CAIRO – A new hashtag aiming to educate people on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been trending on twitter, with Muslims around the world trying to reassert the image of their Prophet after Paris attacks.
“#WhoIsMuhammad the best husband, the best companion, the best counsellor, the best teacher – he is the best of the Best,” @Abdullahhasan tweeted.
“#WhoIsMuhammad the man who was fought, family members murdered, boycotted for his belief in God – yet forgave them,” he added.
The hashtag #WhoIsMuhammad has been trending on Twitter on Wednesday, the same day that 5 million copies of the French satirical magazine went on sale depicting the Prophet on its front cover.
The edition came after two gunmen attacked the magazine, shouting “We have avenged the Prophet Mohammed, we have avenged the Prophet Mohammed, we have killed Charlie Hebdo.”
In an attempt to highlight the Prophet’s teachings in a wider context, Muslims have posted tweets using #WhoIsMuhammad.
“He said none of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for himself. #WhoIsMuhammad,” @oneCharityWeek tweeted.
“We are his Ummah, and we will stand United. #WhoIsMuhammad”
“#WhoIsMuhammad Who parted from this world without leaving behind a single Dirham, but left an asset that money can’t buy: knowledge & Islam,” @Sumi_hasan tweeted.
“#WhoIsMuhammad He’s the last messenger that Allah sent to complete the message of Jesus, Moses, and all the other prophets (PBUth),” @Kazumi_142 added.
“#WhoIsMuhammad whoever thought of this hashtag is incredible MashaAllah.We need to educate the masses about who our beloved prophet pbuh is,” @Mohxmd tweeted.
Solidarity
Trending worldwide, Muslim were joined by non-Muslims too who stood in solidarity.
“I’m an atheist, but #WhoIsMuhammad trending has put a big smile on my face. Far too much scaremongering about Islam in the media,” @barryhutchison tweeted.
Western media has allowed repeated insults of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
In September 2012, massive protests swept the Muslim world over a US-made film insulting Prophet Muhammad.
The insulting material, which was promote by anti-Qur’an pastor Terry Jones, has also caused strain between the Muslim world and the West over the freedom of expression.
In September 2012, Charlie Hebdo published cartoons displaying a man said to be the prophet as naked.
In 2011, the office of the magazine was firebombed after it published an edition “guest-edited by Muhammad”, which the satirical weekly called Shari`ah Hebdo.
Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad sparked another international crisis in 2005, when a Danish daily published 12 drawings of a man said to be the prophet.
Insulting the Prophet is considered blasphemous in Islam.