The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tamizul Haque

Barrister-at-Law

(From previous issue)

In Ayet No. 14 of Sura-61 (Saff) of the Holy Qur-an which clearly speaks thus -

O ye who believe !

Be ye helpers of Allah :

As said Jesus the son of Mary

To the Disciples, "Who will be

My helpers to (the work

Of) Allah? Said the Disciples,

"We are Allah's helpers !"

Then a portion of the Children

Of Israel believed, and

A portion disbelieved:

But We gave power

To those who believed,

Against their enemies

And they became

The ones that prevailed.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali explains the above Ayet thus -

A portion of the Children of Israel - the one that really cared for Truth - believed in Jesus and followed his guidance. But the greater portion of them were hard-hearted, and remained in their beaten track of formalism and false racial pride. The majority seemed at first to have the upper hand when they thought they had crucified Jesus and killed his Message. But they were soon brought to their senses. Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus in A.D. 70 and the Jews have been scatered ever since. "The Wandering Jew" has become a bye-word in many literatures. On the other hand, those who followed Jesus permeated the Roman Empire, brought many new races within their circle, and through the Roman Empire, Christianity became the predominant religion of the world until the advent of Islam. So is it promised to the people of Islam : they must prevail if they adhere to the Truth. Badr (A H 2) was a landmark against Pagan Arabia ; Qadisiya (A.H. 14) and Madain (A.H. 16) against the might of Persia : Yarmuk (A.H. 15) against the might of the Byzantine Empire in Christian Syria; and Heliopolis (A.H. 19) against the same Empire in Christian Egypt and Africa. These were symbols in external events. The moral and spiritual landmarks are less tangible, and more gradual, but none the less real. Mark how the arrogance and power of Priesthood have been quelled; how superstition and a belief in blind Fate have been checked; how the freedom of human individuals has been reconciled with the sanctity of marriage in the law of Divorce; how the civil position of women has been raised; how temperance and sobriety have been identified with religion; what impetus has been given to knowledge and experimental science; and how economic reconstruction has been pioneered by rational schemes for the expenditure and distribution of wealth.

Again in Ayet No. 78 of Sura-5 (Al-Maida ) of the Holy Qur-an which clearly speaks thus-

Curses were pronounced

On those among the Children

Of Israel who rejected Faith,

By the tongue of David

And of Jesus the son of Mary:

Because they disobeyed

And persisted in Excesses.

From the English Translation & Commentary of the Holy Qur-an published by King Fahd Holy Qur-an Printing Complex, the following explanation may be found-

The Psalms of David have several passages of imprecations against the wicked. Therefore the Lord heard this and was worth; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; because they believed not in Allah, and trusted not in His salvation.

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Hell?.

The critics of Islam often claim that Islam was preached by the Holy Prophet (S.M.) of Islam by sword and not by persuasion and preaching. This is absolutely incorrect In Ayet No. 125 of Sura-16 (An-Nahl) of Holy Qur-an which clearly gives directions to the Believers of Faith in the following terms :

Invite (all) to the Way

Of thy Lord with wisdom

And beautiful preaching;

And argue with them

In ways that are best

And most gracious:

For thy Lord knoweth best,

Who have strayed from His Path

And who receive guidance.

From the English Translation & Commentary of the Holy Qur-an published by King Fahd Holy Qur-an Printing Complex, the following explanation may be found-

In this wonderful passage are laid down principles of religious preaching, which are good for all time. But where are the Teachers with such qualifications ? We must invite all to the Way of Allah, and expound His Universal Will; we must do it with wisdom and discretion, meeting people on their own ground and convincing them with illustrations from their own knowledge and experience, which may be very narrow, or very wide.

Our preaching must be, not dogmatic, not self-regarding, not offensive, but gentle, considerate, and such as would atract their atention. Our manner and our arguments should not be acrimonious, but modelled on the most courteous and the most gracious example, so that the hearer may say to himself, "This man is not dealing merely with dialectics; he is not trying to get a rise out of me; he is sincerely expounding the Faith that is in him, and his motive is the love of man and the love of Allah."

It may be that the Preacher sometimes says to himself, "What is the use of teaching these people ? they have made up their minds, or they are obstinate; or they are only trying to catch me out," Let him not yield to such a thought Who knows how the seed of the Word of Allah may germinate in people's minds ? It is not for man to look for results. Man's inner thoughts are known best to Allah.

Again in Ayet No. 126 of Sura-16 (An-Nahl) of the Holy Qur-an which clearly speaks thus-

And if ye punish, let your

punishment

Be proportionate to the

Wrong that has been

Done to you :

But if ye show patience,

That is indeed the best (course)

For those who are patient

From the English Translation & Commentary of the Holy Qur-an published by King Fahd Holy Qur-an Printing Complex, the following explanation may be found-

In the context this passage refers to controversies and discussions, but the words are wide enough to cover all human struggles, disputes, and fights. In strictest equity you are not entitled to give a worse blow than is given to you. Lest you should think that such patience only gives an advantage to the adversary, you are told that the contrary is the case, the advantage is with the patient, the self-possessed, those who do not lose their temper or forget their own principles of conduct

Conclusion

A Muslim is one whose outlook on life is permeated by following a life of complete dedication to the Will of Allah. Only then a man becomes a true Muslim. He is commited to the values of life given by the Holy Qur-an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (S.M.). He tries to live according to the guidance given by Allah and His Holy Prophet (S.M.) and he strives to promote the message of Islam through his word and actions. This striving is known as Jihad which means a striving and a struggle in the path of Allah. His commitment to Allah involves commitment to sacrifice one's time, energy and wealth to promote the right cause. It may be necessary at times to give one's life in order to preserve Truth.

The life of the Holy Prophet (S.M.) in Makka had been primarily concerned with the fundamentals of his faith: the unity of Allah, resurrection, the day of judgement, worship and the purification of the soul.

The new Muslim society had to engender a social order and a state. The Holy Prophet (S.M.), guided by revelation, was able to implement the political and social structure of the new ummah, despite exposure to a war of annihilation.

In meeting this challenge, the Holy Prophet (S.M.), with the guidance of Allah and his own personal aptitude, fused the Muslim congregation of various clans into a solid nation with one loyalty, Islam, and one brotherhood transcending tribal customs. The second task was an alliance with the neighbouring Jews and pagan Arabs for a common defense and for security and peace in Yathrib. This was the famous Covenant of Yathrib, resembling in certain aspects that of the United Nations, which aimed at the maintenance of peace and security among the various tribes and the creation of a common system of security as a consequence of common responsibility.

In the second year of the Hijrah, the Holy Prophet (S.M.) initiated mobile defense, which led in the third year to the famous Batle of Badr, located southwest of Yathrib.

The Batle of Badr was a great victory, especially because it established the Muslim community as a separate political and social as well as religious entity and confirmed the power of the Holy Prophet (S.M), but it was not decisive. The Prophet of Islam (S.M.) treated his Quraysh prisoners in a chivalrous and humane way. Hence his prestige in the eyes of the pagan bedouins around Yathrib rose considerably.

The greatest triumph of the Holy Prophet (S.M.) over his enemies was also the day of the grandest victory over himself. He freely forgave Quraysh all the years of sorrow and cruel scorn with which they had afflicted him, and gave an amnesty to the whole population of Mecca. The army followed in his example, and entered quietly and peaceably; no house was robbed, no woman insulted.

On entering Ka'bah, he stood before each of the three hundred and sixty idols, and pointed to them with his staff saying, 'Truth is come, and falsehood is fled away' ! and at these words his atendants hewed (fell) them down and all the idols and household gods of Mecca and round about were destroyed.

In the tenth year of the Hijrah, the Holy Prophet (S.M.) made his last pilgrimage to Makka, and delivered his Farewell Speech at Mina to a congregation of forty thousand Muslims. He commenced, 'O people, listen to me; I may not ever meet you again here after this year.' Then, in a great sermon, he expressed his fears that they might lose the way of Allah and return to a lawless society and to tribal feuds. He ended a great law-giving speech by asking them if they thought that he had faithfully delivered his message. They answered with one voice, 'Yes !' He then said, 'Allah, You are my witness,' and descended from his camel.

The Muslim called that sermon the Farewell Speech and that pilgrimage the Farewell Pilgrimage. Since the Holy Prophet's (S.M.)first call by the angel Gabriel twenty-three years earlier, revelation after revelation had continued. He had learned them by heart and inscribed them, and so had his friends. They formed together the glorious Book of Islam, the Holy Qur-an. At the end of this sermon, and as a final word, he recited in the name of Allah this revelation : 'This day I (Allah) have perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion AL-ISLAM.'

(Concluded)