Maybe my thinking is wrong. Searched the entire internet but couldn’t find any answers anywhere. Eventually I had to leave Islam.

Question: Are you an atheist now or follow any religion?

Answer: Now I do not believe in any religion. I have begun to reject the doctrine of religion itself. I think religions have been created by humans. Sometimes I believe that there is no God.

Question: Have you thought of adopting any other religion, if yes, which religion and why?

Answer: For me humanity is the biggest religion. I believe it above all religions. It is my endeavor that no one should suffer because of me. I will never accept any other religion in future. Now the very principle of religion seems to be wrong.

Question: Have you ever felt any danger because of leaving Islam?

Answer: There was no problem when I left Islam. Never felt any threat from the family. However, when I started activism, threats started pouring in. When I participate in TV debates, people make threats live. Send abuses on WhatsApp. Nowadays the environment is not right.

What I say is not tolerated by Muslims. So there is always danger. A very small community of ex-Muslims is emerging. I request the government to give protection to this community. Law should be brought to protect us.

Question: Every religion has beautiful and good things too, have you ever liked anything in Islam and why?

Answer: Islam is also a religion and there are many good things in it. Zakat in Islam means that the arrangement of charity for the poor is very good, but the problem is that Zakat can be given only to poor Muslims. There are other things very good in Islam. At the same time, many things are also very dangerous, they cannot be ignored.

(Credit – Dainik Bhaskar)

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