Have we been jesting

ignorantly on April Fools Day?

 When life is punctuated by a little bit of fun and joy it becomes enjoyable and Islam also encourages followers to be cheerful at all times while ensuring that fun and enjoyment is not made at the cost of others or through sacrificing Islamic values. Bearing this in mind, there appeared to be no qualms when, in the name of fun, people played jokes on April Fools Day marked on the 1st of April each year. However an article recently carried in one Bangladesh newspaper raises concern on the history of the April Fools Day, which if true would change the Muslim perspective and outlook towards jesting or joking on the first of April each year. 

 According to the Bangladesh newspaper, the April Fools Day dates back to the  15th Century when the decline of Muslim power started in Spain. At that time the Forces of the Spanish rulers, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella encountered  very stiff  resistance  from the  Muslims in the city of Granada. The  valiant  Muslim soldiers  gathered at Granada  and  though besieged for a long time they did not give up.  The losses suffered by the Spanish Force in Granada kept on  mounting and the Spanish King  Ferdinand and  Queen  Isabella  then resorted to deception. They gave a declaration that  if  the gates of Granada were opened for peaceful entrance of the Spanish Force,  Spain would  guarantee peaceful  and unhindered  exit of all the Muslim Forces and Muslim  civilians. No one would be harmed.

 For ensuring that there would be  no rebellious behaviour, the Muslim Forces and civilians were requested  to assemble in the central mosque premises unarmed while the Spanish Force was also to enter Granada  unarmed. About 40,000  Muslims of Granada believed the  declaration and  all assembled at the central mosque unarmed  and opened the gates for the Spanish to enter. However  the Spanish Force is reported to have entered  with arms and after  surrounding the  Muslim Forces and the civilians, they reportedly  massacred all the unarmed  people -  young and old ; boys and girls ; men and women without  any consideration except that of ensuring that the victims were all Muslims. Then they celebrated the day as a day of joy having fooled the  Muslims.

 That  day was 1st of April 1492 , when mere trickery and deception gave the Spanish  an easy but cruel  victory. From then onward for hundreds of years, till today, 1st of April is celebrated as the  “ April Fools Day". This culture has been accepted ignorantly by the Muslim population in many countries as a day of fun and joy. Could any Muslim in a right frame of  mind celebrate such a day of heinous crime against his fellow brothers as a day of joy and fun ? Certainly not unless one was ignorant, as many of us have been over the years.