Political Awareness of the Hijra
The Muslims ought to be reminded of the events that took place to signify the Hijra. And what is incumbent is to reveal its essence so as to make the Muslims truly understand its meaning and significance as opposed to a mere spiritual tradition that is inherited like the other religions, or the events that resulted in a mere change in the recording of the calendar, much like the calendar of the christians. In order to portray its vital (ideological) aspects, that which is not discussed today due to its threat to the present regimes, it is necessary to first undertake a study of the Hijra from the authentic sources of seerah, and then to derive the meaning from it. The meaning that will draw attention to the real issues of today - that Islam is both a spiritual and political Doctrine - such that by it the generation of a momentum to revive the Muslim ummah will spring from it, and at the same time all will be made aware of it.A study from the authentic sources of seerahThe Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the Muslims in Makka to migrate to Medina in small parties, and so they began to migrate either individually or in small groups.As for the political awareness of Quraysh with respect to the Muslims Ibn Ishaq states, "When Quraysh saw that Muhammad (saw), had assembled a party, and had support from elsewhere other than from the Quraysh and Makka, from a town other than theirs, and witnessed Muhammad's (saw) companions moving out to join these forces, they realised that the Muslims had found a new home with them and had acquired their protection. Quraysh were concerned that Muhammad would also leave them, since they knew that he had decided to do battle with them."As for the actual Quraysh response to this situation ibn Ishaq states, "Quraysh were concerned that the Messenger of Allah (saw), would leave and join them (those from a different tribe), since they knew that he had decided to do battle with them. They therefore, gathered in Dar al-Nadwa - the House of Assembly - the home of Qusayy bin Kilab, where all their top-level decisions were made."According to ibn Kathir, "Related from Abdullah bin Abu Najih, from Mujahid bin Jabr, that Abdullah ibn Abbas narrates the following. "The day arrived when they agreed to meet to enter their assembly to discuss what to do about the Messenger of Allah (saw). That day is known as yawm al-zahma (The Day of Gathering), and on it Shaytan, came before them in the form of a Shaikh from Nejd dressed in a heavy cloak. He stood at the door of the house, and when they saw him they asked who he was. Shaytan replied, "I come from Nejd, from the highlands, and I have heard why you have agreed to meet, and I have come to listen to what you say and perhaps offer some advice or comment." They invited him in. He entered the meeting where the Quraysh leadership were assembled. They consisted of Utba, Shayba, Abu Sufyan, Tai'ma bin Adi, Jubayr bin al-Harith, Abu al-Bakhtari bin Hisham, Zam'a bin al-Aswad, Hakim bin Hizam, Abu Jahl, Nabih and Munabbih, sons of al-Hajjaj, and Umayya bin Khalaf, along with various others of their supporters from Quraysh. They reminded one another of what they had experienced from the behaviour of Muhammad (saw), and agreed that they felt insecure (danger) from the possibility that he (saw), the Muslims, together with their material support (the chiefs of Medina), might make an attack upon them. Having discussed the issue, one of them said to have been Al-Bakhtari bin Hisham suggested, "Put him in irons and gaol him, then wait for him to have the same fate that befell poets before him, such as Zubayr and al-Nabigha. He would die as they had." But the Nejdi Shaikh objected saying, "No that is not a good plan. If you do shut him up, news of him will get right past the door you have locked on him and reach his supporters. They will promptly attack you and release him and then increase until they overcome you. That is not a good idea." They consulted further, and one suggested, "Let's exile him from our territory. Once he has gone we'll be rid of him and we'll be able to restore our affairs as they were before." The Nejdi Shaikh again observed, "No. That's not a good idea for you. You know how sweet his talk is, and his reasoning, and how he convinces others of his message. If you do that you'd have no security against him going to live with some Arab tribe and using his speech and discourse to get them to follow him. Then he would lead them against you and perhaps defeat or dispossess you and do what they like with you. No, think of something else." Abu Jahl then said, "I have an idea that hasn't occurred to you yet." "What is it?" They asked him. "I think we should select one young man from each tribe, and someone who is strong, of excellent lineage and reputation as a leader. We should give each one a sharp sword and they would go to him and use the swords to strike him in unison. They would kill him and we would be rid of him. If they do this, his blood would be spread over all the tribes. And Banu Abd Manaf will not be able to do battle against them all. So they will accept blood money which we can pay them." The Nejdi Shaikh commented, "What he says is right. This is the right idea, and no other." Having agreed upon this the assembly broke up.Jibreel (as) then came to Muhammad (saw), and told him, "Do not sleep tonight in the bed you usually use." When it was fully dark that night the Quraysh men gathered outside his (saw) door waiting for him (saw) to sleep so that they could attack him. Having seen where they were, the prophet (saw) said to Ali (ra), "Sleep on my bed, and wrap yourself in this green cloak of mine from Hadramawt; sleep in it. You'll not come to any harm from them." The prophet (saw) was in the habit of sleeping in that cloak of his."Yazid bin Abu Yazid relates from Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi, "The men met there at his (saw) door, Abu Jahl, who was among them said, "Muhammad claims that if you follow him you'll become kings of the Arabs and the non-Arabs alike. Then you'll be given life after death and be provided with gardens like those of Jordan. If you don't do that, then, he says, you will be slaughtered, given life after death but be put into a hellfire where you will be burned." The prophet (saw) then picked up a handful of dirt, saying, "Yes. I do say that. And you are one of them!" Then Allah (swt) took away their sight from them and they could not see him. He began sprinkling the dirt on to their heads while he (saw) recited the following verses from the Qur'an. "Ya-sin. By the Qur'an, the wise. You are among those who are sent forth upon a straight path", upto the verse, "We have placed a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and have covered them over so they cannot see" [TMQ Ya-Sin; 36:3-9]. Every single man among them had dirt thrown on his head. He (saw) then left and went where he (saw) so wished. Someone who had not been there with these men arrived and asked, "What are you waiting here for?" They replied, "For Muhammad." "God damn you! Muhammad just came out to you and he did not leave any single one of you without throwing dirt on your head. He then left and went elsewhere. Can't you see what has happened to you?" Each man then placed his hand on his head and found dirt there. Looking closely they saw Ali (ra) on the bed covered in the green cloak of Muhammad (saw). They stayed there until morning; when Ali (ra) arose from the bed they said, "By God, what he told us must have been true!"" Ibn Ishaq says that among other verses Allah (swt) revealed the following. "And when the disbelievers plotted to confine, kill or exile you they made plans and He made plans, and He is the best Planner of all" [TMQ Al-Anfal; 8:30]."Finally, Allah (swt) gave His (swt) Messenger the permission to migrate. "Say: O Allah, make my place of arrival good and make my place of departure good. And grant me an aid and an authority from Yourself" [TMQ Bani Isra'il; 17:80]" And ibn Kathir states that the event marks the beginning of the Islamic era as was agreed upon by the sahaba (ra), during the rule of Umar (ra) - Al Hijra.All praises are due upon Allah the Almighty (swt). This was the move to Medina (which was also known as Dar al-Hijra), and it proved to be a turning point in the entire history of the ummah of Muhammad (saw), whereupon the Islamic State was established as a political entity that would influence the affairs of the world to come. The ideology was firmly established both in concept and in practical existence, and indeed this State, the very State that Muhammad (saw) himself established, continued in existence until its demise in 1924 at the hands of the colonialist disbelievers and their agent Mustapha Kemal.It is here that we can make the following observations and deduce the political awareness of the Hijra in light of our present times.1. The attempt to kill the Messenger of Allah (saw)We learn from the seerah that the attempt to kill the Messenger of Allah (swt) reflects the fact that what the prophet's (saw) call represented was a grave danger to the very existence of the Quraysh such that their very survival was in question - the survival of that regional power. That one man and his (saw) companions, warranted elimination altogether, provides evidence that there was a danger to the Quraysh of the gravest proportions. So, what was this danger? What was the threat that Muhammad (saw) posed that could not be contained? That it became the issue of survival (life and death) of Quraysh? What was it that the kings and rulers of his (saw) day perceived? Here follows an explanation.The key in understanding this is to realise that the prophet's (saw) call was not new to Quraysh at the time when they decided to kill him (saw). The verdict to kill him (saw) was issued at the gathering in Dar al-Nadwa, and immediately they moved to implement that plan that very same night. The prophet (saw) migrated to Medina and ibn Kathir mentions that, "Bukhari states that, "Matar bin al-Fadl related to us, quoting Rawh, quoting Hisham quoting Ikrama, from ibn Abbas who said, "The prophet's (saw) migration took place in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the thirteenth year of his (saw) mission, on a Monday.""" And ibn Ishaq stated that the decision to kill the prophet (saw) was issued only a day before. This means that the decision to kill him (saw) and the migration sequentially coincided and thus both events occurred in the thirteenth year of prophethood.So the verdict of killing came only after thirteen years of experiencing the prophet's call in which his (saw) methodology was explicit in politically challenging the leadership in Makka, and where he (saw) called for its destruction and termination. Why did they only now after thirteen years of experiencing this, decide to kill him if his (saw) explicit call was not secret and his (saw) intentions for power and leadership were not concealed? The clear answer and explanation lies in the realisation by the Quraysh leadership, which lies in two significant factors:a) The response of the strong factions within the society in Medina - namely the Nuqaba (Generals and Officers) - and,b) In the implications of the migration of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to a society that had been prepared and displayed a readiness to accept the full implementation of the Islamic Ideology.As for the first point, it reveals that the second pledge of Aqabah had been taken which meant that the ones in whose hands the real power lay, accepted rather than rejected the aim of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to establish himself (saw) as the head of that society, thereby establishing an Islamic State.According to ibn Ishaq, who related from Ma'bad, from 'Abd Allah, from his father Ka'b bin Malik who said, "When we met at the defile we waited for the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he (saw) did come. When they sat down, the first to speak was Al 'Abbas bin 'Abd Al Muttalib who said, "O Khazraj! Muhammad holds with us a position of which you are aware. We protect him from our people who think about him as we do. He is respected among his people and safe in his own town. But he is determined to join up with you. If you think you will keep trust with him in the invitation you have given him and will protect him from his enemies, then it is up to you to accept your responsibilities. But if you think you might hand him over and abandon him after he has joined you, then leave him right now. He does have respect and protection among his own people and in his town." We replied, "We hear what you say. Speak to us O Messenger of Allah (saw)! And take for yourself and for your Lord whatever you want." The Messenger of Allah (saw) then spoke, recited the Qur'an, invited people to Islam. He (saw) said, "I ask you to pledge that you will defend me as you do your women and children." Al Bara' bin Ma'mur then took him (saw) by the hand and said, "Yes indeed, we will! I swear by Him who sent you with the Truth, protect you as we do our women from whatever threatens them. We pledge ourselves to you O Messenger of Allah, and we are, I swear it, warriors from father to son over many generations." While Al Bara' was speaking to the Messenger (saw) he was interrupted by Abu Al Haytham bin Al Tayyihan, who said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have certain ties to others - meaning the jews - and if we break these, we are concerned that if Allah gives you victory, you might return to your own people and abandon us." The Messenger (saw) smiled and said, "If your blood be sought, our blood shall be sought, and your destruction is mine as well. I am of you and you are of me. I will battle those you battle and make peace with those with those whom you make peace." The Messenger of Allah (saw) then said, "Bring forth twelve from among you to be nuqaba (leaders vis-à-vis commanders) to take charge."With this event, the Quraysh became concerned at the progress of the prophet (saw). For ibn Ishaq states, "When Quraysh saw that Muhammad (saw) had assembled a Party, and had supporters from others than their own people and from a town other than theirs, and saw his (saw) companions moving out to join these others, they realised that the Muslims had found a new security with them and had acquired their protection. Quraysh were concerned that Muhammad (saw) would leave and join them, since they knew that he (saw) had decided to do battle with them. They therefore gathered in the Dar al-Nadwa, the House of Assembly, the home of Qusayy bin Kilab, where all their decisions were made. They discussed there what they should do with him (saw) since they now feared him more than ever."This is especially so due to the status of those of Medina who represented the strong and powerful factions, and the fact that their Chiefs of Staff gave unequivocal support to the establishment of the Islamic State. And the seerah indicates that they were distinguished amongst the general masses in society, in that the power and control of affairs lay in their hands.So the significance here of the successful contacting of the strong factions, (that is the Generals and Officers of Yathrib), is that it was a definitive move in establishing the Islamic authority, and therefore the ruling. Since, the ones in whose hands the power and control lay had been won over in a powerful manner, it clearly signified a departure from the days of intellectual and political struggle in Makka, to a decisive move into a completely different phase of the d'awa, that of taking power and implementing the Ruling of Islam.As for the second point - the implication of Statehood of the Islamic message - the significance is in the fact that he (saw) would receive not only protection, but also power, the basis of which would have been the Islamic Ideology. There, in Medina, if he (saw) were allowed to migrate, would receive no obstacles in the path of establishing the Islamic Ideology, and since his (saw) aims were not only confined to Medina, but rather to a return to Makka, but this time under quite different circumstances to what the Quraysh had perceived of him. For if he (saw) were successful in the migration, and the building and consolidation of the new society in Medina - namely the establishment of an Islamic State - he would be a force and a power to be reckoned with. Thus, the migration to Medina would establish the permanency of the Islamic threat like never before, with the formation of a new State - an Islamic one - present and active in the political arena to manage every affair of the Muslims via the vehicle of an Islamic State.The fact that the prophet (saw) and the Muslims would achieve an Islamic State and therefore an authority in ruling is not only a fact that can be comprehended from the seerah books, but also from the revelation of the Almighty (swt). For when Allah (swt) revealed, "Say: O Allah, make my place of arrival good and make my place of departure good. And grant me an aid and an authority from Yourself" [TMQ Bani Isra'il; 17:80] Ibn Kathir's tafseer states about this, "Qatadah said about this, "The phrase 'place of arrival' referred to Medina, while the words 'place of departure', referred to his (saw) migration from Makka. The words 'grant me an aid and an authority from Yourself' referred to Allah's Book and to the ruling by what Allah had revealed." It was Allah (swt) that had taught this prayer to the prophet (saw), and thus the migration was a migration to a place of authority and ruling whereby the implementation of the Ideology would practically exist.""Furthermore, when Allah revealed concerning the migration to Medina in Surah Al An'am,"They are those whom We gave the Book, the Ruling (Al Hukm), and prophethood. But if they disbelieve therein, then indeed We, have entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers therein." [TMQ Al-An'am; 6:89]Ibn Kathir states in his tafsir, ""They are those whom We gave the Book, the Ruling (Al Hukm), and prophethood." It means We have bestowed these bounties (the Qur'an, the rule and authority, and the prophethood), on them, as a mercy for the servants, and out of our kindness for creation. "But if they disbelieve therein", refers to the three things, the Book, the rule and the authority, and the prophet, and 'they' refers to the people of Quraysh according to ibn Abbas, Sa'id bin al Musayyib, Ad Dahhak, Qatadah, As Suddi, and others. "Then indeed We, have entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers therein." Means, if the Quraysh and the rest of the people of the earth - Arabs and non-Arabs, illiterate, and the People of the Book - disbelieve in these (the Book, the Ruling, and the prophethood), then We have entrusted them to another people, the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and those who follow their lead until the Day of Judgement."The fact and undeniable reality that the Messenger of Allah (saw) upon migration would have meant the establishment of an Islamic State ruling by what Allah (swt) has revealed, is now made clear, and provides explanation of the significance, political implications, and fears of the migration of the prophet (saw) in the eyes of the Quraysh leadership.So, the Quraysh realised that the threat was very real indeed, that the prophet (saw) and the Muslims had very little way to go before the stage of taking power and implementing the Ideology comprehensively. Thus a successful conclusion to the phases of d'awa undertaken in Makka. It would mean the birth of the Islamic State, and with it, it would bring the Islamic Ideology into existence. They (the Quraysh), realised the importance of ruling and authority, and what it would mean, and what it would enable the Muslims to do. They knew the implications of the establishment of the Islamic State, and they feared it and it occupied their concerns. So much did they realise this, that nothing would have provided for an effective measure but to kill him (saw). And they understood the implications of his (saw) entry into Medina which explains that they did not settle for any other measure in their meeting at Dar an-Nadwa, but to kill him (saw). This is what the establishment of the Islamic State meant to Quraysh, the opponents of the Islamic Ideology!This is the indication from the books of seerah as to the motive to kill the Messenger of Allah (saw) at this particular point in time. It is an indication that even the opponents of Islam understood the implications of an Islamic State present in life's affairs.O honourable ummah! It would not be fitting for you, after even your enemies then had realised the significance of an Islamic State, for you to neglect its importance in the affairs of the Muslims, and for you to neglect its call. Neither should you allow those elements who claim to be from among us to seduce you into thinking that the Islamic State is not of a major significance in Islam and to the Muslim ummah. As for you, the sincere mighty d'awa carriers, know that the escalation of forces and the intensifying of energies directed towards preventing your work from achieving its results, should not be a source of depression for you, but rather should be seen as a conducive sign that indeed you are on the right path in the way of your Lord and guided by the correct evidences for its method. For the opponents of Islam today, too recognise the nearness of your goals and the impending victory that is about to be manifest, and the readiness of the Muslim ummah in supporting the call to re-establish the mighty Khilafah State. And such recognition by the enemies of this Deen, pushes them to address this powerful momentum by inventing new and desperate measures against you (with creative styles and elaborate means), whether they are directly from the enemies themselves - namely the disbelieving colonialist nations - or indirectly, from their agents and faithful and loyal supporters.Just as the meetings, strategies, and plans took place at Dar al-Nadwa then, so do the meetings, strategies and plans occur today that convey such urgency and panic! Their sole purpose is to obstruct the changing affairs of the Muslim ummah and the success of the sincere d'awa carriers that are among them due to their successful and powerful progression. Do not be fooled into thinking otherwise, for they would desire your blindness and your dumbness!They have today organised a crusade with the banner of 'fighting terrorism' but the Muslims realised before anyone that not only would it be them who would feel the brunt, but they would be the sole targets of their Pharonic expression. And it is that which the Pharaoh then feared from the people, that the arrogant Pharonic American state fears today. This in itself is a proof of the fear that they harbour and the nearness of the impending victory.What is seen today of their strategies and plans is but a continuation of the plans that were concocted almost one-thousand years ago. They have convened many conferences and meetings. They have formulated many plans and strategies against the Muslims. And they too, like the Quraysh before them, are not unfamiliar with the Islamic Ideology, its State, and the carriers of its call. Thus, in the early conference of 1095 C.E the Europeans were roused by the similar propaganda and hysteria of today, and launched the crusades against the Muslims which ultimately led to their defeat and failure. Then, they convened again to assault the Muslims this time by a missionary and cultural invasion to weaken the Islamic ideological concepts. Then followed, the political invasion, the destruction of the Khilafah State in 1924, the imposition of the agent rulers, and the division of Muslim land. Even after all of this, the aspiration of ridding the world of Islam and its mighty state still did not materialise. So then came the creation of the State of Israel to keep the entire middle-east region under colonial influence, and then followed the Gulf War. These plans to keep these regions that are inhabited by Muslims and the sincere movements under the might of the colonial powers, and to ensure that their affairs remain under their control.So, even after all of these further attempts, and further attempts after that to block Islam and the Muslims from rising from the rubble, the Muslims have only increased in their energy and have crystallised their concepts, to the extent that almost every single inch of Muslim land is crying out for the return of the ruling by what Allah (swt) has revealed. Only yesterday was it that despite this continuation of the crusade against Islam, calls to establish the Islamic State were being echoed from not only the Middle-East, Central Asia, The Fertile Crescent (Al-Sham), as one might naturally expect, but also other regions despite their geographical obscurity such as Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, and Gambia. This is despite the fact that their Pharonic attempts have been methodical to the highest precision, they have lasted for a millennium, and unquantifiable resources have been expended.Indeed a new episode in this ongoing saga is what occurred in the aftermath of the events of September 11th, which signified and exposed the disposition of the colonialist US. It became clear from the news events or to the one who pursues the news that an attack in the Central Asian area was imminent prior to the events of September 11th, especially since the Taliban became independent from US control. So, in order to prevent the region falling into instability, especially with what was transpiring in Central Asia and Pakistan (which controlled Afghanistan) in terms of the call to re-establish the Khilafah State and the level to which it had progressed, the events of September 11th was used as the justification to enter these lands directly and quickly. Thus, apart from securing other interests in the region, the only way the Pharonic US state could guarantee that Islam and its State did not fill the political vacuum by the ones who truly crystallised the idea of Khilafah, was to directly colonise the entire area by force, fast, albeit by using the deceitful justification of September 11th the response to which was no doubt conjured up by the US think tanks and the rest of her Capitalist political medium.Thus, the desperation and panic emitted by the disbelieving US Pharonic state from what they fear if the Muslims are freely allowed to work for what they desire, is crystal clear in their finding no other option nor any other solution other than to use their Pharonic expressions, which not only included direct military force, but also a Pharonic hunt by them and their agents in the area to eliminate the sincere d'awa carriers in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. And anyone else who resisted the US subjugation in any shape or form was also thrown into the same camp. And the fact that the events of September 11th are without defined objectives, may be ongoing for decades even centuries, is a clear enough indication to anyone that it is a ditch attempt to secure her interests by forcibly preventing any factor whatsoever that may distort her power and topple her world position. And the way in which Islam and the Muslims have been addressed is to create imaginary links between the Muslims in a given region, and the 'war against terrorism' in order to execute any Pharonic US will against it. So, those Muslim lands that have the military and strategic potential can now be legitimately destroyed by force, such as what they have described recently as the 'axis of terror'. And in the very least they (the US) enjoy a degree of influence of strategic parts of the Muslim world where they can monitor and keep in check any 'undemocratic' political change by force if necessary, under any convenient slogan. This is an indication of the fear that the US state feels and the future insecurity and instability she perceives from the lands where the d'awa carriers work.This fear from the Muslims is apparent because those regions have possessed such capabilities for a very long time. The reason why they are pursued now (as opposed to before) is due to the control they may enjoy of a single sincere leadership who is free from their colonialist influence. Furthermore, their attempts, as well as what has been mentioned, is to make sure that if the Muslims have their Khilafah State, then that state must not be able to bridge to military and technological gap that exists between it and the western states, namely the US, by eliminating any technological or strategic advantage. This is presently taking place via the political means such as the military campaigns (the 'axis of terror' being just one example), and their agent rulers such as Musharraf of Pakistan (strategically weakening and de-islamicizing the armed forces), and of course what will occur in the future under any convenient 'terror' pretext.Indeed, and as is most likely the case, the Pharonic US state realises that the campaigns to eject Islam from life forever have failed and are bound to fail. That is because, it is not merely a war that can be won and fought by superior technology, battle tactics, and dominant international position alone, rather it is a war, in fact a struggle, between two ideologies - western man-made Capitalism and Islam. The US have simply inherited a struggle that began with the Quraysh themselves, and they themselves have now come to witness that the conclusion to all these attempts, including those of recent times, is the manifest failure to extinguish the ideology of Islam. For the call to live by Islam both as a spiritual and political Doctrine is now stronger than ever. The call to re-establish its State that will execute all of its rules, and unify the entire ummah, all her lands, and all her armed forces and resources, is now wider than ever, and in light of the resources spent, that is perverse logic from their point of view! For Falsehood could never permanently prevail over the Truth, no matter how mighty it became, and no matter how severe the situation.This can only mean one thing. That the enemies of Islam and their agents, do realise the success of the call to re-establish the Islamic Khilafah (that began methodically in the middle of the last century) that will deliver a change which in itself warrants their keen attention. If they - the disbelieving colonialists - do not regard the implications of what it means for the ummah to have their Islamic Khilafah established as important, then why organise such campaigns? Why wilfully and knowingly inherit such an ideological struggle with the only alternative ideology left on the face of the Earth? Why spend such resources and dedicate policies and budgets where without exception Muslims and their lands are the subject? Why expend effort and resources to safeguard the US position not only for tomorrow or the year after, but for centuries to come? That is exactly just what Pharaoh feared, and that very fear is the same. Why covertly support the crackdown not only throughout the whole of Central Asia and Pakistan, but throughout the whole Muslim world of the sincere d'awa carriers who call for political change and carry nothing in terms of weapons or use force of any type? And while according to their democratic principles this non-violent (rather intellectual) method of change is lawful!They, like their predecessors - the Quraysh - do indeed sense the readiness and willingness of the Muslims to take control of their affairs once and for all, by supporting those sincere workers for change. Especially after being burned by the western powers and at the same time being given as fuel to that fire by her rulers! The Pharonic US State too, like Quraysh, realise the importance of the re-existence and the re-emergence of the Khilafah State, and the need to address it in their modern-day Dar an-Nadwas, and the plans that result from them, such as the elaborate and cunning campaigns related to September 11th, 'the war against terrorism', ‘rogue states’, 'axes of evil', 'anti-western', 'anti-democracy', ‘civilized Vs uncivilized’, ‘war against the just people of the world’ - in essence anything that stands in the way of the Pharonic US supremacy. And, behold, such desperate measures are a certain indication of their realisation that nothing will halt or even delay for even a single second the call to resume the Islamic way of life, except for drastic measures against the Muslims and their potential as a single unified ummah, especially in the aftermath of the failure of all the previous plans and devices. This in perfect realisation with what Quraysh then undertook as the only real and viable option to address the call by physical force. This clearly shows the success of the call for the return of the Islamic Khilafah State, and that success is being radiated!These actions by the enemies of Islam should thus be taken as a most conducive sign in the path to re-establish the Khilafah, and that is plain for all to see.So be of good cheer, and remain optimistic, for they fear you and fear your objectives, and the signs that are manifest at present, are those very same signs that appeared when the first Islamic State was established. This means that you should realise that you have progressed in successfully overcoming the serious obstacles and are now knocking at the doors of victory, and Allah willing you will enter it sooner than they may think!2. The response of the influentialsWe find from the books of seerah that when the Messenger (saw) concluded the second pledge from the Generals and Officers of the strong factions of Medina, it was an indication to Quraysh that the attempt to win the influential forces had been successful, which meant that the Muslims proceeding to implement the Islamic Ideology and the building of a state upon its basis was just around the corner. This is from the address by the senior officers at the second pledge, as stated by ibn Kathir."The Ansar, were seventy-three men, and their Nuqaba (Generals and Officers), were twelve in number, nine from Khazraj and three from Aws. Asim bin Umar bin Qatadah related that when this group met to pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (saw), Al-Abbas bin Ubayda bin Nadla al Ansari, of the Banu Salim bin Awf said, "Oh Khazraj! Do you know what it is that you are pledging to this man?" "Yes", they replied. "You are pledging to go to war with all kinds of people. If you think that if you suffered great losses to your wealth and had your leaders killed, you would give him up, then do it now, or suffer the punishment of this life and the next. If you think you will keep firm to this Deen and to him (saw), in what he has called upon you to do, despite loss of wealth and your leaders being killed, then accept him. For, he is, by Allah, the best in this world and in the next." They replied, "We will take him regardless of loss of wealth or the death of our leaders. But, what will we receive in return for this, O Messenger of Allah, if we keep to this Deen and keep firm and resolute with you?" And the prophet of Allah (saw) replied, "Paradise!" "Then hold out your hand Messenger of Allah!" they asked. He (saw) did so, and they pledged allegiance to him."It was apparent in this aspect of the d'awa, that he (saw) was seeking the support of those persons with the actual (real) power. This is confirmed from what is stated by ibn Kathir and also from ibn Abbas about Al Abbas (his father), that he said, the Messenger (saw) told me, "I do not find any protection from you or your brother (meaning Hamza), can you take me out to the market tomorrow, so that I can visit the camp where the arab tribes gather." Thus, clearly indicating that what the Messenger (saw) was seeking was not found in his companions.When the Messenger (saw) continued the contacting of these particular entities he would seek information as to their strength and position, and speak with its leadership. And to qualify the above statement of the Messenger (saw) of the specificity of such persons, this can be confirmed from what ibn Kathir states."Ali (ra) states. "We then went to a meeting underway marked by calm and dignity. There were shaikhs of high rank and fine appearance there. Abu Bakr (ra) went forward and made the greeting. Abu Bakr asked them, "From whom are you?" They replied, "We are from the Banu Shayban bin Tha'laba." Abu Bakr then turned to the Messenger (saw) and commented, "I swear no one has more power in their people than these do." The man most comparable to Abu Bakr was Mafruq bin 'Amr, he was their most eloquent. He wore his hair in two braids that came down to his chest. Abu Bakr asked him, "How many are you in number?" Mafruq replied, "We are more than 1000 strong." Abu Bakr continued, "And how would protection be with you?" "We go to the limit. And every people has a forefather (meaning they are proud and noble)." Mafruq responded. Abu Bakr then asked, "And how is it when you make war with your enemies?" Mafruq answered, "When we meet in battle, we are the fiercest of men. We take greater pride in our steeds than in our sons, care more for our swords than our sperm.""This is but a fraction from the accounts from the books of seerah as to the seeking of support by the Messenger (saw) of those powerful people. And they were a distinguished group or class of persons who were not found from either amongst his (saw) companions or the ordinary people. Thus, from this, the Messenger (saw) sought the support to deliver change in practical terms, not from his (saw) companions, but from those unlike them, namely the Generals and Officers.The Messenger (saw) continued in this way to contact those strong factions approaching fifty two different tribes, even whilst bringing humiliation upon himself as what was experienced at Taif, until Allah (swt) opened the way to Al Aws and Al Khazraj.It must be noted that these were the powerful people that enabled the message of Islam to be transferred from one phase to another, and the support from whom Quraysh feared.This can be easily understood by the manner in which they seized the society in Medina in order to place the Messenger (saw) as its head, and the fact that they bypassed its current ruler, 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, is an example of that material power. As for the fact that the Messenger (saw) was given the material support upon his entry into Medina as the defacto Head of State, Ibn Kathir states:"Imam Ahmed stated, "Hashim related to us, quoting Sulayman, from Thabit, from Anas bin Malik, who said, "I moved through the young men shouting, "Muhammad has come!" And I moved out ahead and still I could see nothing. But the Messenger of Allah did come, accompanied by Abu Bakr. They hid in a ruin in Medina, then sent out a Bedouin asking for the Ansar, to let them enter. Thereupon some 500 of the Ansar (with their weapons) came out saying, "Do come in, you are safe and will be obeyed."""" Having secured the means (by force and by military command and control) to be in a position to do so.It is today, that after having understood the methodology of resuming the Islamic way of life, and looking to the seerah of the Messenger (saw) for guidance, some from amongst the Muslims set out to emulate these actions in order to achieve that objective. Indeed, it is the support from what can be said of today's strongest factions, among which are the sincere Muslim armies, and their sincere Generals and Officers, that would indeed progress the work to resume the Islamic way of life into practical implementation. Such that, Islam will be implemented, the entire Muslim lands re-unified, her armies one, and the conveying of Islam to the whole of mankind would resume through the international existence of a State that carries and defends its message. Such progression poses obvious threats for those who thrive upon the current weakness and impotence of the Muslims.An indication as to the fears of the colonialists and their agents, as to the achievement of such a progression can be found in the tampering of the armed forces in the Muslim lands. They initiated that when they destroyed the Khilafah State and handed over its administrative control to their agents. They were organised according to the structures, mentalities, and culture of the western framework, whose hands were still fresh from the blood of destroying the Islamic State. Not only were their initial commanding officers foreign, but those allowed to progress under them were carefully selected to not only be imitators of the western secular culture, but a worshipper of it. An example of this is the careful implantation of the Dunma Jews into the major influential positions of the Turkish Armed Forces, the likes of whom are still there today. And such tampering and meddling with the armed forces of the Muslims is a sufficient evidence against the disbelievers. It is a clear sign today, just as Quraysh realised then, that they fear of what support they may give to the Muslim ummah and the sincere d'awa carriers among them!Any Islamic sentiment and anti-western secular sentiment was addressed through court-martials, imprisonment, and treason. This is what happened throughout the Pakistan Armed Forces under the supervision of the foreign powers and the brainwashed Officers, whereby some of the most brilliant and god-fearing soldiers were dispensed of. The same can be said for the armed forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and countless other Muslim lands under the subjugation of western secular culture. The powerful armed forces of the Muslims are monitored, observed, and carefully vetted to make sure that none loyal save to the agent ruler is allowed to gain rank and position. An example of this is in what occurred, and in what continues to occur, in the military purges that take place in the Turkish army. It was only recently where two-hundred (conservative official figures) army officers were ejected due to being 'Islamic' and moreover displaying Islamic loyalties. Also, the Pakistan armed forces, upon the request of the Pharonic US is purging its rank and file of the Generals and Officers who are found to have any loyalty to Islam and the Muslims. Even its most strategic and influential ISI intelligence network (that is considered the backbone of the Pakistani armed forces) is being pressured to be dismantled or its current leadership replaced, due to the strong Islamic sentiments that are found within them. While, those who love the western secular way of life, and detest the Muslims, are given promotions and commanderships.All this to prevent the Ansar of today from presenting themselves and fulfilling their due role.What has already been mentioned in itself provides sufficient evidence that the progress is being monitored and measures are being taken to prevent its successful results. But the fact that the monitoring needs to be something ongoing, and that the purges need to happen frequently, is a sign that despite their deceitful plans, the sincere Officers of the Muslims are responding to Allah (swt), His Messenger (saw), and their ummah.And indeed, it is they - the enemies of Islam - who have followed and shadowed the Muslims and the sincere d'awa carriers among them through the various points and phases of the call to resume the Islamic way of life one more time. These are such glad tidings, hopes and optimisms, that the correct methodology is bound to yield the correct results, even if it took time.The sincere d'awa carriers and the Muslims have contacted them, will continue to contact them, and will get them - Allah (swt) willing!3. The mentality of VictoryWhat should be absolutely clear is that the observations in their desperate final attempts to thrust obstacles in the face of the Muslim ummah and in the face of those sincere d'awa carriers among them, are (without a shadow of a doubt) manifesting themselves like before. For the desperate measures that Quraysh undertook in the later stages of the d’awa then, by way of fearing the support of the Ansar and the attempt to kill the Messenger (saw), is what is being mirrored today – the ongoing tampering of the Muslim armed forces, and the use of force and death against the political aspect of Islam and the d’awa carriers everywhere.But, those opponents then during the establishment of the first Islamic State experienced their limitations when it came to their plans and policies. Specifically, it was when they agreed upon and implemented the policy to address the impending threat. So confident were they in this countermeasure, and so confident were they against the Muslims that they mocked - as ibn Abbas, Qatadah, and Mujahid said - by saying that they should wait for the death of Muhammad (saw), just as the poets before him (saw) perished. And it was at this point when Allah had revealed, "And remember when the disbelievers planned against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you (from Makka), they were planning and Allah too was planning, and it is Allah who is the best of planners." [TMQ Al Anfal; 8:30] And it was they who ultimately failed, and Allah provided the successful entry into Medina by the prophet (saw) as the Head of the Islamic State, where it was established, and whilst Quraysh were still waiting by his doorstep to execute their confident policy!Surely this is good news that in the face of their policies and their intricate plans, both open and hidden, that Allah will aid the believers, and be the Provider of victory, and He (swt) is able and capable of all things, despite the lowliness the ummah feels in her present times.The Pharonic US state may have successfully rewritten, openly contradicted, and blatantly bypassed all the international laws and norms when it came to smiting the Muslims, to such a devious extent that not one state in the world is able to practically oppose it. She may arrogantly walk the Earth aiding whom she wishes and slaughtering whom she likes. She may have successfully invented a campaign to subvert and suppress the return of the Islamic Khilafah State that has the follower ship of not only her own citizens, but all the peoples of the world as if the Pharonic US state has performed some kind of evil magic over them. This made the Muslims the object of suspicion and his Deen as a source of guilt. Thus making the spilling of Muslim blood anywhere, under any circumstance, and by anyone, lawful in the eyes of the world's people, while the Muslims are without power. Indeed, they have succeeded in turning the criticism and the wrath of individuals, nations, and states against the Muslims everywhere and without exception, reminiscent of the witch-hunt of medieval times.The Pharonic disbelieving colonialists may have to their credit genius think-tanks supported by all forms of intelligence and material resources, they may have experience in dealing with all types of threats, they may have devised every form of countermeasure one may think of, they may be hailed as superpowers, they may posses ownership and allegiance of the world's political institutions, they may have a presence in every inch of land via their agents or any other means of spying, they may have trillion dollar budgets that even computers cannot count, they may have mighty military resources, they may enjoy all types of military superiority, they may have won over the regimes and rulers in our lands, nay they may even have armies of Jinn! But despite this, it will never be enough to stop the will of Allah (swt) the Almighty and His (swt) promise of victory to the ummah and to the mighty d'awa carriers among them!O honourable ummah! O mighty d'awa carriers! Do not let them or their agents draw your attention to defeat rather than victory. Do not allow them and their agents lead you to believe anything to the contrary, for they desire not victory, success, or anything wholesome for you, but rather they desire defeat and humiliation for you. Know that the criteria of success is not material resources, rather the criteria is Allah and Allah alone (swt), we believe in it, and they will never be able to counter it, and ultimately that is the frustration we see in their faces, and that will be the anguish and defeat we are going to - of a surety - witness!!!So be confident in your march, and raise your heads high, and be bearers of good news to those around you. Fill your minds with confidence that you are on the right path, and pour courage into your hearts. And look forward to an assured victory in this world, and an appointment with your Lord in the next. For you are indeed mighty in the eyes of your Lord, and formidable in the eyes of your enemies."Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder men from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend it, but in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will be overcome. And those who disbelieve will be gathered into Hell" [TMQ Al Anfal; 8:36]"And Allah has full power and complete control of His affairs, though most of mankind know it not" [TMQ Yusuf; 12:21]
May Allah the Almighty (swt) preserve you, your Deen, and your ideology.Alhamdolilahi Rabbil 'Alameen.
Sunday 20 January 2008
Sunday 13 January 2008
Belief in Allah [swt]
All praise belongs to God and may His blessings and peace be upon His messenger. Let me begin by extending my thanks to the Muslim Students' Association of the University of Purdue for kindly extending this invitation to speak. I would also like to thank the audience for attending this lecture. I will try to keep my remarks as brief as possible in order to allow you, the audience, to comment and ask any questions you might have pertaining to this or other topics.
The topic that I have been asked to address tonight pertains to the Islamic concept of monotheism and its relationship to the notion of the culmination of God's revelation with His sending of the prophet Muhammad.
Islam Let me begin by remarking that the concept of monotheism is at the core and heart of the Islamic religion. If one wants to know what is Islam about, one should, before anything else, begin with this topic.
But before we start our investigation of monotheism in Islam, let us first define Islam. Islam is an Arabic word comprising of two meanings. The first meaning is to submit or surrender unto God, God in Arabic being Allah. The second meaning is purity. Hence, Islam means a pure submission or surrendering unto God alone. Thus an adherent to Islam, or a Muslim, is an individual who has submitted or surrendered purely to the will of God and to no one else. For this reason, there are two ideas antithetical to Islam: (1.) an unwillingness to submit to God in the first place; or (2.) an impure submission to God, where one submits to both God and someone/something else. This is the general meaning of Islam.
With this brief definition of Islam, it is important to understand that Islam teaches that all of God's prophets were Muslims. Indeed the very first human, Adam (who himself was a prophet), and his wife, Eve, were Muslims. Moreover, all the generations that succeeded them were also Muslims in this general sense. Namely, that they all submitted unto God and God alone by obeying His will and laws and directing all their worship to Him alone.
From this, we see that Muslims do not accept – as is popular within certain circles of sociology and religion – that human beings developed only at a late date the concept of monotheism.[1] Advocates of this belief argue that humans were initially animistic perceiving natural phenomena as living beings and extending to those imagined beings worship. Monotheism, they further argue originated first among the Jews. And they further claim it was from the Jews that monotheism spread to other peoples who incorporated this idea into their religious traditions. Muslims, as I mentioned, do not believe this to be true. The worship of others with or besides God, Muslims hold, appeared post the first human communities.
Why worship God? At this point someone might ask, why worship God? First we worship God because of His perfection. Everything in the universe praises God and fulfils God's will.
Moreover, we Muslims believe that Islam, that is to worship God alone, is humanity's natural and original state. Not to submit to God and God alone is to deny the very essence of being a human. Our existence here on earth is not without purpose. Our presence here on earth has a meaning much more than merely enjoying a few material pleasures while we spend out our allotted days. Rather, we believe that we have been placed on earth for a purpose. It is inconceivable for us Muslims that an all-wise God who has created everything with such perfection and placed such order in the universe would at the same time not have a purpose for our existence here on earth. This purpose we find in the Qur'an is to worship God. God says in one Qur'anic ayat:
I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. (The Qur'an 51:56)
While in another ayat, God asks:
Thinkenth man that he is to be left aimless. (The Qur'an 75:36)
This latter ayat dispels the idea that we humans have been left "aimless," that is without purpose.
Now of course, in nature we find creatures who unlike human beings do not possess free will. These creatures fulfill God's will by following their instincts. But we human beings, however, have an ability to choose between doing good or evil. We have the choice between accepting God's message or rejecting it.
The prophets While it is true that the very first human beings, as we said, remained upon Islam for generations, later deviation from this natural state arose. For this reason, out of His mercy, God spoke directly to certain men instructing them to be His emissaries or messengers to humanity.
Regarding these prophets, Muslims believe that they are human beings. Hence in their essence, these prophets are no different than any one of us. They become hungry and have to eat; they become thirsty and have to drink, they suffer pain, they become ill, and like all human beings they eventually die. Where the prophets do differ from us is in character for they are the best of humanity. There is no fault in their character. For this reason God selects them and speaks to them with the aim of instructing humanity and to give us glad tidings if we choose to follow God's instructions and guidance and warns us of the doom in this world and the hereafter if we choose to forsake God's instructions and guidance. As a result these messengers attempt to correct any deviations that appeared among humanity in beliefs or society. The greatest deviation being the loss of the natural state of Islam.
A brief history of prophethood and revelation We believe that the first messenger sent to humanity was the prophet Noah who is also recognized in both Jewish and Christian tradition. He is thought to have lived in that part of the world, which we refer today to as Iraq. Noah called humanity to the worship of God alone after humanity began worshipping idols. These idols were conceived as representations of intermediaries who were believed stood between man and God. Noah's people would seek to please these individuals by various acts of worship so that in turn these individuals would intercede on their behalf with God. Although Noah invited his people back to their natural state of worship of God alone, Noah's people persisted in their idolatry and rejected both Noah and the message he bore. God then in His anger destroyed humanity with the great flood. Humanity was wiped out with the exception of those few humans who were saved with Noah. The few survivors with Noah and their subsequent descendents remained upon monotheism. However after a passage of some time, the length of which is known to God alone, idolatry once again crept back into the beliefs and practices of humanity. Once deviation re-appeared, God continued to send prophets to every people. Among these prophets was Abraham. After Abraham, prophethood continued among his progeny. Both of Abraham's sons, Ishmael and Isaac were prophets. Isaac's son, Jacob, who was known as Israel, was also a prophet, as was Jacob's son, Joseph. From the seed of Jacob, or the children of Israel, other prophets appeared. Among these prophets were Moses, Aaron, David, and Solomon. Whenever a prophet among the children of Israel died, God would select another to replace him until prophethood culminated among the children of Israel with Jesus the son of Mary. Jesus, Muslims believe, was like all other prophets sent by God to call his people to the worship of God alone and the fulfillment God's commandments. The surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah (himself) said:
O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Lo! whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, for him Allah hasth forbidden Paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no helpers. They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three: when there is no God save the One God. If they desist not from so saying a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve. (The Qur'an, 5:72- 75)
Finality of prophethood and the culmination of revelation Then following Jesus, prophethood as a whole culminated with Muhammad. Muhammad was sent to the whole of humanity in the year 570, according to the Christian calendar, some 1,400 plus years ago. The prophet Muhammad too called people to worship God alone.
Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! If ye are in doubt of my religion, then (know that) I worship not those whom ye worship instead of Allah, but I worship Allah who causeth you to die, and I have been commanded to be of the believers. (The Qur'an, 10:105)
Therefore in the message he brought from God, Muhammad was no different from any of the previous prophets but in two aspects. First he was different is in that while the previous prophets were sent to their specific peoples alone; the prophet Muhammad was sent to all of humanity.
Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! Lo I am the messenger of Allah to you all – (the messenger of) Him unto whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no God save Him, He quickeneth and He giveth death. So believe in Allah and His messenger, the Prophet who an neither read nor write, who believeth in Allah and in His Words, and follow him that haply ye may be led aright. (The Qur'an, 7:158)
Secondly, after the prophet Muhammad, there will be no other prophet; and after the revelation sent to him, there is no further communication from God. His message had to be thus applicable for all of humanity and for the rest of time. Muslims still obey the Prophet and seek to pattern their lives according to his.
Moreover with the sending of the prophet Muhammad, the laws that the previous prophets came with are no longer applicable. While it is true, as we have seen, that all the prophets had a common message but each had a distinct law. Hence, since God sent the prophet Muhammad to the whole of humanity it no longer became permissible to follow the previous laws, like the law of the Torah given to Moses or the law of the Gospel given to Jesus the son of Mary. With the sending of the prophet Muhammad, it has now become incumbent upon all human beings to believe in him and his message and obey him. He is the final prophet who was sent for all humanity.
The Prophet Muhammad as many observers of human history have said is the most influential person on humanity and the course of human history. If we do not at least accord him that status, we nonetheless would have to concede that he was among the most influential individuals on humanity. There is a famous book written by Michael Hart where he lists the 100 most influential people in human history and wherein which he accords the number one position to the prophet Muhammad. [3] While another author who wrote on the intellectual development of Europe has said that the prophet Muhammad has had more influence on individual human beings than any other human being in history.
Evidence for Muhammad's prophethood If we look at his message we find he announced that he was selected by God, that God spoke to him, and through him God informed humanity that we must follow and obey Muhammad for their guidance in this world and their salvation in the hereafter. These are merely claims in of themselves, so how do we know that these claims are true? How do we know that Muhammad is truly a prophet?
God supports prophets in proving the validity of their claims by many means among them are miracles. We know the truthfulness of the prophet Muhammad by these miracles. We also know the truthfulness of his message by the fact that his message confirms the previous revelations. We also know his truthfulness by the fact that he is mentioned in the previous scriptures. And we know the veracity of these claims by the virtue of his character and the character of his community.
Judgment Day This is in a nutshell the Islamic belief. God created humanity to worship Him and when humanity deviates from the purpose of their existence God sends to them prophets calling them to return back to God's guidance.
We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein. (The Qur'an 2:38-39)
When life on earth comes to an end and humanity will be resurrected to stand before God for judgment; the primary question asked of people will be did they worship God alone or not? This is why Muslims believe that the worship of others with God or refusing to submit and worship God is the only sin that is unpardonable by God.
Lo! Allah forgiveth not that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgiveth (all) save that to whom He will. Whoso abscribeth partners to Allah, he hath indeed invented a tremendous sin. (The Qur'an 4:48)
And your Lord hath said: Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer. Lo! those who scorn My worship, they will enter hell, disgraced. (The Qur'an 40:60)
Now if someone was to enquire what is the Islamic faith? Then what I have just summarized would be the answer. As for the other aspects of Islam like the five daily prayers, the obligatory charity, the fast of the month of Ramadan, the pilgrimage to Makkah or Islam's social order; then all of these matters stem from that faith. For this reason entrance into the Islamic religion consists of the mere declaration there is no god worthy of worship but God (Allah) alone and Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Monotheism in Islam Now the Muslim concept of monotheism, or tawhid to use the Arabic term, consists of two aspects: (1.) a monotheism in one's beliefs, and (2.) a monotheism in one's deeds. Regarding monotheism in one's beliefs, Muslims maintain that one must negate from God any imperfection or fault that is ascribed unto His being, attributes, actions, words, or wisdom. For this reason, Muslims will negate that God has any son or daughter; or that he takes a wife; or that he needs sleep or food; or that he would die. All these qualities of imperfection that indicate a need or an inherent weakness, Muslims will negate from God. At the same time, Muslims will affirm unto God all attributes of perfection.
God is all knowing. In the Qur'an, God informs us that not a leaf drops from a tree but that God knows it. God knows what is in the wombs of women, not just the sex of the child, male or female. But God knows, will that child be born healthy? How will that child's life turn out? How long will that child live? What that child will face in life? God hears and sees everything. There is no sound or object hidden from Him. God is all wise. Hence nothing that God says or does but it is for a great wisdom. God is merciful; mercy being God's nature. But at the same time, God is severe in punishment.
God is one in his being. He is not a duality, trinity, or plurality. Likewise, Muslims believe that God cannot be approached via an intermediary. When praying, we should direct our prayers directly to God. There is no intercessor – neither angel, prophet, or righteous person – among us to whom one should pray, so then that individual would in turn pray to God on our behalf. This is the Islamic view of monotheism as it pertains to beliefs. As for monotheism in one's acts, Muslims direct all their acts of worship to God alone. For this reason, when Muslims pray they do not pray to the prophet Muhammad asking him to forgive their sins or take care of any worldly need, like health for those who are ill, wealth for those who are under economic duress, and the like.
Monotheistic religions Perhaps some of you in order to fulfill a humanities requirement have taken a course in world religions where it is not uncommon to hear the characterization of the three great monotheistic religions of the world, meaning by that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Likewise in the United States, religious groups will often engage in interfaith meetings where statements like these are floated around, often receiving the approval of all. Indeed, just one month ago here in the United States, there was a parliament of world religions were notions of religious equivalency were extend even to paganistic religions. [4] As a result, both the popularity of these ideas and a desire of many to better know other religions leads us to discuss this topic. Also as I will discuss that this idea of three great monotheistic religions is an idea that Islam rejects. Muslims believe that the only truly monotheistic religion is Islam and that Judaism and Christianity while originally monotheistic are no longer so.
Judaism and Christianity As I began my lecture, it is often said there are three great monotheistic religions in the world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Following this brief exposition, we can now see why Islam sees itself alone, in exclusion to all other religions, as monotheistic and why Islam sees Judaism and Christianity as no longer monotheistic.
The Jews can no longer be considered monotheistic because they no longer believe God to be prefect. If you look into Jewish writings[5], you will find various imperfections attributed to God. For example, in the Torah it is mentioned:
After creating the universe in six days, God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2- 3)[6] Here is an attribution of weakness to God.
After seeing humanity's wickedness on earth, God became remorse for creating humanity. (Genesis 6:5-6)[7] Here is an attribution of ignorance of the future to God. While Christians occupy the other extreme by raising a human being, specifically Jesus the son of Mary, to the status of the Divine. [8] So Islam stands in between these two extremes, those who attribute faults to God and those who raise humans to the status of the Divine. And both Jews and Christians are guilty of believing in some of the prophets in exclusion to others; the Jews denying the prophethood of both Jesus and Muhammad9; while the Christians denying the prophethood of Muhammad. Moreover even with those prophets in whom they believe, they have attributed to them all sorts of monstrosities that would default them from being prophets. Among these calumnies:
The prophet Noah is accused of drunkenness (Genesis 9:21)[10 ]
The prophet Lot is accused of having incestuous unions with his two daughters resulting in the origins of the Moabites and the Ammonites (Genesis 19: 30-8)
David is accused of arranging the death of a companion to marry that man's wife.
The prophet Solomon is accused of idolatry. (I Kings 11:1-11)
Muslims on the other hand believe that the prophets were perfect in their character and they are models that we follow. Moreover these reports are an evidence of the tampering that has occurred in the previous scriptures. Hence the Muslims even though they believe in the previous scriptures, they say that these scriptures have since their time of revelation been altered. And hence the Torah of today is not the Torah given to Moses; and the Gospel given to Jesus son of Mary is not any one of the four gospels that are found today. The Qur'an being guides final scripture has been preserved from any change occurring. It remains the very same scripture that was revealed to the prophet Muhammad one thousand and four hundred and thirty three years ago.
With this I would like to conclude my remarks and open the floor for questions.
1 This idea it seems was first advanced by David Hume in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779). Putting aside the clear textual evidence found in the Qur'an and the Sunnah negating this notion, the "growth of historical knowledge and of scientific anthropology has shown that this is not so." See Key Ideas in Human Thought, ed. Kenneth McLeish, p. 487.
2 A Qur'anic aya is equivalent to a verse. The word aya literally means sign, as each Qur'anic aya is indicative of the Divine origin of the Qur'an.
3 Michael Hart (1978), The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.
4 The second Parliament of the World's Religions was held in Chicago August 28 - Sept. 5 1993.
5 See Everyman's Talmud, p. 7.
6 Contrast this with the following Qur'anic passage [fill].
7 Contrast this with the following Qur'anic passage [fill]. In the Qur'an God tells us that prior to creating Adam He knew by His perfect foreknowledge that humanity would cause corruption on earth and shed much blood. Yet God still nonetheless creates humanity because He knew by that very foreknowledge that among men there would be prophets and righteous. His perfect wisdom therefore dictated that such good come into existence even with the evil of men.
8 For example the Nicene Creed states: "And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By Whom all things were made." May Allah be greatly exalted from such blasphemies!
9 Rabbinic writings hold that Jesus was a sorcerer executed by a rabbinical court for his blasphemy. See The Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, p. 200.
10 The Oxford Dictionary of the Bible (p. 268) remarks that while Noah was "chosen by God for his good character … this was not sustained indefinitely."
The topic that I have been asked to address tonight pertains to the Islamic concept of monotheism and its relationship to the notion of the culmination of God's revelation with His sending of the prophet Muhammad.
Islam Let me begin by remarking that the concept of monotheism is at the core and heart of the Islamic religion. If one wants to know what is Islam about, one should, before anything else, begin with this topic.
But before we start our investigation of monotheism in Islam, let us first define Islam. Islam is an Arabic word comprising of two meanings. The first meaning is to submit or surrender unto God, God in Arabic being Allah. The second meaning is purity. Hence, Islam means a pure submission or surrendering unto God alone. Thus an adherent to Islam, or a Muslim, is an individual who has submitted or surrendered purely to the will of God and to no one else. For this reason, there are two ideas antithetical to Islam: (1.) an unwillingness to submit to God in the first place; or (2.) an impure submission to God, where one submits to both God and someone/something else. This is the general meaning of Islam.
With this brief definition of Islam, it is important to understand that Islam teaches that all of God's prophets were Muslims. Indeed the very first human, Adam (who himself was a prophet), and his wife, Eve, were Muslims. Moreover, all the generations that succeeded them were also Muslims in this general sense. Namely, that they all submitted unto God and God alone by obeying His will and laws and directing all their worship to Him alone.
From this, we see that Muslims do not accept – as is popular within certain circles of sociology and religion – that human beings developed only at a late date the concept of monotheism.[1] Advocates of this belief argue that humans were initially animistic perceiving natural phenomena as living beings and extending to those imagined beings worship. Monotheism, they further argue originated first among the Jews. And they further claim it was from the Jews that monotheism spread to other peoples who incorporated this idea into their religious traditions. Muslims, as I mentioned, do not believe this to be true. The worship of others with or besides God, Muslims hold, appeared post the first human communities.
Why worship God? At this point someone might ask, why worship God? First we worship God because of His perfection. Everything in the universe praises God and fulfils God's will.
Moreover, we Muslims believe that Islam, that is to worship God alone, is humanity's natural and original state. Not to submit to God and God alone is to deny the very essence of being a human. Our existence here on earth is not without purpose. Our presence here on earth has a meaning much more than merely enjoying a few material pleasures while we spend out our allotted days. Rather, we believe that we have been placed on earth for a purpose. It is inconceivable for us Muslims that an all-wise God who has created everything with such perfection and placed such order in the universe would at the same time not have a purpose for our existence here on earth. This purpose we find in the Qur'an is to worship God. God says in one Qur'anic ayat:
I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. (The Qur'an 51:56)
While in another ayat, God asks:
Thinkenth man that he is to be left aimless. (The Qur'an 75:36)
This latter ayat dispels the idea that we humans have been left "aimless," that is without purpose.
Now of course, in nature we find creatures who unlike human beings do not possess free will. These creatures fulfill God's will by following their instincts. But we human beings, however, have an ability to choose between doing good or evil. We have the choice between accepting God's message or rejecting it.
The prophets While it is true that the very first human beings, as we said, remained upon Islam for generations, later deviation from this natural state arose. For this reason, out of His mercy, God spoke directly to certain men instructing them to be His emissaries or messengers to humanity.
Regarding these prophets, Muslims believe that they are human beings. Hence in their essence, these prophets are no different than any one of us. They become hungry and have to eat; they become thirsty and have to drink, they suffer pain, they become ill, and like all human beings they eventually die. Where the prophets do differ from us is in character for they are the best of humanity. There is no fault in their character. For this reason God selects them and speaks to them with the aim of instructing humanity and to give us glad tidings if we choose to follow God's instructions and guidance and warns us of the doom in this world and the hereafter if we choose to forsake God's instructions and guidance. As a result these messengers attempt to correct any deviations that appeared among humanity in beliefs or society. The greatest deviation being the loss of the natural state of Islam.
A brief history of prophethood and revelation We believe that the first messenger sent to humanity was the prophet Noah who is also recognized in both Jewish and Christian tradition. He is thought to have lived in that part of the world, which we refer today to as Iraq. Noah called humanity to the worship of God alone after humanity began worshipping idols. These idols were conceived as representations of intermediaries who were believed stood between man and God. Noah's people would seek to please these individuals by various acts of worship so that in turn these individuals would intercede on their behalf with God. Although Noah invited his people back to their natural state of worship of God alone, Noah's people persisted in their idolatry and rejected both Noah and the message he bore. God then in His anger destroyed humanity with the great flood. Humanity was wiped out with the exception of those few humans who were saved with Noah. The few survivors with Noah and their subsequent descendents remained upon monotheism. However after a passage of some time, the length of which is known to God alone, idolatry once again crept back into the beliefs and practices of humanity. Once deviation re-appeared, God continued to send prophets to every people. Among these prophets was Abraham. After Abraham, prophethood continued among his progeny. Both of Abraham's sons, Ishmael and Isaac were prophets. Isaac's son, Jacob, who was known as Israel, was also a prophet, as was Jacob's son, Joseph. From the seed of Jacob, or the children of Israel, other prophets appeared. Among these prophets were Moses, Aaron, David, and Solomon. Whenever a prophet among the children of Israel died, God would select another to replace him until prophethood culminated among the children of Israel with Jesus the son of Mary. Jesus, Muslims believe, was like all other prophets sent by God to call his people to the worship of God alone and the fulfillment God's commandments. The surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah (himself) said:
O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Lo! whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, for him Allah hasth forbidden Paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no helpers. They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three: when there is no God save the One God. If they desist not from so saying a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve. (The Qur'an, 5:72- 75)
Finality of prophethood and the culmination of revelation Then following Jesus, prophethood as a whole culminated with Muhammad. Muhammad was sent to the whole of humanity in the year 570, according to the Christian calendar, some 1,400 plus years ago. The prophet Muhammad too called people to worship God alone.
Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! If ye are in doubt of my religion, then (know that) I worship not those whom ye worship instead of Allah, but I worship Allah who causeth you to die, and I have been commanded to be of the believers. (The Qur'an, 10:105)
Therefore in the message he brought from God, Muhammad was no different from any of the previous prophets but in two aspects. First he was different is in that while the previous prophets were sent to their specific peoples alone; the prophet Muhammad was sent to all of humanity.
Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! Lo I am the messenger of Allah to you all – (the messenger of) Him unto whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no God save Him, He quickeneth and He giveth death. So believe in Allah and His messenger, the Prophet who an neither read nor write, who believeth in Allah and in His Words, and follow him that haply ye may be led aright. (The Qur'an, 7:158)
Secondly, after the prophet Muhammad, there will be no other prophet; and after the revelation sent to him, there is no further communication from God. His message had to be thus applicable for all of humanity and for the rest of time. Muslims still obey the Prophet and seek to pattern their lives according to his.
Moreover with the sending of the prophet Muhammad, the laws that the previous prophets came with are no longer applicable. While it is true, as we have seen, that all the prophets had a common message but each had a distinct law. Hence, since God sent the prophet Muhammad to the whole of humanity it no longer became permissible to follow the previous laws, like the law of the Torah given to Moses or the law of the Gospel given to Jesus the son of Mary. With the sending of the prophet Muhammad, it has now become incumbent upon all human beings to believe in him and his message and obey him. He is the final prophet who was sent for all humanity.
The Prophet Muhammad as many observers of human history have said is the most influential person on humanity and the course of human history. If we do not at least accord him that status, we nonetheless would have to concede that he was among the most influential individuals on humanity. There is a famous book written by Michael Hart where he lists the 100 most influential people in human history and wherein which he accords the number one position to the prophet Muhammad. [3] While another author who wrote on the intellectual development of Europe has said that the prophet Muhammad has had more influence on individual human beings than any other human being in history.
Evidence for Muhammad's prophethood If we look at his message we find he announced that he was selected by God, that God spoke to him, and through him God informed humanity that we must follow and obey Muhammad for their guidance in this world and their salvation in the hereafter. These are merely claims in of themselves, so how do we know that these claims are true? How do we know that Muhammad is truly a prophet?
God supports prophets in proving the validity of their claims by many means among them are miracles. We know the truthfulness of the prophet Muhammad by these miracles. We also know the truthfulness of his message by the fact that his message confirms the previous revelations. We also know his truthfulness by the fact that he is mentioned in the previous scriptures. And we know the veracity of these claims by the virtue of his character and the character of his community.
Judgment Day This is in a nutshell the Islamic belief. God created humanity to worship Him and when humanity deviates from the purpose of their existence God sends to them prophets calling them to return back to God's guidance.
We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein. (The Qur'an 2:38-39)
When life on earth comes to an end and humanity will be resurrected to stand before God for judgment; the primary question asked of people will be did they worship God alone or not? This is why Muslims believe that the worship of others with God or refusing to submit and worship God is the only sin that is unpardonable by God.
Lo! Allah forgiveth not that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgiveth (all) save that to whom He will. Whoso abscribeth partners to Allah, he hath indeed invented a tremendous sin. (The Qur'an 4:48)
And your Lord hath said: Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer. Lo! those who scorn My worship, they will enter hell, disgraced. (The Qur'an 40:60)
Now if someone was to enquire what is the Islamic faith? Then what I have just summarized would be the answer. As for the other aspects of Islam like the five daily prayers, the obligatory charity, the fast of the month of Ramadan, the pilgrimage to Makkah or Islam's social order; then all of these matters stem from that faith. For this reason entrance into the Islamic religion consists of the mere declaration there is no god worthy of worship but God (Allah) alone and Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Monotheism in Islam Now the Muslim concept of monotheism, or tawhid to use the Arabic term, consists of two aspects: (1.) a monotheism in one's beliefs, and (2.) a monotheism in one's deeds. Regarding monotheism in one's beliefs, Muslims maintain that one must negate from God any imperfection or fault that is ascribed unto His being, attributes, actions, words, or wisdom. For this reason, Muslims will negate that God has any son or daughter; or that he takes a wife; or that he needs sleep or food; or that he would die. All these qualities of imperfection that indicate a need or an inherent weakness, Muslims will negate from God. At the same time, Muslims will affirm unto God all attributes of perfection.
God is all knowing. In the Qur'an, God informs us that not a leaf drops from a tree but that God knows it. God knows what is in the wombs of women, not just the sex of the child, male or female. But God knows, will that child be born healthy? How will that child's life turn out? How long will that child live? What that child will face in life? God hears and sees everything. There is no sound or object hidden from Him. God is all wise. Hence nothing that God says or does but it is for a great wisdom. God is merciful; mercy being God's nature. But at the same time, God is severe in punishment.
God is one in his being. He is not a duality, trinity, or plurality. Likewise, Muslims believe that God cannot be approached via an intermediary. When praying, we should direct our prayers directly to God. There is no intercessor – neither angel, prophet, or righteous person – among us to whom one should pray, so then that individual would in turn pray to God on our behalf. This is the Islamic view of monotheism as it pertains to beliefs. As for monotheism in one's acts, Muslims direct all their acts of worship to God alone. For this reason, when Muslims pray they do not pray to the prophet Muhammad asking him to forgive their sins or take care of any worldly need, like health for those who are ill, wealth for those who are under economic duress, and the like.
Monotheistic religions Perhaps some of you in order to fulfill a humanities requirement have taken a course in world religions where it is not uncommon to hear the characterization of the three great monotheistic religions of the world, meaning by that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Likewise in the United States, religious groups will often engage in interfaith meetings where statements like these are floated around, often receiving the approval of all. Indeed, just one month ago here in the United States, there was a parliament of world religions were notions of religious equivalency were extend even to paganistic religions. [4] As a result, both the popularity of these ideas and a desire of many to better know other religions leads us to discuss this topic. Also as I will discuss that this idea of three great monotheistic religions is an idea that Islam rejects. Muslims believe that the only truly monotheistic religion is Islam and that Judaism and Christianity while originally monotheistic are no longer so.
Judaism and Christianity As I began my lecture, it is often said there are three great monotheistic religions in the world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Following this brief exposition, we can now see why Islam sees itself alone, in exclusion to all other religions, as monotheistic and why Islam sees Judaism and Christianity as no longer monotheistic.
The Jews can no longer be considered monotheistic because they no longer believe God to be prefect. If you look into Jewish writings[5], you will find various imperfections attributed to God. For example, in the Torah it is mentioned:
After creating the universe in six days, God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2- 3)[6] Here is an attribution of weakness to God.
After seeing humanity's wickedness on earth, God became remorse for creating humanity. (Genesis 6:5-6)[7] Here is an attribution of ignorance of the future to God. While Christians occupy the other extreme by raising a human being, specifically Jesus the son of Mary, to the status of the Divine. [8] So Islam stands in between these two extremes, those who attribute faults to God and those who raise humans to the status of the Divine. And both Jews and Christians are guilty of believing in some of the prophets in exclusion to others; the Jews denying the prophethood of both Jesus and Muhammad9; while the Christians denying the prophethood of Muhammad. Moreover even with those prophets in whom they believe, they have attributed to them all sorts of monstrosities that would default them from being prophets. Among these calumnies:
The prophet Noah is accused of drunkenness (Genesis 9:21)[10 ]
The prophet Lot is accused of having incestuous unions with his two daughters resulting in the origins of the Moabites and the Ammonites (Genesis 19: 30-8)
David is accused of arranging the death of a companion to marry that man's wife.
The prophet Solomon is accused of idolatry. (I Kings 11:1-11)
Muslims on the other hand believe that the prophets were perfect in their character and they are models that we follow. Moreover these reports are an evidence of the tampering that has occurred in the previous scriptures. Hence the Muslims even though they believe in the previous scriptures, they say that these scriptures have since their time of revelation been altered. And hence the Torah of today is not the Torah given to Moses; and the Gospel given to Jesus son of Mary is not any one of the four gospels that are found today. The Qur'an being guides final scripture has been preserved from any change occurring. It remains the very same scripture that was revealed to the prophet Muhammad one thousand and four hundred and thirty three years ago.
With this I would like to conclude my remarks and open the floor for questions.
1 This idea it seems was first advanced by David Hume in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779). Putting aside the clear textual evidence found in the Qur'an and the Sunnah negating this notion, the "growth of historical knowledge and of scientific anthropology has shown that this is not so." See Key Ideas in Human Thought, ed. Kenneth McLeish, p. 487.
2 A Qur'anic aya is equivalent to a verse. The word aya literally means sign, as each Qur'anic aya is indicative of the Divine origin of the Qur'an.
3 Michael Hart (1978), The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.
4 The second Parliament of the World's Religions was held in Chicago August 28 - Sept. 5 1993.
5 See Everyman's Talmud, p. 7.
6 Contrast this with the following Qur'anic passage [fill].
7 Contrast this with the following Qur'anic passage [fill]. In the Qur'an God tells us that prior to creating Adam He knew by His perfect foreknowledge that humanity would cause corruption on earth and shed much blood. Yet God still nonetheless creates humanity because He knew by that very foreknowledge that among men there would be prophets and righteous. His perfect wisdom therefore dictated that such good come into existence even with the evil of men.
8 For example the Nicene Creed states: "And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By Whom all things were made." May Allah be greatly exalted from such blasphemies!
9 Rabbinic writings hold that Jesus was a sorcerer executed by a rabbinical court for his blasphemy. See The Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, p. 200.
10 The Oxford Dictionary of the Bible (p. 268) remarks that while Noah was "chosen by God for his good character … this was not sustained indefinitely."
Thursday 3 January 2008
Muslim Women! Who am i !
Who I Am !
All some people can do is just look and stare Simply because they can't see my hair
They think that I do not have opinions or voice They think that being hooded isn't my choice
They think that the hood makes me look caged That my husband or dad are totally outraged
All they can do is look at me in fear And in my eye there is a tear
What do you see when you look at me Do you see someone limited, or someone free
All some people can do is just look and stare Simply because they can't see my hair
Others think I am controlled and uneducatedThey think that I am limited and un-liberated
They are so thankful that they are not meBecause they would like to remain 'free'
Well free isn't exactly the word I would've usedDescribing women who are cheated on and abused
They think that I do not have opinions or voice They think that being hooded isn't my choice
They think that the hood makes me look caged That my husband or dad are totally outraged
All they can do is look at me in fear And in my eye there is a tear
Not because I have been stared at or made fun of But because people are ignoring the one up above
On the day of judgment they will be the fools Because they were too ashamed to play by their own rules
Maybe the guys won't think I am a cutieBut at least I am filled with more inner beauty
See I have declined from being a guy's toyBecause I won't let myself be controlled by a boy
Real men are able to appreciate my mind And aren't busy looking at my behind
Hooded girls are the ones really helping the muslim causeThe role that we play definitely deserves applause
I will be recognized because I am smart and brightAnd because some people are inspired by my sight
The smart ones are attracted by my tranquilityIn the back of their mind they wish they were me
We have the strength to do what we think is rightEven if it means putting up a life long fight
You see we are not controlled by a mini skirt and tight shirtWe are given only respect, and never treated like dirt
So you see, we are the ones that are free and liberatedWe are not the ones that are sexually terrorized and violated
We are the ones that are free and pureWe're free of STD's that have no cure
So when people ask you how you feel about the hoodJust sum it up by saying 'baby its all good' ;)
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