In the context of the horrific bombing in Sri Lanka last
month, it is vital Muslims across the world unite against violence which is
perpetuated in the name of Islam. There are episodes in recent history which
give a clear indication of the malice and hostility. Amjad Sabri -- the famous
qawal was killed in June 2016 by Pakistan Taliban. The Sabri family have sung
devotional songs using Sufi music -- essentially aiming at bridging the gap
between different faiths. Few months later 75 devotees were killed in a shrine
in Sindh Pakistan in January 2017, where a specific part of the shrine was
bombed where women were praying. More than 25 shrines have been targeted since
2005 in Pakistan.
There is a growing mislaid trend in Muslim world, to brush
everything before the birth of Islam in 7th century, under an era of ignorance
‘jahaliya’ as it is referred to commonly. The term ‘jahaliya’ has many
overtones, however, it doesn’t infer what some Muslims take as gospel truth-
that the people of the era were uncivilized and philistine.
The modern charter of democracy and civil liberties is
directly copied from the Roman’s, who ruled 1000 years before Islamic
civilization was found in Arabia. The Roman Republic didn’t have a King by
lineage. The Romans rather elected senate who in turn elected a Consul- the
ruler of the time. Julius Caesar for example was a consul. Roman assemblies
would meet in the Forum arena, which is somewhere close to where the current
Colosseum exists. The point being that knowledge, learning and progress is
never an inheritance of one civilization. Rather it is an ever flowing river
from which every civilization over the course of mankind’s history has drawn
ways of improving living and set forth progress.
Islamic civilization in its apogee for about 600 years was a
sparkle of social justice, knowledge and equality. The Bayt-ul-Hiqma at
Baghdad, House of Wisdom, attracted philosophers, scientists and theologists
from many places, notably Greece. Prophet Muhammad in Arabia had set
precedence. The prisoners of wars of ‘Badr’ who could teach ten Muslims to read
and write were set free by him. The Muslim caliphs of the later Islamic times,
like the great Harun-al-Rashid, carried the tradition and invited Greek
scientists to Baghdad for teaching Muslim scholars in their universities. This
led to an era of enlightenment in Muslim world. Debates, discussions and
lectures on a wide range of religious, scientific and philosophical issues of
the day were common at the houses of worship, which also served as centres of
judicial proceedings. The role and concept of a mosque wasn’t just to pray and
deliver sermons from pulpits, encouraging youngsters to throw their lives and
critique an economic system which is the backbone of current world, as is the
norm these days.
Subsequently, Europe and west in the renaissance period,
read the works of Muslim scholars, teachers and scientists. The works of
Avicenna, Ibn Arbi, al-Idrisi, Beruni, al-Khwarizmi over a course of time were
translated into French, English, and Portuguese. The ideals of European
Renaissance were directly derived from Muslim theologians and scholars. It is
fair to say that Arab science altered medieval Christendom beyond recognition.
For the first time in centuries, Europe opened its eyes to the world around it.
With the decline of Muslim civilization beginning from the
16th century, West advanced in areas of science and philosophy. The clash was
obvious. However it’s very important for us to read the nuances in between. The
Islamic revivalism that began in late 19th century and carried across the next
century stressed on the tales of west’s sinister ideas, and its larger plan of
indoctrinating Muslims; driving them away from puranitical Islam- the one in
the times of Prophet Muhammad.
One just needs to step back a bit and read about the
enlightenment and differential views exhibited by Muslims in 18 and 19th
centuries before these revivalist movements even began. Since transport had
greatly advanced, the mobility of political movement with many number of
Muslims taking the pilgrimage to Mecca and technologies of printing and
telegraph carried ideas in all directions. The Muslim world wasn’t imperious to
the developments around. The civil liberties post French Revolution and
American civil war resonated ideals amongst Muslims. The Muslims in the Middle
East reconstituted thanks to anti-slavery, emancipation of women and decline of
polygamy. New ideas were not rejected, but embraced. Books were translated into
Arabic, Turkish as soon as they were published in west. Darwin’s much
controversial work Origin of Species in particular piqued a keen interest in
Lebanon. Clerical boasting was punctured readily and the picture of a greedy
ignorant mullah was visible in many journals and pamphlets.
One of the ways forward is to read about Prophet Muhammad in
a theological sense rather than just spiritual or religious. His life is a
living practical example of social justice and equality, abhorring violence. To
relegate Prophet’s life as an epiphany and a divine programme revealed by God,
and Islamic society being the only properly oriented society is a grave error
we make. The aftermath to this is evident and so is our knee jerk reaction. Merely
closing our eyes on the monster and committing it so as Zionist conspiracy
shall not do. This notion of natural birth right on knowledge and moral up
holdings is misplaced. World is shrinking. Societies and civilizations are
drawing new borders. Muslims must rise up to it with introspection and correct
factual reading of history.
Faheem is an IT Engineer based in Dubai UAE, with interest
in travel, history and culture.
This blog was carried by Quint.
This blog was carried by Quint.
