One day in Ankara, my friends and I were discussing a chapter from someone’s book when one of them said,
“I remember, from when we live together before, that you said something like this about people who don’t believe in Allah, ‘it’s their own fault. The signs is everywhere but they can’t see it. They choose to close their eyes.’ I totally agree with you.”
I. Was. Arrogant.
“They are stupid. They are ignorant. They deserve a place in hell.”
Turns out I am the stupid and ignorant one.
The revelation came when my partner and I got bored in our room in Istanbul. No interesting football match. Too tired to surf the net.
Out of nowhere, I remember reading a verse in Quran, Al-Bayyinah verse 6.
Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.
The Quran that I read that time has Indonesian translation and it translates “People of the Scripture” as “People of the Scripture (Christians and Jews)”. By the way, please forgive me for taking the verse out of context and solely focusing on that verse. Because that’s how I think back then.
“God is unfair,” I said to my partner.
“There are a lot of Christians and Jews who do good, spread love, and everything, but why did God choose to write that Christians and Jews are going to hell in His holy book? Aren’t there any exception? Shouldn’t there be exception? Is He trying to create conflict or what?”
I was suddenly very upset.
“What about people who don’t know about Islam? Moslems first order from God is to read. READ, for god sake, but still a lot don’t read. Not just books, many don’t even care about signs in the nature. They are simply lucky that their parents are Moslems so that, at least, they won’t stay in hell forever.”
“Hell, I bet they don’t even learn a thing about Christian or Jewish. Yet they expect those people to learn about Islam? Is this some kind of lame joke?”
I don’t remember what my partner said. I was overwhelmed by my own thought and emotion.
“Why did God choose that way to create Islam? Saying this to Abraham, then change it a bit when it comes to Moses, some more addition here and there for Jesus, and, TADA!, the perfect recipe falls to Muhammad’s hands. It’s confusing. Of course there will be some Jews left who won’t accept Christianity. There will be some Christians left who won’t believe in Islam. I mean look at Lia Eden. For Jews, invitation to follow Christians is just insane, like Lia Eden.”
“Man, don’t blame me if I end up following Lia Eden. Looking at the trend, God will send another prophet around this time. How do I know the claim that Muhammad is the last prophet is true or not. God promises to keep the Quran untouched until the end of time. Why didn’t He do it from the beginning? Why didn’t He keep Bible true so that everybody knows that Jesus had once said - someone is coming after me? Peace. Everybody go to heaven. Problem solved.”
I cried. Life feels so unfair that time.
“So confusing isn’t it? So unfair. So sad. If I were Christians or Jews I’d definitely scream to God when He tries to throw me to hell, ‘NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT ISLAM! WHY DO I EVEN HAVE TO CARE ABOUT IT? I GREW UP IN CHRISTIAN FAMILY. IT WAS THE BEST RELIGION. I’M SURE MANY MOSLEMS JUST SIMPLY HAVE FAITH IN YOU, GOD, AREN’T THEY? I ALSO BELIEVE IN YOU! IT’S JUST WITH DIFFERENT WAYS! I’VE MET MOSLEMS AND NO ONE IS TELLING ME ABOUT ISLAM.’”
“OH. MY. GOD. WE are the one that is going to hell, aren’t we? WE don’t tell them about Islam. WE don’t try to explain Islam to them. WE are only judging them, thinking that they are somehow “evil” and going to go to hell. WE are too busy saving our own asses from hell that we forget about them, who could easily drag us back to hell.”
So, the conclusion is … Nah, too lazy to write more. Now YOU think.