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shazaimbooki@yahoo.com (Muhammad Naeem) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:47:00 +0500

Islamic Walls Papers

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Proof of Prophethood

shazaimbooki@yahoo.com (Muhammad Naeem) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:55:00 +0500

HIS ACHIEVEMENTS PROVE THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S (upon him be peace and blessings) PROPHETHOOD

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was peerless in educating people

A man, whoever he is and whatever he does, may regard his own occupation as more important, more necessary, more beneficial to social life and more difficult than others. However, although every occupation has some difficulty of its own and is of some degree of use for social life, educating people must be much more difficult than others and more necessary for a healthy social life.

To bring up distinguished persons require distinguished educators. Only an educator who has established his aim in educating people and practices what he will teach and advise to his students, only one who knows the character, potentialities, desires, and ambitions of his students with the shortcomings and strong and weak spots and the level of learning and understanding of each, can be successful in educating people. Of course, this is not all that a good, successful educator must have. Furthermore, he must know how to treat his students in all circumstances, how to approach their problems and how to purify them of bad qualities and morals and, in place of them, inculcate laudable and good ones.

A man may have strong belief in what he must believe but he may not be practicing his belief in his daily life. He may have some good moral qualities but they might have not been an ingrained part of his character. Moreover, he may have certain weak spots such as taking bribery and insensitivity to making use of common property or hoarding up wealth. Therefore, if an educator can change his students completely and, purifying them of all bad habits and morals and all bad qualities which have long been ingrained in them and, in their place, establishing laudable ones, can form a community which will be a good example for future generations in all fields of life and good moral qualities, if an educator can transform the ‘rock, copper, iron and coal’ in his hand into ‘silver, gold, brilliant and diamond’, without doubt, you will conclude that that educator is an extraordinary one. What The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, achieved in educating people within so short a time as 23 years is much more than what that educator does.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) was matchless in knowing people each with his character

It is another important dimension of a good education is not to resort to force. Penal sanctions, coercion and military and police forces can have some effect on directing people but only to a slight degree and for a short time only. Therefore, convincing people of the truth of what we teach to them and making it approved by them wholeheartedly is of vital importance in a good education.

No one in world history has so far been able to know man with all the dimensions of his character as well as The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and there has never appeared a second one next to him who has made pitiless, crude, war-mongering, ignorant and unyielding individuals into a community which sets a perfect example for all the future generations in all aspects of life and good moral qualities.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) guided people in every aspect of life.

No one can guide people in every field of life. It is very difficult for one, however able and clever, to be both an able statesman and commander and a brilliant scientist and successful educator at the same time. However, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most perfect spiritual and intellectual master, the most able statesman and commander, the most efficient educator, and the greatest scholar history has ever seen.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the foremost in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion and the most Almighty ALLAH-fearing of people.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the foremost in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion and the most Almighty ALLAH-fearing of people. He observed the duties of worship with the utmost care and attention down to their minutest details even in most perilous circumstances of his life which passed in constant struggle and activity. He never imitated anyone in his worship and combined in a perfect fashion the beginning and the end of spiritual evolution.

He is also unparalleled in prayer and gnosis, for in his supplications and prayers he describes his Lord with such a degree of gnosis that all the gnostics and saints since his time have never been able, although those coming after have made use of the heritage of the preceding ones, to attain a similar degree of gnosis and description of Almighty ALLAH.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was absolutely convinced of the truth of his message.

He had in his faith so extraordinary a strength, so wonderful a certainty, so miraculous an evolution, and such elevated and world-enlightening conviction that none of the prevailing ideas and beliefs of that time, and none of the philosophies of the sages and teachings of the spiritual leaders, although they were all opposed and even hostile to him, was ever able to cause in him any doubt, hesitation or anxiety concerning his certainty, conviction, and assurance. Moreover, all saintly men of all times, his Companions primarily included, have all benefited from his faith which they admit to be of the highest degree. This fact proves that his faith too is matchless.

All the sacred attributes, miracles and functions that indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, were all to be found in the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) in the utmost degree.

Just as the consensus of the Prophets is a very strong proof of the existence and Oneness of Almighty ALLAH, so, too, it is a firm testimony to the truthfulness and Messengership of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings), upon him be peace and blessings. For history confirms that all the sacred attributes, miracles and functions that indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, were all to be found in The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) in the utmost degree. The Prophets verbally predicted his coming, that is, they gave the good tidings of him in the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms, and other Scriptures which are called ‘Pages’ in the Qur’an; likewise through their missions and miracles they affirmed and ‘sealed’ the mission of The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings), who is the foremost and most perfect in Prophethood.

Thousands of saints unanimously bear witness to the truthfulness and Messengership of The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings)

Also, having attained the truth and perfection, and the rank of working wonders, and gained insight into the reality of things, and spiritual discovery through following The Holy Prophet The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, in all his deeds and principles, thousands of saints unanimously bear witness not only to the Oneness of Almighty ALLAH but also to the truthfulness and Messengership of that being, upon him be peace and blessings. It is as bright a proof as the sun for the truthfulness of The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, that, those saints believe in and affirm all of the truths that being proclaimed through the light of faith to the degree of either certainty coming from knowledge or certainty by sight, or of certainty by experience.

Thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness and believing sages have reached the highest station of learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths brought by The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings)

Again, thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness and believing sages, who have reached the highest station of learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths brought by The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, despite his being unlettered, the sublime sciences to which he gave birth, and the Divine knowledge he discovered, not only prove unanimously with their strongest proofs and affirm the Oneness of Almighty ALLAH, the foundation of his mission, but also bear unanimous witness to the truthfulness of that greatest teacher and supreme master, and to the veracity of his words.

First and foremost of all, the family and the Companions of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, who with their insight, wisdom and spiritual accomplishments, are the most renowned, the most respected, the most celebrated, the most pious, the most keen-sighted of mankind after the Prophets, after having examined and scrutinized all the thoughts and states of that being, whether hidden or open, with the utmost attention and exactitude, unanimously concluded that he was the most truthful, the most elevated, and the most honest being in the world.

In his preaching of the message and calling people to the truth, The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) displayed extraordinary steadfastness, firmness and courage

In his preaching of the message and in his calling people to the truth, he displayed such steadfastness, firmness and courage that, in spite of the antagonism of big powers and great religions, and of his own people and tribe, even of his uncle, he never showed even the slightest trace of hesitation, anxiety or fear, and he successfully challenged the world, and, as a result, made Islam superior to all other religions and systems. This proves that there is not and cannot be anyone like him also in his preaching of and calling to the message of Truth.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) solved social, political and economic problems so easily and established such perfect rules in all these fields that they left permanent and inerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of the world.

Let us go to the Arabian peninsula in the Time of Happiness. That unlettered man who had not attended any military academy, nor a school for civil servants or a school of law, nor a school of sciences, presented such a religion and law that they contain all the principles to secure happiness in both worlds. His speech is so effective and penetrating that human beings in all times listen to him and his voice is echoed in every century. He solves all social, political and economic problems so easily and establishes such perfect rules in all these fields that they leave permanent and inerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of the world. He spends a considerable part of his life on battlefields and proves to be the most able commander of all times. He also shows himself as the best of husbands, the most eminent, yet most compassionate of fathers and the most amiable and loyal of friends. He does all this in so short a time as 23 years.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also beyond all compare in knowing his people and educating them to mould their characters in the crucible of his message

A leader must know his people very well in order to educate them and urge them to the realization of a cause. Alexis Carrel, a great French scientist and philosopher of this century, still describes man as unknown. Man is the most complex and intricate of creatures. However, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also beyond all compare in knowing his people and educating them to mould their characters in the crucible of his message. He knew everyone to whom he would convey his message with all the details of his character, with his abilities, shortcomings, feelings, disposition and level of understanding. Besides, he also knew very well how to act in certain conditions and was able to give the best decision in all crises. To every position he appointed the one most qualified for and deserving of it and did not have to change the appointment later. He succeeded in bringing the most refined, well-mannered and civilized society out of an extremely backward, uncivilized and rough people.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh-century Arabian peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters, especially, to the civilized nations

Consider how, eradicating their evil and savage customs and immoral qualities to which they were so fanatically attached, he equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh-century Arabian peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters, especially, to the civilized nations. His was not an outward domination; rather, he conquered their minds, spirits, hearts, and souls. He became the beloved of hearts, the teacher of minds, the trainer of souls, and the ruler of spirits.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings), upon him be peace and blessings, removed numerous ingrained habits from large obsessed communities with a little effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted and inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in their being.

You know that despite all the advanced techniques and methods, modern communities are unable to remove permanently so small a vice as cigarette smoking. However, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, removed numerous ingrained habits from large obsessed communities with a little effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted and inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in their being. To those who refuse to see the testimony of the blessed age of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, we present as a challenge any part of today’s civilized world. Let them go there with hundreds of philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and pedagogues and educators, and strive for a hundred years, I wonder whether they will be able to achieve in that period a hundredth part of what The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) achieved in a year.

When The Holy Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips.

When The Holy Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips. Once, the leaders of the Quraysh warned Abu Talib, the Prophet’s uncle, to persuade his nephew to abandon preaching his mission. The Holy Prophet answered:

O uncle! Should they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, so as to make me renounce this mission, I shall not do so. I will never give it up; either it will please Almighty ALLAH to make it triumph or I shall perish it the attempt.

The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) carried his mission to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause

On another occasion, a deputation of the leading Quraysh called on him and offered him all the worldly glory they could imagine in return for his abandoning his mission. They said:

- If you want to possess wealth, we will amass for you as much as you wish; if you aspire to win honor and power, we are prepared to swear allegiance to you as our overlord and king; if you have a fancy for beauty, you shall have the hand of the most beautiful maiden of your own choice.

The terms were extremely tempting for any ordinary mortal, but they had no significance in the eyes of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. He responded:

- I want neither wealth nor power. Almighty ALLAH has commissioned me as a warner to humanity. I deliver His Message to you. Should you accept it, you shall have felicity in this life and eternal bliss in the life Hereafter. Should you reject the Word of Almighty ALLAH, surely Almighty ALLAH will decide between you and me.

The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which he carried his mission to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause. Had there been the slightest doubt or uncertainty in his heart, he would never have been able to brave the storm that continued in all its fury for twenty-one long years.

None of the world leaders have been able to bring about among the members of their followers so strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that which The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among the desert men of the seventh-century Arabia

Great leaders have appeared on the horizon of humanity. They have changed the course of history through either the states or empires they have established or the revolutions they have made. Nevertheless, almost none of them have been able to bring about among the members of their followers so strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that which The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among the desert men of the seventh-century Arabia. Although The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had never given any indication of political interest or activity for full forty years until Prophethood, he appeared all of a sudden on the stage of the world as such a great political reformer and statesman that, without the aid of press or of any modern tele-communicative means, he brought together the scattered inhabitants of a desert of twelve hundred thousand square miles-a people who were warlike, ignorant, unruly, uncultured, and plunged in tribal warfare-under one banner, one law, one religion, one culture, one civilization and one form of government.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers nothing other than Almighty ALLAH’s approval and Paradise

A leader must know men very well in order to urge them to the realization of a cause. In order to gain a following, most leaders make alluring promises to people, like power, wealth, position or a bright future. However, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, made no such promises to his followers. Nor did he resort to any force to realize his aim. He conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers only Almighty ALLAH’s good pleasure and Paradise. His followers sacrificed themselves in his way willingly and preferred to live a poor life in return for gaining Almighty ALLAH’s good pleasure and Paradise. Especially his own family lived as the poorest of his community. He always sought to prepare them, as well as his Companions, for the eternal peace and permanent bliss while himself setting for them a good example of that peace and bliss. His daughter Fatima, the most beloved to him among his family, once came to him with a necklace around her neck or a bracelet around her wrist. The Holy Prophet said to her:

- Do you want people-inhabitants of the earth and the inhabitants of heavens-to say that the daughter of The Holy Prophet is wearing a chain from Hell?

These words were enough for Fatima, for they were coming from the mouth of one whose throne was established in people’s hearts and who had conquered their minds. Fatima narrates the rest of the story as follows:

- I immediately sold the necklace, bought a slave and emancipated him, and then went to the Messenger of Almighty ALLAH. When I told him what I had done, he rejoiced. He opened his hands and thanked Almighty ALLAH, saying: All thanks to Almighty ALLAH, Who protected (my daughter) Fatima from Hell.

Despite all the most pitiless cruelties, The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) used to pray: ‘O Almighty ALLAH! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know. ’ Through his limitless love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, he made extremely cruel, war-mongering people into the best community in human history.

Supposing you are a teacher at a school or a director in an institution. In order to bring up your students or the people under your command according to the ideal you pursue, you are determined to bear all hardships that may appear before you. Now, if they spit in your face when they are passing by you, if they put an animal abdomen over your head while you are in prostration before Almighty ALLAH, if they sometimes slap you in face, if they sometimes throw stones at you and scatter thorny plants along the roads you pass, if they ambush you in corners with daggers in their hands, if they mock you in front of others, if they slander your wife, if they kill your relatives and cut their bodies into pieces, if they attack you many times and injure you, and if they expel you from your native land, still can you bear all such cruelties and continue your way without the least hesitation? More than that, can you forgive them, pity them and pray to Almighty ALLAH for them, saying: O Almighty ALLAH! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know. If you are taken to a Paradise-like place and left free to choose between living there and going back to serve your cause amid hardships, do you choose to go back among the people to continue your mission?

Is it not the worst form of ‘blindness’ and ignorance to reject the Prophethood of that pride of humanity who, through his limitless love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, made extremely cruel, war-mongering people into the best community in human history?

In human history there has been no one as much loved as his followers from the first day up to now love The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, sent a group of envoys to the Adal and al-Qarah tribes to teach them Islam. However, a group from the Hudhayl tribe attacked the envoys half-way and, killing some of them, submitted the remaining three to the Quraysh. Zayd ibn Dasina was among the envoys. Before the Qurayshi polytheists executed Zayd, Abu Sufyan, who had not yet embraced Islam, said to him:

- I adjure you by Almighty ALLAH, Zayd, don’t you wish that The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) was with us now in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your family?

- ‘By Almighty ALLAH’, said Zayd, ‘let alone wishing that The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) were here in my place so that I were with my family, I do not wish that even a thorn should hurt his feet in Madina.’

Abu Sufyan had to remark: ‘I swear by Almighty ALLAH that I have never seen a man who was so loved as The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (upon him be peace and blessings) Companions loved him.’

In human history there has been no one as much loved, as his followers from the first day up to now love The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) answered all of the questions asked him without faltering and he has not been contradicted ever since

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had to answer innumerable questions put to him by both the desert men of Arabia and the Jews and Christians of his time, concerning not only religion but also many other subjects such as history, metaphysics, astronomy, medicine and so on. He answered all of them without faltering and he has not been contradicted ever since.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, brought into history such a law, a religion, a way of life, a code of worship, a way of prayer, a message, and faith that the like of them has never existed, nor will or could exist. For the law brought by that unlettered being is matchless in that it has administered one fifth of mankind for fourteen centuries, in a just and precise manner through its rules and injunctions. The religion of Islam, which originated in the Qur’an he received from Almighty ALLAH and his own sayings, precepts and example, is also peerless, for in each century it has been for hundreds of millions of people a guide and a competent authority or source for whatever matter is referred to it. It has also trained their minds, illumined and purified their hearts, trained and refined their souls, and perfected their spirits.

After the Companions, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified, meticulous scholars, thousands of scientists, and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses, commanders and statesmen have been brought up in the footsteps of The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings)

After the Companions, who gave the lead to all mankind in all fields of life including the scientific, political, social, administrative and economic, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified, meticulous scholars such as Abu Hanifa, Shafi‘i, Bayazid al-Bistami, ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Imam Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and many others, and thousands of scientists like al-Biruni, al-Zahrawi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Haytham and others, and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses, commanders and statesmen, and other stars of mankind, have all followed in the footsteps of The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. Besides those persons, many intellectuals and statesmen of the West such as Lamartine, William Muir, Edward Gibbon, John Davenport, L. A. Sedillot, Goethe, P. Bayle, Stanley Lane-Poole, A. J. Arberry, Thomas Carlyle, Rosenthal, Elisee Reclus, Andrew Miller, Bismarck, Leopold Weis, Marmaduke Pickthall, Martin Lings and Roger Garaudy have had to confess his greatness, even that HE is the greatest of mankind, and some of them have embraced Islam. This is another proof of is Prophethood.

Life and Character of Holy Prophet Peace be Upon Him

shazaimbooki@yahoo.com (Muhammad Naeem) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:47:00 +0500

THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S LIFE FOLLOWING HIS PROPHETHOOD

If the Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had cherished selfish aims and intentions, and if he had not been a Prophet chosen by Almighty ALLAH to guide people into truth, he would not have had to wait until he was forty to emerge with the claim of Prophethood.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) was unlettered. Until he was forty, no one heard him utter an eloquent speech, talk on religious and metaphysical issues, formulate any laws, and handle a sword. But, this reserved and quiet man, who had never given any indication of political interest or activity before, appeared on the stage of the world, as a greatest reformer expounding the intricate problems of metaphysics and theology, delivering speeches upon the principles of the decline and fall of nations, teaching ethical canons and formulating the laws of social culture, economic organization, group conduct and international relations, the world history has ever known. He turned suddenly into such a brave soldier that he did not even once retreat in the fiercest battles. He changed people’s modes of thought, world-views, and their beliefs, habits and morals.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) was not only an undefeatable commander, nor a most eminent statesman, nor a most influential spiritual and moral teacher. He is the only example where all the excellences in all the aspects of life have been blended into one personality.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was not only an undefeatable commander, nor a most eminent statesman, nor a most influential spiritual and moral teacher. He is the only example where all the excellences in all the aspects of life have been blended into one personality. He is a man of wisdom and a seer and also a living embodiment of his own teachings. He is a great statesman as well as a military genius. He is a legislator and also a teacher of morals. He is a spiritual luminary as well as a religious guide. His vision penetrates every aspect of life and there is nothing which he touches and does not adorn. His orders and commandments cover a vast field from the regulation of international relations down to the habits of everyday life like eating, drinking, sleeping, and cleanliness of the body. On the foundations of his teaching he established a civilization and a culture and produced such a fine, sensitive, and perfect equilibrium in the conflicting aspects of life that there is to be found not even the slightest trace of any flaw, deficiency or incompleteness. What shortcoming and imperfection does he have when compared with other Prophets so that he is not confirmed as a Prophet and Messenger of Almighty ALLAH.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) lived as the humblest of all.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings lived a very simple life, as the poorest of his community. He spent all the money he had earned by the trade before His Prophethood to spread his Message. In spite of his greatness, his behavior toward all people was that of the humblest person, that of an ordinary being. In the struggles and endeavors of his whole life he did not seek any reward or profit for his own person, nor did he leave any property for his heirs. He did not ask his followers to earmark anything for him or his descendants, so much so that although he and his family were the poorest of his community, he forbade not only his family but also his progeny from receiving from the benefit of zakat.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely merciful toward all the creatures of Almighty ALLAH.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely merciful toward all the creatures of Almighty ALLAH. In Makka, his people inflicted on him every kind of suffering, eventually forcing him to emigrate to Madina, and then waged wars on him for five years. However, when he conquered Makka without bloodshed in the twenty-first year of his Prophethood, he forgave all of his enemies. His mercy even encompassed hypocrites and unbelievers. Although he recognized the hypocrites of his time, he never disclosed them so that they could enjoy the rights of full citizenship to which their outward confession of faith and practice entitled them.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was particularly compassionate towards children. When he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and shared his or her feelings. He felt the pain of a mother for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said: I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear the cry of a child and cut the prayer short for the anxiety which the mother praying in the congregation is feeling. He took children in arms and hugged them. Sometimes he bore them on his shoulders.

The Prophet’s compassion encompassed not only human beings, but also animals. We hear from him that a prostitute was guided to truth by Almighty ALLAH and ultimately went to Paradise because she gave water to a poor dog dying of thirst, whilst another woman was condemned to the torments of Hell because she left a cat to die of hunger.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely mild in his relations with people.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely mild in his relations with people. He was never angry with anybody because of what was done to him. When his wife ‘A’isha, may Almighty ALLAH be pleased with her, was made the object of a slander, he did not think to punish the slanderers even after ‘A’isha was cleared. Bedouins often came to his presence and behaved impolitely, but he did not even frown at them.

The Holy Prophet was also the most generous of people

The Holy Prophet was also the most generous of people. He liked to distribute whatever he had. After Prophethood he and his wealthy wife Khadija spent everything they had in the way of Almighty ALLAH. When Khadija, may Almighty ALLAH be pleased with her, died, they had no money to buy a shroud, and Almighty ALLAH’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, had to borrow money in order to bury the first person to embrace Islam and his first supporter.

According to the Prophet, the world is like a tree under which people sit to be shaded during a long journey. No one can live forever in the world, so people must make in the world the necessary preparation for the second part of the journey which will end either in Paradise or Hell. The mission of Almighty ALLAH’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, was to guide people to truth, so he would spend whatever he had, his life, and his possessions, to this end. Once ‘Umar, upon him be peace and blessings, saw him lying on a rough mat and wept, saying: ‘O Messenger of Almighty ALLAH! While kings sleep in soft weather beds, you are lying on a rough mat. You are the Messenger of Almighty ALLAH and therefore deserve more than any other people an easy life.’ The Messenger answered him: Do you not agree that [the luxuries of] the world is theirs but those of the Hereafter ours.

Islam does not approve of monastic life. It came to secure justice and the well-being of mankind, but warns people against over-indulgence. It is for this reason that many Muslims have chosen an ascetic life. Although the Muslims generally became rich after the death of the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, some like the Caliphs Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Ali preferred an austere life. This was partly because they felt to live as the poorest of their people and partly because they chose to strictly follow the Prophet’s example.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most modest of people. As he attained a higher rank each and every day, he increased in humility and servanthood to Almighty ALLAH. He preferred being a Prophet-slave to being a Prophet-king.

In the construction of the Mosque in Madina after the Hijra, he carried two sun-dried bricks while everybody else carried one. In the digging of the ditch around Madina to defend the city in the Battle of the Ditch, the Companions bound a stone around their bellies because of hunger, but the Messenger bound two, because he was more hungry than anybody else. Once, a man saw him and, due to his awe-inspiring appearance, began to tremble out of fear. The Messenger calmed him, saying: Brother! Don’t be afraid. I am a man, like you, whose mother used to eat dry bread. Again, a woman suffering from insanity pulled him by the hand and said: ‘Come with me and do my housework.’ Almighty ALLAH’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, went with the woman and did the work. As reported by ‘A’isha, his wife, the Messenger patched his clothes, repaired his shoes and helped his wives with the housework.

‘Ali, the Fourth Caliph, may Almighty ALLAH be pleased with him, describes the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings:

Whoever attempted to describe the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) would say: ‘I have, either before him or after him, never seen the like of him, upon him be peace and blessings.’

· Almighty ALLAH’s Messenger was the most generous of people in giving out and the mildest and foremost of them in patience and perseverance. He was the most truthful of people in speech, the most amiable and congenial in companionship and the noblest of them in family. Whoever sees him first is stricken by awe of him but whoever knows him closely is attracted to him deeply, and whoever attempts to describe him says: ‘I have, either before him or after him, never seen the like of him, upon him be peace and blessings.’

Other than conveying Almighty ALLAH’s Message to people, in other words, performing the mission of Divine Messengership, who bears such an austere life as Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, lived, and what else other than a Prophet, can such a man as Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, be? And what substantial argument can one put forward against his Prophethood.

HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S (upon him be peace and blessings) CHARACTER AND HIGH MORALITY PROVE HIS PROPHETHOOD

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) was the humblest at the zenith of his achievements If a man’s world-admired accomplishments or the wealth and fame he has gained do not change him, if he can remain as humble as he was at the beginning of his career, this shows that person’s strength of character, morality and virtue. Despite his unparalleled achievements, which force even his enemies to place him at the top of the greatest men of human history, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was poorer and more humble when he entered Makka victoriously than he was at the beginning of his mission.

Those who saw the Messenger would say: ‘One with such a face cannot lie.’

One’s face reveals one’s inner world and character. Those who saw The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings could not help but admire his appearance and, if they were unprejudiced, acknowledge his truthfulness. For example, ‘Adbullah ibn Salam, the most renowned Jewish scholar of the time, believed in him at his first sight of him, saying: ‘One with such a face cannot lie.’

If a fire-fly claimed that it is the sun, its lie could last only until the sun rises. Turkish people say that a liar’s candle only burns till bedtime, meaning that a lie has only a very short life. So, a deceitful one pretending Prophethood will soon be discovered and no one will accept him as a true Prophet.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (upon him be peace and blessings) utmost conviction of his cause, together with his sincerity and solemnity prove his Prophethood

Even an insignificant man of small standing, in a small group in a disputed matter of little importance, cannot tell a small but shameful lie openly and comfortably without displaying such anxiety and uneasiness as will make his enemies aware of his deception. Since The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, challenged everybody to come until the Last Day and uttered many important speeches in a large community concerning a great cause, with great ease and freedom, without hesitation or anxiety, with pure sincerity and great solemnity, and in an intense and elevated manner that provoked his enemies, it means that he was certainly a Prophet speaking whatever Almighty ALLAH revealed to him.

Despite being unlettered, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, spoke on every issue and has not been contradicted ever since.

It is impossible for an unlettered one to speak on a matter requiring expert knowledge, especially before those with specialized knowledge of that matter. However, despite being unlettered, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, spoke on every issue from theology and metaphysics to medicine, history, physics and biology and has not been contradicted ever since. Besides, when he was raised up as a Prophet, the arts of literature, eloquence and oratory were at their peak and the Qur’an he received from Almighty ALLAH challenged all of its opponents to bring the like of a single chapter of its but no one has ever been able to do that. This, again, clearly shows that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is a Prophet of Almighty ALLAH.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) had to confront all kinds of hardships and persecutions after Prophethood and spent for his cause whatever he had.

For the sake of a deception no one risks his life, wealth and reputation and bears great hardships and persecutions unless he has great aspirations to more wealth and great worldly positions. Before claiming Prophethood, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was well off and had a respected place among his community. However, he had to confront all kinds of hardships and persecutions after Prophethood and spent for his cause whatever he had. His enemies slandered him, mocked him, beat him, expelled him from his homeland and waged war on him. He bore all such cruel treatments and hostilities without complaint and asked Almighty ALLAH Almighty for the forgiveness of even his enemies. The only cause he pursued was to see everybody believing in and worshipping the One Almighty ALLAH exclusively and thereby prosperous in both worlds and saved from the torments of Hell.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, practiced with utmost sincerity and honesty what he communicated to others.

History has witnessed many leading persons who, since they themselves did not practice what they preached or propagated, did not have a large devoted following. Their ideas did not have an enduring effect on people and the systems they established did not last long. However, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, practiced with utmost sincerity and honesty what he communicated to others and was always the first and foremost in obedience to the religion he brought, in worship to the Creator and in avoidance of the religious prohibitions. This shows his full conviction of his cause and that he is a Messenger of Almighty ALLAH, Who sent him to humanity to guide them to the True Path.

For what reason other than conveying Almighty ALLAH’s Message to people must he have endured all kinds of hardships and persecutions, such as sleeping on earth, suffering hunger for several consecutive days, spending a considerable part of his life on battlefields and military campaigns, being expelled from his homeland, becoming subject to mockeries and insults, etc?

Man acquires an established character until he is thirty and especially after thirty a man’s character does not change. Particularly, it is very difficult for one to change his temper and disposition after he is forty. If- Almighty ALLAH forbid such a thought!- there had been any imperfection and blemish in the character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, it would certainly have appeared before his Prophethood. Therefore, no one with a bit of intelligence and fairness, unless he is prejudiced, can accept that one who was never heard tell a lie and witnessed deceive until one was forty, would appear as the worst, meanest trickster of human history after forty.

A lying, deceitful one cannot have a large, dedicated following who are ready to sacrifice themselves for him. Despite being among the five greatest Prophets, Moses and Jesus did not have followers as devoted as the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (upon him be peace and blessings) Companions. The followers of Moses, upon him be peace, betrayed him when he left them for forty days to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai, and began to worship a golden calf which Samiri made for them. Even after so many years of intellectual and spiritual training in the desert, except for two Almighty ALLAH-fearing men, they did not obey his order to fight against the Amalekites, the people of Goliath. As for Jesus, upon him be peace, one of his most devoted twelve followers betrayed him and attempted to submit him to his enemies. But the followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, known as the Companions, were so devoted to him that they sacrificed for him their lives and properties and their families and tribes. Although brought up among a primitive people and in a climate of ignorance, devoid of any positive notions of social life and administration, without a Scripture and immersed in the darkness of the uncivilized era after the Prophets, in a very short period, they became in the footsteps of their exalted leader, The Holy Prophet Muhammad, (upon him be peace and blessings) the masters, guides and just rulers of the most civilized and socially and politically advanced peoples and states, and ruled the world from east to west in a world-admired fashion.

Also, innumerable exacting and profound scholars and world-famous scientists and pure, spiritual masters were brought up among the succeeding generations following the Companions. The civilization they established was the most magnificent one history has ever known. Is it conceivable, then, that all those most shining stars of human history followed a lying, deceitful one? Almighty ALLAH forbid such a thought!

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue. He appeared in the heart of a desert which was almost the most uncivilized part of the then inhabited world and where people were immersed in the worst kinds of immorality. Then, who do you think brought him up as the most virtuous one with the highest morality and best conduct? He had lost his father while he was yet in the womb of his mother. When his mother died, he was only six years old. It was impossible for his grandfather and uncle to bring him up as the most virtuous of all times, as they themselves did not have all of the good moral qualities the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) had and in the same degree as he had. His teacher was Almighty ALLAH, as he himself said: My Lord educated me and taught me good manners, and how well he educated me and how beautifully He taught me good manners!

No one in human history has ever been able to combine in himself all of the virtues and good qualities as perfectly as The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

Human history has seen many virtuous persons. However, no one has ever been able to combine in himself all of the virtues and good qualities as perfectly as The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. There have been many generous people but they have not been able to show enough courage when and where necessary. Likewise, there have been many courageous people, who have not been able to be lenient and generous at the same degree. But The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, combined in his person all the virtues and laudable qualities at the highest level.

Virtue and good morality also require balance. For example, if generosity exceeds its limits, it changes into extravagance. Similarly, if thrift cannot be kept within moderate limits, it changes into miserliness. Courage is usually confused with rashness and dialectics or demagogy is sometimes taken for being intelligent. In addition, virtue also requires knowing how to act in certain conditions. For instance, the self-respect which a weak man should wear before a powerful one becomes, if the powerful one assumes it, self-conceit. The humility which a powerful man should wear before a weak one becomes, if assumed by a weak man, self-abasement. Forbearance and sacrifice (of one’s rights) on one’s own account is good and a virtue; but when done on behalf of others, it is bad and a treason. An individual may bear patiently with whatever is done to him personally; but it is impermissible for him to, on behalf of the nation, bear patiently what is being done to the nation. Whereas pride and indignation on behalf of the nation are commendable, on one’s own behalf they are not.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) was perfectly balanced in his virtues and good moral qualities.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) was perfectly balanced in his virtues and good moral qualities. He was perfectly courageous where to show courage was necessary, while he was perfectly mild, forgiving and humble among people. He was perfectly dignified but also very gracious. There was no one more generous than him but he was also thrifty and condemned extravagance. In short, all virtues and good qualities existed in him in a well-balanced combination.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings) had all of the essential attributes pertaining to Prophets

According to theologians, there are six essentials of Prophethood common to all of the Prophets. They are truthfulness, trustworthiness, communication of Almighty ALLAH’s commands, intelligence, infallibility and being free from all kinds of bodily and mental defects. History is a witness that The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had all of these six essential attributes in a most perfect fashion.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (upon him be peace and blessings) achievements are unparalleled in history

A man encounters in his life many situations where he must make decisions with no delay and hesitation. Many decisions made in such situations may cause him great difficulties. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, made so great achievements in so short a time as 23 years that they are unparalleled in human history. He never faltered and all of his decisions proved to be true.

More than that, whatever he did and whatever he said did not concern only his own time but he addressed all times and places and all peoples and levels throughout the world to come until the Last Day. As none of his sayings have not been contradicted so far, no one has ever been able to criticize him for any of his actions, sayings and decisions. Is it possible for one who is not a Prophet taught by Almighty ALLAH, the All-Knowing, to have such intelligence, foresight, sagacity, insight, sound reasoning and prudence.

Economics Guidelines and its Analysis

shazaimbooki@yahoo.com (Muhammad Naeem) — Wed, 2 Nov 2011 22:14:00 +0500

ECONOMICS GUIDE LINES AND ITS ANALYSIS

The research work Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmad has done on Imam Ahmed Raza al-Qaadiri Bareilly is well known. In the course of his research work Dr. Masood Ahmad focused his attention on his Economic Guidelines of Imam Ahmed Raza al-Qaadiri which he enunciated in his pamphlet “TADBEER-E-FALAH-O-NIJAT-WA-ISLAH” which was published from Calcutta in 1912/1331 AH. The details of these guidelines are as follows:-

1) Excepting those matters in which the state is intervening, the Muslims should settle their conflicts by mutual consultation, so that thousand of rupees which are squandered in unnecessary litigation may be saved.

2) The rich Muslims of Bombay, Calcutta, Rangoon, Madras and Hyderabad-Decan should set up banks for their Muslim brethren.

3) The Muslims should not purchase anything from non-Muslims. They should have business dealings with Muslims only.

4) They should be emphasis on the spread of Ilm-e-Deen (Islamic Teachings).

Apparently these four points or guidelines are brief but Dr. Masood Ahmad has entrusted the task of elucidating these guidelines to me as a humble student of Economics. This task is stupendous. Despite my twenty years teaching experience, I think my knowledge is limited. In spite of my limitations, I have made up my mind to explain these guidelines to the best of my ability. Allama Iqbal says: Indeed these are the guidelines of a Mo’min who was saturated with the love of the Holy Prophet.

Before discussing these guidelines, I would like to say something by the way of Preface. In 1912 when these guidelines were published, the study of Economics as a distinct subject was not common. In other developed countries of the world like

England

America

France

, and

Germany

a special group of intellectuals was engaged in acquiring knowledge of Economics.

There is no doubt that regular books on Economics were being published, but the masses were not interested in this subject. The students used to avoid this subject, considering it to be dry.

The tremendous increase in the importance of Economics after the First Great War and particularly the Great Depressions of 1929-30 is unprecedented in the history of development of social science. The number of students of Economics in American University and colleges was very small. The girls particularly avoided studying Economics. But after 1940 the conditions changed radically and there was a great increase in the number of the students of Economics. Now the American experts are thinking of introducing the study of Economics at the primary stage.

It goes without saying that the Great Depression (1929-30) gave a great impetus to the study of Economics in the masses and the Governments. The classical theories existed for the control of depression, but the Great Depression falsified these theories. The need was felt for a new theory, which could help in combating depression. In 1936, J.M. Keynes, a British Economist published his book, “THE THEORY OF EMPLOYMENT, INTEREST AND MONEY” which triggered a revolution in Economics thinking in the world. Keynes theory enabled countries to overcome slump and depression. Keynes was made a lord in recognition of his new theory.

The readers should note that the new economic theories were developed after 1930. It is rather surprising that Imam Ahmed Raza al-Qaadiri anticipated the new economic developments in 1912. If rich Muslims had paid attention to the guidelines of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri since 1912, the economics condition of the Indian Muslims would have improved a lot.

Now let us discuss these guidelines in detail. In my opinion the first three guidelines are concerned with the spirit of new economics and the fourth one is concerned with the spread of Islamic Studies.

First Guidelines

Excepting those matters in which the Government intervenes, the Muslims should settle their disputes by mutual consultation so that thousands of rupees which were spent on litigation may be saved (for economic development).

The key point in this guide-line is saving. Our Holy Prophet e condemned prodigality over 1400 years ago. The Modern economics condemn loose spendin; they emphasize that unproductive expenditure is fruitless. If we study the economic life of the Indian Muslims in 20^th century prior to the establishment of

Pakistan

, it will become crystal clear that during that period the Indian Muslims squandered thousands of rupees in litigation. The Muslims constituted only 14% of the population of the UP. They were well to do Muslim Landlords (Zamindar) but litigation was their popular past time. One of my near relatives who was a zamindar used to visit us over a period of twelve years in connection with litigation with his brother-in-law. After partition of

India

into Bharat and

Pakistan

, Vallabh Bhai Patel abolished zamindari and ruined the Muslim zamidars. Then agrarian litigation died a natural death.

The first guideline makes it clear that Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri did not like expenditures on litigation. Litigation sowed the seeds of discord among Muslims. Secondly, the millions of rupees which were spent on litigation,if saved, would have ameliorated the economic conditions of the Indian Muslims. These expenditures were unnecessary. Litigation could be avoided if the spirit of consultation and cooperation was allowed to prevail between the disputants. In that case the money of Muslims would not have enriched others.

Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri stressed the need for savings in 1912, because he was sure that it was the best means of removing the poverty of Muslims. He advocated curtailing unnecessary expenditure and using the money thus saved on the economic rehabilitation and welfare of the Muslim masses. In 1936 Keynens enunciated his theory of employment and money, and strengthened the foundations of a new or macro-economics. The most important variables of his theory are savings and investment. He maintains that to secure equilibrium in the economy, savings and investment should be equal. If there is dis-equilibrium in the two variables, the economy will become prey to slump or inflation and both these situations are harmful from a political, economic, inflation, and social point of view. The great depression of 1929-30 exploded the Governments policy and laissez faire was falsified by economic fluctuations. Keynes advised the Government to fully intervene in the economic affairs of their respective countries to check slump and bring about quick economic recovery and prosperity. So the Governments took full part in economic rehabilitation and development and thus trade cycle was curbed.

The present is the epoch of economic planning.

USSR

is the pioneer in the field of economic planning in the world. The plans are generally drawn for 5-year periods.

Now backward and under-developed countries are engaged in economic planning through the five-year plan. The funds for the completion of plans are derived from two sources:

1) National savings.

2) Loans. If national savings are inadequate, the developing countries have to depend on foreign loans and grants.

The third method, of financing the development program consists in the issue of inconvertible currency notes by the Central Bank of the country. But this method increases inflation which if uncontrolled results in economic crisis or depression.

So the easiest and the best way is to encourage national savings. The level of savings is low in the developing countries because the income of people is low. Moreover if there is an increase in individuals income, it is spent on procuring durable consumer goods. According to an estimate of the economist the rate of saving in most of the under developed countries is 5 to 8 percent, whereas in developed countries it ranges from 15% to 18% of the national income. The developing countries should augment their savings to 15% to accelerate the pace of economic development.

We have already seen that according to Keynensian equation S=I, if savings are increasing, then investments will also increase. In 1950, Colin Clark an American Economist suggested that Bharat,

China

and

Pakistan

each should save 12% of their national income for economic development purpose. The developing countries including

Pakistan

are floating various savings schemes to accumulate funds for economic developments. National saving is the key to economic development.

Now the discerning minds should keep in view this environment. In 1912, Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri had advised the Muslims to shun unnecessary expenditures and save as much as possible. At present, the Government is also urging the people to save to the maximum limit. Now, would you not recognize the economic farsightedness of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri? Would you not be convinced of the fact that the discerning eyes of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri were visualizing the future very clearly. Keynes won the title from the British Government for discovering a thing which Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri had already published in 1912. It is a pity that the Muslims did not pay any heed to this fact.

Second Guideline

Now let us come to the second guideline.

Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri said the rich Muslims of Mumbai, Calcutta, Rangoon, Madras and Hyderabad, Deccen should establish banks for their Muslim brethren.

This guideline is so important from the economic point of view that we can not help recognize the economic insight of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri. In 1912 there were a few banks in the bigger cities of

India

. The English or Hindus owned them. Up to 1940, there was no Muslim Bank in

India

. It was not an easy task to assess the importance of banks in 1912, but importance of these future financial institutions could not escape the attention of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri. So he appealed to the affluent Muslims to set up banks for the Muslims. It goes without saying that Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri aimed at banking without interest or interest-less banking.

The banks play an important role in sustaining the economy of a country. Credit is the life blood of commerce and the banks provide it. The banks collect the small savings of the people and make them available for investment in productive channels. We cannot think about a viable economy without banks. That is why the present economic system is called the compound interest system i.e. a system based on compound interest.

Finance holds the pivotal position in economic planning. No economic plan, whatever its size, can be completed without funds. It is the duty of the banks in a planned economy to minimize the paucity of funds from the economy and encourage investments. The banks perform two functions:

1) They collect large and small savings of people.

2) They lend these funds to those persons who invest them in productive channels i.e. in the production of such goods and services as assist in the production of wealth in the future.

Thus the importance of banks in the modern era is well established. Quaid-e-Azam was a farsighted statesman. He realized the importance of a Muslim bank for the economic development of Muslims long before establishment of

Pakistan

. He deplored the absence of Muslim banks. Being moved by the persistent exhortations of Quaid-e-Azam, Sir Adamjee Daud and Mirza Ahmad Isphani who were counted among the leading capitalists of the undivided

India

, set up the Muslim Commercial bank, in Calcutta on the 9^th July1947. After partition of

India

the Head office of this band transferred to

Pakistan

. At present, this bank is playing an important role in the economy of

Pakistan

through its numerous branches.

The modern financial experts have enumerated two types of savings,

1. Savings and

2. Hoarding.

If an individual saves twenty rupees out of his monthly income of Rs100- his monthly saving will be Rs20-. Similarly, the nation saves. If national income exceeds national expenditure, the result is national saving.

The individuals can deposit their savings in the banks or invest them in some National Saving Scheme. This is called saving proper. But if the persons keep their savings to themselves, it is called Hoarding.

As long as persons deposit their savings in banks or invest them in some national saving scheme, the economy will remain balanced. But in the case of hoarding of savings, the economy will become unbalanced. As Keyne’s equation’s saving = Investment will be disturbed, the economy will become prey to inflation or slump. It will increase unemployment and unutilized economic resources. This will result in several social evils.

At present the importance of savings and banks has become universal. In 1912 when economic literacy was very low, who knew that after 30 or 40 years savings or banks will acquire so much importance. Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri had peeped into the future. He not only advised Muslims to refrain from prodigality, but also persuaded them to save. He also appealed to the rich Muslims to set up banks in which the Muslims could deposit their small savings and wherefrom the accumulated funds may be lent to the competent Muslim Industrialists so that they could compete with the Hindu Industrialists in the industrial and commercial fields.

Pakistan

came into existence on 14^th August 1947. The Hindus were sceptical about its economic viability. It was a fact. The

Pakistan

treasury was empty. The Muslims had no experience of industries and banking. There was and economic vacuum which had to be filled despite the odds. Gradually with the grace of Allah I the difficulties were surmounted and

Pakistan

was put on the road to development.

I think that in 1912 if some farsighted Muslims had acted on the advice of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri then the economic history of the Muslims in

India

would have been different and

Pakistan

would not have faced such bleak economic conditions. Such deep thinking and such guidelines, which were pregnant with far reaching consequences, were beyond the reach of an ordinary mind. It was the feat of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri who advised the wealthy Muslims to set up Muslim banks so as to better the economic lot of Muslims. Quaid-e-Azam also repeated the same thing in 1946. If in 1912 a few Muslim capitalists like Sir Adamjee Daud and Mirza Ahmad Isphani had responded to the call of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri, the economic future of Muslims would have improved considerably. And the economic consequence of this progress would have proved beneficial not only for the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent, but also the Muslims of the world would have reaped its benefits.

Third Guideline

Now we refer to the third guideline of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri which is, the Muslims should not purchase any thing from anybody except the Muslims.

How important is this guideline? Also take stock of present day world’s economic order. It is a pity that the Muslim neither understood this golden rule, nor acted upon it. But after the Second World War the war affected countries of Western Europe adopted it and at present these countries are most prosperous in the world.

During Second Great War, as a boy I saw the following couplet written on the shops of Muslims at Lucknow.

If the Muslim desires an honorable life in

India

, he should always purchase every article from a Muslim.

This couplet seemed to be an echo of the third guideline of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri. This couplet impressed me very much, but I saw the well-to-do Muslim purchasing various things from the shops of Hindus at Lucknow. At that time there were economic experts among Muslims, but all of them took their clue from the western economists. They were absolutely unmindful of the fact that one of their servants was telling them about useful economic facts but none seriously thought about the third economic guideline, nor understood it, nor sought its clarification. If some Muslim economist had explained the far reaching consequences of these guidelines, the Muslims, in

India

, would not have been economically inferior to other nations.

Whether international trade should be free or protected is an old controversy. Leading economist of Europe and

America

have advanced arguments for and against protection. Adam Smith, the father of economics was the greatest advocate of free trade. Free trade means that there are no restrictions on the import and export of goods and services between the various trading countries or they are nominal. On the other hand, protection consists in protecting nascent national industries against foreign competition by the Government. Adam Smith’s book “An Inquiry into the wealth of nations” was published in 1776. In 1791 Alexander Hamilton an American statesmen strongly advocated the policy of protection and opposed free trade policy. Fredrick Fist of

Germany

gave cogent argument in favour of protection. The most important argument advanced for protection is that protecting nascent industries against foreign competition. In the absence of protection the new industries may succumb to the blast of foreign competition. Another argument is that national wealth circulates in the country and augments business transactions. I want to say something in the light of the third guideline of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri.

The war of independence of 1857 put an end to the Muslim Empire in

India

and the British entrenched themselves in

India

. By 1912, the British Empire had become very strong in

India

. Nobody could think that the British would quit

India

after 35 years. Now the Muslim had no regime of there own, but the Muslim nation still existed who knew what it had lost. The Muslim leaders had to evolve suitable policies for the social, religious and economic regeneration of the Muslim. The Muslim leaders were active in educational, political, and social spheres, but nobody did anything to remove the economic backwardness and poverty of Muslims. At this critical juncture Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri presented his economic guidelines, but unfortunately the Muslim did not pay any heed to them. The educated Muslims were looking towards the west for guidance. They were oblivious of the fact that Allah I had sent a man in their midst by following whose suggestions the Muslims would have extricated themselves from penury and would have started living an honorable economic life.

In my opinion the third economic guideline is most important. He wanted to give economic protection to the Muslims. The Hindus were much ahead of the Muslims in the field of trade and business. The Hindu bannias wanted to maximize their profit. The Muslim had no business experience. If the Muslims ventured into business, the Hindus tried their utmost to oust them from business. Non-patronization by Muslims also hastened their ruin. Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri knew all these trends. The only solution consisted in the Muslims patronizing Muslim traders and shopkeepers and all business transactions should be carried out among the Muslims. The position of the Muslim businessmen and shopkeepers resembled the nascent industry, which is to be protected against ruthless foreign competition. The Muslims must patronize the Muslim shopkeepers who wanted to prosper in the business field.

What would have been likely economic results if the Indian Muslims had acted on the suggestions of the Mujaddid of Islam? The money of Muslims would have gone to the Muslim shopkeepers who would have made more purchases from the Muslim wholesalers. The Muslim wholesalers would have purchased more goods from the Muslim manufactures who would have produced more to cope with the increased demand. Economic resources like land, labour and capital are required to produce more foods. Increased production would be provided to the unemployment Muslim labour. With an increase in their incomes, their effective demand would have increased. This would have brought the spiral of prosperity for the Muslims. The question arises where the Muslim industrialists could get the capital. The answer to this question is hidden in the first two guidelines of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri that the Muslims should save and the wealthy Muslims should establish banks which provide funds for productive projects.

Effective demand plays a vital role in the Keynesian theory of Employment, interest and money. And the idea of effective demand is clearly present in the third-guide line of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri. But entire credit goes to Keynes. We praise the western economists while we are quite oblivious of the suggestions of our eminent servant. It is most deplorable.

Now let us see how far the western world has acted upon this guideline of the great Mujaddid t after the Second Great War. The countries of Western Europe like

Germany

France

and

Italy

were completely ruined due to the war.

Germany

and

Italy

were completely destroyed.

After the European Common Market was formed between the countries of Western Europe as a result of Rome Treaty,

West Germany

could not rehabilitate its economy single-handed. It was the time when the

USA

was dominating the world politics and the Dollar was unrivalled as the world currency.

The idea underlying the formation of the European Common Market was the same as hinted by the Great Mujaddid t in his third-guide line i.e. the Muslim should not purchase anything from any-body except the Muslim. According to the Rome Agreement, the member countries would produce those articles in which they enjoy comparative advantage over other countries. The member countries would deem themselves to be a unit. The trade between the member countries would be free and unrestricted. There will be no restriction on the mobility of the factors of production. Imports will be heavily taxed and export will be encouraged to the utmost. Those commodities, which the member countries can produce, will not be imported from abroad. Business transactions would be mostly amongst the member countries.

At the inception of the E.C.M even the members were not sure of its success. But with the lapse of time this institution blossomed into a very powerful economic institution. The economy of the members was stabilized on very solid grounds. The financial position of members became very strong. We saw that the position of the American Dollar in world market became less important and German Mark became the strongest currency of the world.

The phenomenal success of the European Common Market gave birth to a new branch of economics, which is called the theory of economic integration. Much has been and is being written about it.

Being impressed with the splendid success of the E.C.M ten countries formed the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) but it could not be successful. The agreement between

Iran

Turkey

and

Pakistan

was on the same lines but it was not successful. A conference of the three member countries was held on April 26^th 1976 in Izmeer,

Turkey

to make RCD a success, but so far no positive results have come to the surface. If the three countries try to revive this institution, it can be successful to the benefit of the member countries.

The upshoot of this discussion is that if the Muslim has acted sincerely on the suggestions of Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri, they would certainly have the same success as attained by ECM. One of our great servants had lighted the torch of economic progress. We had to find out the path of progress in that light, but unfortunately instead of following the way shown by the great Mujaddid t, we completely ignored him. We can ascribe our failure to follow the path shown by the great Mujaddid t to our misfortune or lack of far-sightedness. Or the national leaders became so much engrossed with social, educational and political reforms that they did not give requisite attention to the economic rehabilitation of the Muslims, which is really astonishing and regrettable, although in 1912 Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri had shown the beacon light for the economic betterment of the Muslim community.

Fourth Guide Line

The fourth guideline of the great Mujaddid t is not concerned with economic reform, but its importance is great in itself. He said:

We should popularize Islamic learning and spread it among the Muslims

This was the period when the educational reforms of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan were influencing the Muslims who were trying to imbibe western learning. The acquisition of the English Education was a good thing in itself. Our Holy Prophet e has emphasized the acquisition of knowledge by the Muslim. But the thing that was harmful and which Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri had felt that very tie was that the young generation was becoming attracted to the western culture along with English education which was highly abominable and objectionable. Imam Ahmad Raza al-Qaadiri had realized that if the Muslims gave up religious education, they would lose their Islamic identity and individuality. The new civilization will wreck their unity. Their condition will resemble the following couplet.

They could neither find Allah, nor the company of HIS beloved. They were left utterly disgruntled.

Akbar Allahabadi had felt this trend. He admonished the Muslims through his poetry that they should not forget their real position. Your most precious treasure is your religion and culture. But the intoxication of reform was so deep that the Muslim did not pay any heed to this crucial problem.

The Western civilization misguided the young men so profoundly, that they strayed from their religion, culture and society and the English succeeded in their nefarious designs.

The alienation from religion palpably jeopardized the separate identity of the Indian Muslims. But when Quaid-e-Azam wanted to unite the Muslim on one platform in the name of Islam, they gathered like moths around him. Islamic thinking and affinity was ingrained in the Muslim, which culminated in partition of

India

The Muslim got a new country, which came into existence because of the fact that the Muslims were a separate nation. Their religion, culture and customs are quite different from those of the Hindus. It is a pity that a separate state was acquired in the name of Islam, but those at the helm of affairs did not any effort to introduce Islam in Pakistan in the real sense. It was imperative to transform

Pakistan

into a truly Islamic state. Islamic education should have been imparted to the young generation. They should have been told why the Muslims of India had struggled for

Pakistan

and why great sacrifices of life and property were given. But unfortunately attention was diverted from this issue. The race for political power started. The foundations of

Pakistan

had not yet become strong that the country became a prey to political turmoil. The neglect of religion proved to be highly harmful. We identified ourselves with provinces, forgetting that we are simply Muslims First and Last.

The basic reason behind that calamity that befell our country was our neglect of religion. If Islamic education was stressed right from the beginning, we would not have witnessed these ominous days. Today it is most essential to bring the strayed new Muslim generation back to Islam by means of Islamic education, Islamic culture and history. If efforts in this behalf are initiated in the right earnest, it is likely that new generations may regain its Islamic identity. According to Allama Iqbal “This soil is very fertile, if it is slightly wet”

Influence of Islamic Science Upon the West

shazaimbooki@yahoo.com (Muhammad Naeem) — Wed, 2 Nov 2011 22:06:00 +0500

Influence of Islamic Science and Learning Upon the West

The oldest university in the world which is still functioning is the eleven hundred-year-old Islamic university of Fez,

Morocco

, known as the Qarawiyyin. This old tradition of Islamic learning influenced the West greatly through

Spain

. In this land where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived for the most part peacefully for many centuries, translations began to be made in the 11th century mostly in Toledo of Islamic works into Latin often through the intermediary of Jewish scholars most of whom knew Arabic and often wrote in Arabic. As a result of these translations, Islamic thought and through it much of Greek thought became known to the West and Western schools of learning began to flourish. Even the Islamic educational system was emulated in Europe and to this day the term chair in a university reflects the Arabic kursi (literally seat) upon which a teacher would sit to teach his students in the madrasah (school of higher learning). As European civillization grew and reached the high Middle Ages, there was hardly a field of learning or form of art, whether it was literature or architecture, where there was not some influence of Islam present. Islamic learning became in this way part and parcel of Western civilization even if with the advent of the Renaissance, the West not only turned against its own medieval past but also sought to forget the long relation it had had with the Islamic world, one which was based on intellectual respect despite religious opposition.

Education and Science in the Islamic World

In seeking to live successfully in the modern world, in independence and according to Islamic principles, Muslim countries have been emphasizing a great deal the significance of the role of education and the importance of mastering Western science and technology. Already in the 19th century, certain Muslim countries such as

Egypt

, Ottoman Turkey and

Persia

established institutions of higher learning where the modem sciences and especially medicine were taught. During this century educational institutions at all levels have proliferated throughout the Islamic world. Nearly every science ranging from mathematics to biology as well as various fields of modern technology are taught in these institutions and some notable scientists have been produced by the Islamic world, men and women who have often combined education in these institutions with training in the West.

In various parts of the Islamic world there is, however, a sense that educational institutions must be expanded and also have their standards improved to the level of the best institutions in the world in various fields of leaming especially science and technology. At the same time there is an awareness that the educational system must be based totally on Islamic principles and the influence of alien cultural and ethical values and norms, to the extent that they are negative, be diminished. To remedy this problem a number of international Islamic educational conferences have been held, the first one in Makkah in 1977, and the foremost thinkers of the Islamic world have been brought together to study and ponder over the question of the relation between Islam and modern science. This is an ongoing process which is at the center of attention in many parts of the Islamic world and which indicates the significance of educational questions in the Islamic world today.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs

shazaimbooki@yahoo.com (Muhammad Naeem) — Wed, 2 Nov 2011 21:44:00 +0500

The Rightly Guided Caliphs

Upon the death of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, the friend of the Prophet and the first adult male to embrace Islam, became caliph. Abu Bakr ruled for two years to be succeeded by 'Umar who was caliph for a decade and during whose rule Islam spread extensively east and west conquering the Persian empire, Syria and Egypt. It was 'Umar who marched on foot at the end of the Muslim army into Jerusalem and ordered the protection of Christian sites. 'Umar also established the first public treasury and a sophisticated financial administration. He established many of the basic practices of Islamic government.

'Umar was succeeded by 'Uthman who ruled for some twelve years during which time the Islamic expansion continued. He is also known as the caliph who had the definitive text of the Noble Quran copied and sent to the four corners of the Islamic world. He was in turn succeeded by 'Ali who is known to this day for his eloquent sermons and letters, and also for his bravery. With his death the rule of the "rightly guided" caliphs, who hold a special place of respect in the hearts of Muslims, came to an end.

Umayyad

The Umayyad caliphate established in 661 was to last for about a century. During this time Damascus became the capital of an Islamic world which stretched from the western borders of

China

to southern

France

. Not only did the Islamic conquests continue during this period through North Africa to

Spain

and

France

in the West and to Sind, Central Asia and Transoxiana in the East, but the basic social and legal institutions of the newly founded Islamic world were established.

Abbasids

The Abbasids, who succeeded the Umayyads, shifted the capital to Baghdad which soon developed into an incomparable center of learning and culture as well as the administrative and political heart of a vast world.

They ruled for over 500 years but gradually their power waned and they remained only symbolic rulers bestowing legitimacy upon various sultans and princes who wielded actual military power. The Abbasid caliphate was finally abolished when Hulagu, the Mongol ruler, captured Baghdad in 1258, destroying much of the city including its incomparable libraries.

While the Abbasids ruled in Baghdad, a number of powerful dynasties such as the Fatimids, Ayyubids and Mamluks held power in

Egypt

Syria

and Palestine. The most important event in this area as far as the relation between Islam and the Western world was concerned was the series of Crusades declared by the Pope and espoused by various European kings. The purpose, although political, was outwardly to recapture the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem for Christianity. Although there was at the beginning some success and local European rule was set up in parts of

Syria

and Palestine, Muslims finally prevailed and in 1187 Saladin, the great Muslim leader, recaptured Jerusalem and defeated the Crusaders.

The Spread of Islam

shazaimbooki@yahoo.com (Muhammad Naeem) — Wed, 2 Nov 2011 20:25:00 +0500

General Characteristics of Islam

Islam was destined to become a world religion and to create a civilization which stretched from one end of the globe to the other. Already during the early Muslim caliphates, first the Arabs, then the Persians and later the Turks set about to create classical Islamic civilization. Later, in the 13th century, both Africa and

India

became great centers of Islamic civilization and soon thereafter Muslim kingdoms were established in the Malay-Indonesian world while Chinese Muslims flourished throughout

China

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM

From the oasis cities of Makkah and Madinah in the Arabian Desert, the message of Islam went forth with electrifying speed. Within half a century of the Prophet's death, Islam had spread to three continents. Islam is not; as some imagine in the West, a religion of the sword nor did it spread primarily by means of war. It was only within Arabia, where a crude form of idolatry was rampant, that Islam was propagated by warring against those tribes which did not accept the message of God--whereas Christians and Jews were not forced to convert. Outside of Arabia also the vast lands conquered by the Arab armies in a short period became Muslim not by force of the sword but by the appeal of the new religion. It was faith in One God and emphasis upon His Mercy that brought vast numbers of people into the fold of Islam. The new religion did not coerce people to convert. Many continued to remain Jews and Christians and to this day important communities of the followers of these faiths are found in Muslim lands.

Moreover, the spread of Islam was not limited to its miraculous early expansion outside of Arabia. During later centuries the Turks embraced Islam peacefully as did a large number of the people of the Indian subcontinent and the Malay-speaking world. In Africa also, Islam has spread during the past two centuries even under the mighty power of European colonial rulers. Today Islam continues to grow not only in Africa but also in Europe and

America

where Muslims now comprise a notable minority.

Global Religion

Islam is a religion for all people from whatever race or background they might be. That is why Islamic civilization is based on a unity which stands completely against any racial or ethnic discrimination. Such major racial and ethnic groups as the Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans, Indians, Chinese and Malays in addition to numerous smaller units embraced Islam and contributed to the building of Islamic civilization. Moreover, Islam was not opposed to learning from the earlier civilizations and incorporating their science, learning, and culture into its own world view, as long as they did not oppose the principles of Islam. Each ethnic and racial group which embraced Islam made its contribution to the one Islamic civilization to which everyone belonged. The sense of brotherhood and sisterhood was so much emphasized that it overcame all local attachments to a particular tribe, race, or language--all of which became subservient to the universal brotherhood and sisterhood of Islam.

The global civilization thus created by Islam permitted people of diverse ethnic backgrounds to work together in cultivating various arts and sciences. Although the civilization was profoundly Islamic, even non-Muslim "people of the book" participated in the intellectual activity whose fruits belonged to everyone. The scientific climate was reminiscent of the present situation in America where scientists and men and women of learning from all over the world are active in the advancement of knowledge which belongs to everyone.

The global civilization created by Islam also succeeded in activating the mind and thought of the people who entered its fold. As a result of Islam, the nomadic Arabs became torch-bearers of science and learning. The Persians who had created a great civilization before the rise of Islam nevertheless produced much more science and learning in the Islamic period than before. The same can be said of the Turks and other peoples who embraced Islam. The religion of Islam was itself responsible not only for the creation of a world civilization in which people of many different ethnic backgrounds participated, but it played a central role in developing intellectual and cultural life on a scale not seen before. For some eight hundred years Arabic remained the major intellectual and scientific language of the world. During the centuries following the rise of Islam, Muslim dynasties ruling in various parts of the Islamic world bore witness to the flowering of Islamic culture and thought. In fact this tradition of intellectual activity was eclipsed only at the beginning of modern times as a result of the weakening of faith among Muslims combined with external domination. And today this activity has begun anew in many parts of the Islamic world now that the Muslims have regained their political independence.

North Africa and Spain

When the Abbasids captured Damascus, one of the Umayyad princes escaped and made the long journey from there to Spain to found Umayyad rule there, thus beginning the golden age of Islam in Spain. Cordoba was established as the capital and soon became Europe's greatest city not only in population but from the point of view of its cultural and intellectual life. The Umayyads ruled over two centuries until they weakened and were replaced by local rulers.

Meanwhile in North Africa, various local dynasties held sway until two powerful Berber dynasties succeeded in uniting much of North Africa and also Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries. After them this area was ruled once again by local dynasties such as the Sharifids of Morocco who still rule in that country. As for Spain itself, Muslim power continued to wane until the last Muslim dynasty was defeated in Granada in 1492 thus bringing nearly eight hundred years of Muslim rule in Spain to an end.

After the Mangol Invasion

The Mongols devastated the eastern lands of Islam and ruled from the Sinai Desert to India for a century. But they soon converted to Islam and became known as the Il-Khanids. They were in turn succeeded by Timur and his descendents who made Samarqand their capital and ruled from 1369 to 1500. The sudden rise of Timur delayed the formation and expansion of the Ottoman empire but soon the Ottomans became the dominant power in the Islamic world.

Ottoman Empire

From humble origins the Turks rose to dominate over the whole of Anatolia and even parts of Europe. In 1453 Mehmet the Conqueror captured Constantinople and put an end to the Byzantine empire. The Ottomans conquered much of eastem Europe and nearly the whole of the Arab world, only Morocco and Mauritania in the West and Yemen, Hadramaut and parts of the Arabian peninsula remaining beyond their control. They reached their zenith of power with Suleyman the Magnificent whose armies reached Hungary and Austria. From the 17th century onward with the rise of Westem European powers and later Russia, the power of the Ottomans began to wane. But they nevertheless remained a force to be reckoned with until the First World War when they were defeated by the Westem nations. Soon thereafter Kamal Ataturk gained power in Turkey and abolished the six centuries of rule of the Ottomans in 1924.

Persia

While the Ottomans were concerned mostly with the westem front of their empire, to the east in Persia a new dynasty called the Safavids came to power in 1502. The Safavids established a powerful state of their own which flourished for over two centuries and became known for the flowering of the arts. Their capital, Isfahan, became one of the most beautiful cities with its blue tiled mosques and exquisite houses. The Afghan invasion of 1736 put an end to Safavid rule and prepared the independence of Afghanistan which occured fommally in the 19th century. Persia itself fell into tummoil until Nader Shah, the last Oriental conqueror, reunited the country and even conquered India. But the rule of the dynasty established by him was short-lived. The Zand dynasty soon took over to be overthrown by the Qajars in 1779 who made Tehran their capital and ruled until 1921 when they were in turn replaced by the Pahlavis.

India

As for India, Islam entered into the land east of the Indus River peacefully. Gradually Muslims gained political power beginning in the early 13th century. But this period which marked the expansion of both Islam and Islamic culture came to an end with the conquest of much of India in 1526 by Babur, one of the Timurid princes. He established the powerful Mogul empire which produced such famous rulers as Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan and which lasted, despite the gradual rise of British power in India, until 1857 when it was officially abolished.

Malaysia and Indonesia

Farther east in the Malay world, Islam began to spread in the 12th century in northem Sumatra and soon Muslim kingdoms were establishd in Java, Sumatra and mainland Malaysia. Despite the colonization of the Malay world, Islam spread in that area covering present day Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Phililppines and southern Thailand, and is still continuing in islands farther east.

Africa

As far as Africa is concemed, Islam entered into East Africa at the very beginning of the Islamic period but remained confined to the coast for some time, only the Sudan and Somaliland becoming gradually both Arabized and Islamized. West Africa felt the presence of Islam through North African traders who travelled with their camel caravans south of the Sahara. By the 14th century there were already Muslim sultanates in such areas as Mali, and Timbuctu in West Africa and Harar in East Africa had become seats of Islamic leaming.

Gradually Islam penetrated both inland and southward. There also appeared major charismatic figures who inspired intense resistance against European domination. The process of the Islamization of Africa did not cease during the colonial period and continues even today with the result that most Africans are now Muslims carrying on a tradition which has had practically as long a history in certain areas of sub-Saharan Africa as Islam itself.

Islam in the United States

It is almost impossible to generalize about American Muslims: converts, immigrants, factory workers, doctors; all are making their own contribution to America's future. This complex community is unified by a common faith, underpinned by a countrywide network of a thousand mosques.

Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the eighteenth century there were many thousands of them, working as slaves on plantations. These early communities, cut off from their heritage and families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time went by. Today many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic community.

The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of an influx of Arab Muslims, most of whom settled in the major industrial centers where they worshipped in hired rooms. The early twentieth century witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand Muslims from Eastem Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in Maine in 1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims opened a mosque in Brooklyn in 1928.

In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded during the term of President Truman, and several nationwide organizations were set up in the fifties. The same period saw the establishment of other communities whose lives were in many ways modelled after Islam. More recently, numerous members of these groups have entered the fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million Muslims in America.

Aftermath of the Colonial Period

At the height of European colonial expansion in the 19th century, most of the Islamic world was under colonial rule with the exception of a few regions such as the heart of the Ottoman empire, Persia, Afghanistan, Yemen and certain parts of Arabia. But even these areas were under foreign influence or, in the case of the Ottomans, under constant threat. After the First World War with the breakup of the Ottoman empire, a number of Arab states such as Iraq became independent, others like Jordan were created as a new entity and yet others like Palestine, Syria and Lebanon were either mandated or turned into French colonies. As for Arabia, it was at this time that Saudi Arabia became finally consolidated. As for other parts of the Islamic world, Egypt which had been ruled by the descendents of Muhammad Ali since the l9th century became more independent as a result of the fall of the Ottomans, Turkey was turned into a secular republic by Ataturk, and the Pahlavi dynasty began a new chapter in Persia where its name reverted to its eastern traditional form of Iran. But most of the rest of the Islamic world remained under colonial rule.

Arab

It was only after the Second World War and the dismemberment of the British, French, Dutch and Spanish empires that the rest of the Islamic world gained its independence. In the Arab world, Syria and Lebanon became independent at the end of the war as did Libya and the shaykdoms around the Gulf and the Arabian Sea by the 1960's. The North African countries of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria had to fight a difficult and, in the case of Algeria, long and protracted war to gain their freedom which did not come until a decade later for Tunisia and Morocco and two decades later for Algeria. Only Palestine did not become independent but was partitioned in 1948 with the establishment of the state of Israel.

India

In India Muslims participated in the freedom movement against British rule along with Hindus and when independence finally came in 1947, they were able to create their own homeland, Pakistan, which came into being for the sake of Islam and became the most populated Muslim state although many Muslims remained in India. In 1971, however, the two parts of the state broke up, East Pakistan becoming Bengladesh.

Far East

Farther east still, the Indonesians finally gained their independence from the Dutch and the Malays theirs from Britain. At first Singapore was part of Malaysia but it separated in 1963 to become an independent state. Small colonies still persisted in the area and continued to seek their independence, the kingdom of Brunei becoming independent as recently as 1984.

Africa

In Africa also major countries with large or majority Muslim populations such as Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania began to gain their independence in the 1950's and 1960's with the result that by the end of the decade of the 60's most parts of the Islamic world were formed into independent national states. There were, however, exceptions. The Muslim states in the Soviet Union failed to gain their autonomy or independence. The same holds true for Sinkiang (called Eastem Turkestan by Muslim geographers) while in Eritrea and the southern Philippines Muslim independence movements still continue.

National States

While the world of Islam has entered into the modern world in the form of national states, continuous attempts are made to create closer cooperation within the Islamic world as a whole and to bring about greater unity. This is seen not only in the meetings of the Muslim heads of state and the establishment of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) with its own secretariat, but also in the creation of institutions dealing with the whole of the Islamic world. Among the most important of these is the Muslim World League (Rabitat al-alam al-Islami ) with its headquarters in Makkah.

Saudi Arabia

has in fact played a pivotal role in the creation and maintenance of such organizations.

Reform Organizations

Moreover, as Western influence began to penetrate more deeply into the fiber of Islamic society, organizations gradually grew up whose goal was to reform society in practice along Islamic lines and prevent its secularization. These included the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-muslimin) founded in Egypt and with branches in many Muslim countries, and the Jama'at-i Islami of Pakistan founded by the influential Mawlana Mawdudi. These organizations have been usually peaceful and have sought to reestablish an Islamic order through education. During the last two decades, however, as a result of the frustration of many Muslims in the face of pressures coming from a secularized outside world, some have sought to reject the negative aspects of Western thought and culture and to return to an Islamic society based completely on the application of the Shari 'ah. Today in every Muslim country there are strong movements to preserve and propagate Islamic teachings. In countries such as Saudi Arabia Islamic Law is already being applied and in fact is the reason for the prosperity, development and stability of the country. In other countries where Islamic Law is not being applied, however, most of the effort of Islamic movements is spent in making possible the full application of the Shari'ah so that the nation can enjoy prosperity along with the fulfillment of the faith of its people. In any case the widespread desire for Muslims to have the religious law of Islam applied and to reassert their religious values and their own identity must not be equated with exceptional violent eruptions which do exist but which are usually treated sensationally and taken out of proportion by the mass media in the West.

Revival and Re-assertation of Islam

Muslims did not wish to gain only their political independence. They also wished to assert their own religious and cultural identity. From the 18th century onward Muslim reformers appeared upon the scene who sought to reassert the teachings of Islam and to reform society on the basis of Islamic teachings. One of the first among this group was Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, who hailed from the Arabian peninsula and died there in 1792. This reformer was supported by Muhammad ibn al-Sa'ud, the founder of the first Saudi state. With this support Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab was able to spread his teachings not only in Arabia but even beyond its borders to other Islamic lands where his reforms continue to wield influence to this day.

In the 19th century lslamic assertion took several different forms ranging from the Mahdi movement of the

Sudan

and the Sanusiyyah in North Africa which fought wars against European colonizers, to educational movements such as that of Aligarh in

India

aiming to reeducate Muslims. In

Egypt

which, because of al-Azhar University, remains to this day central to Islamic learning, a number of reformers appear, each addressing some aspect of Islamic thought. Some were concerned more with law, others economics, and yet others the challenges posed by Western civilization with its powerful science and technology. These included Jamal al-Din al-Afghani who hailed originally from

Persia

but settled in Cairo and who was the great champion of Pan-Islamism, that is the movement to unite the Islamic world politically as well as religiously. His student, Muhammad 'Abduh, who became the rector of al-Azhar. was also very influential in Islamic theology and thought. Also of considerable influence was his Syrian student, Rashid Rida, who held a position closer to that of 'Abd al-Wahhab and stood for the strict application of the Shari'ah. Among the most famous of these thinkers is Muhammad Iqbal, the outstanding poet and philosopher who is considered as the father of

Pakistan

CONCLUSION

The Islamic world remains today a vast land stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with an important presence in Europe and

America

, animated by the teachings of Islam and seeking to assert its own identity. Despite the presence of nationalism and various secular ideologies in their midst, Muslims wish to live in the modern world but without simply imitating blindly the ways followed by the West. The Islamic world wishes to live at peace with the West as well as the East but at the same time not to be dominated by them. It wishes to devote its resources and energies to building a better life for its people on the basis of the teachings of Islam and not to squander its resources in either internal or external conflicts. It seeks finally to create better understanding with the West and to be better understood by the West. The destinies of the Islamic world and the West cannot be totally separated and therefore it is only in understanding each other better that they can serve their own people more successfully and also contribute to a better life for the whole of humanity.