Archive for December 11, 2007
December 11, 2007 at 5:53 pm
· Filed under Muslim History, Supplication, The Qur'an ·Tagged history, introduction, Islam, Makkah, mecca, muslim, no doubt, part 1, revelation, The Qur'an
The Qur’an is a book of no doubt. And Allah has told us that, but not just told us, but has confirmed that it is the book of no doubt. This means whatever this book contains, is for the better for human kind and is ultimately the truth. And this is the exact sentence from the second Surah (Chapter) of the Qur’an, Surah Bakarah, verse 2: “This is the book; In it is guidance sure, without doubt, To those who fear God.” (Abdullah Yusuf Ali Translation). Let’s look at this verse closely. “This is the Book.” It is not just any book, but “the” book. One book, specifically.If you asked for the Bible, the person who you’d have asked would reply, “Which one?” because there are so many versions of the bible. It just goes to show how corrupted the Bible has become. How can you have a holy book with different versions, and still be the word of God when half of it is written by man? (I mean no offence to any Christians reading).Allah doesn’t do anything in vain. Not one word of the Qur’an has Allah sent down upon us in vain. And Allah has reassured us by saying, “In it is guidance sure, without doubt.” This book contains guidance, and the guidance is surely without doubt, as it created by the Most High, Most Wise, Allah.“To those who fear God.” When we hear the word fear, we commonly think of being scared of something. Although we do fear Allah in this way, the fear of Allah goes much further. If you fear the king, you won’t kill his game. If you fear Allah, you will not commit sins. I am not trying to say we cannot commit sins, because we inevitably will. It is human nature to do so. Whether we do it intentionally, or without realising it we should always ask for forgiveness, because Allah loves those who asks. And do not despair, because Allah has mentioned many a time in the Qur’an that he is “… oft forgiving, Most Merciful.” Hopes the thing that keeps us going. Despair is a ploy of the devil. Anyway, Allah finds ways to be merciful towards humankind, because his “Mercy overcomes his anger“, just like children would try to find excuses because they forgot their homework. Also Allah loves those who fear Allah whence alone. This is because….Say you had some sweets and you were alone, and you had to divide then equally between yourself and a friend. If you fear Allah you would be honest, and if you don’t you’d pocket a few. Fearing Allah is part of your Iman as it says in Al-Bakarah, Verse 2.
One part of Iman or your level of faith/closeness to Allah and Islam is believing in the Qur’an among other things. As it says in Al-Bakarah, Verse 4: “And who believe in the revelation Sent to thee, And sent before thy time, And (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter.”
We can’t be a Muslim if we don’t believe in the Qur’an. But the Qur’an is a book that will stay with humans till the end of time, and is the last revelation revealed through the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This means we don’t just believe in the book, but we also believe in what the book contains. Also, not a word of the original text of the Qur’an has been changed since it was revealed. You can pick up as many Qur’an’s as you want, and they’ll all be the same. Note: The Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language and it will only be exactly the same in the Arabic text. Translations may not be the same, but because the Qur’an cannot be understood and sometimes can be misinterpreted, footnotes will always or normally be with translation in a different language, and will always agree on the same thing, i.e. you will always understand it the same. You do get books called Tafseer and these books contain extreme in depth analysis of the Qur’an, which still can’t be fully understood with these books to help. The Qur’an is a book that will reveal to you more each time you read it, even if it is the same text.
We can’t be a true Muslim if we don’t believe in the revelations sent before the Qur’an. We cannot believe in what those books contain now, because they have been corrupted, but if the books were in their original format then we could. But because times have changed, the Bible’s or Torah’s tackling with everyday life such as law and society cannot be impute into today’s modern era. This is because the Bible was supposed to be believed in for a certain period of time before the revelation of the Qur’an. The difference between the Qur’an and the previous revelations are that the Quranic law – if followed properly – will produce a stable, God fearing community, whilst the Biblical law and the law of the other revelations would have provided what the Qur’an can provide for us now only in that specific period of time it was meant to be followed for before another revelation came. Notice how I put “can” instead of “is” because we have so veered of the right path that we have started making or own worldly laws, which in any case will never provide what the Qur’an can provide for us. And even if the Shariah law is put into place, it is always not upheld properly, and there are various other reasons why it is not stable, reasons which I’m not going to mention here.
The 7th-16th century Muslim empires were stable, because the Shariah law was upheld properly. This provided a united community, which is the basis of all civilisations and empires. The Muslim civilization and empires started to decline because we started veering and NOT FOLLOWING ALLAH’S LAW, stated for us in the Qur’an and shown to us through the Sunnah (what the Prophet Muhammad showed us).
Believing in the hereafter is a major part in a Muslims life, but that we shall discuss some other time.
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December 11, 2007 at 5:51 pm
· Filed under Muslim History, Salah (Prayer), Supplication, The Qur'an ·Tagged Du'aa, fate, Islam, muslim, suplication, the value of dua
My mother called me over whilst reading a book to my baby brother, and she sat me down and told me a story. The story was about the value of du’aa. It went as follows:Salahuddin al-ayubi or better known as Saladin was faced with an army from the west. The army consisted of fighters from all over the west, to irradiate Islam, and a large battle ship to attack from the sea which was the main threat; whilst at that precise moment in time Saladin was short of men to fight. So he asked Almighty Allah (SWT). Staying up all night, he wept bitterly asking Allah (SWT) for a change in fate, to benefit them. He cried till the sky turned orange, and the sun rose. When Saladin left the mosque, on his path he chanced to meet a pious Muslim. He asked this man to ask Allah (SWT) for his men, the Muslims to be the victors of the battle, and told him about the ship. The Pious Muslim saw the face of Saladin and noticed where the bags started to appear and where the streams of tears fell. Realising that Saladin had been up all night, he replied to him, your tears have sunk the ship into the depths of the ocean.Later on, Saladin received news that indeed the ship had sunk, and the pious Muslim had spoken the truth. Saladin stayed up all night, crying before his maker because he knew the value of du’aa. Du’aa’s literal translation into English would probably be prayer or most common supplication. The supplication is the actual du’aa, whilst the prayer can be translated as being a supplication, but is usually referred to the action of saying the supplication. According the Oxford concise English dictionary, 9th edition; prayer means “a solemn request or thanksgiving to god or an object of worship.” Allah (SWT) loves those who ask him for something, because if you ask Allah for something, you’re recognising the value of du’aa and are also recognising that Allah is the supreme, over all beings.We recite du’aa’s everyday in our short lives. Saying Bismillah is a form of du’aa, because you are submitting yourself and dedicating what you are about to do to Allah. That is also another point. Du’aa is a form of submission. Many du’aa’s are asking Almighty Allah’s protection In other words you are submitting youself to Allah to protect yourself from whatever you asked. The submission is not just for protection du’aa’s, but is for all du’aa’s, for you are recognising Allah as the one to ask, i.e as being the creator and the only one who we can fully trust. Crying whilst reciting a du’aa, shows that you are fully submitted and you recognise the supremeyy of your lord. You cry because you are either weak or hurt. People do not cry to show that they are strong. But crying in front of Almighty Allah (SWT) shows your weaknesses to Allah (SWT) (although he already knows them) and it pleases Almighty Allah (SWT). It also symbolises how you are powerless in front of Allah (SWT). One tear – it is said – is enough to melt a mountain of sins.The first Surah (Chapter) of the Qur’an, Al-Fatiha (The Opening – Although this surah has many names to it) can be divided into 3 parts. 1-Praising Allah. 2-What our duty towards Allah (SWT) is and 3-Asking Allah. When we recite this Surah, you are acknowledging what Allah (SWT) is, what He the supreme can do and then in turn asking him, after you have said that he is the only one who we can truly ask. Praying Salah is also a form of asking Allah. You praise, acknolewledge then ask. At times, Allah does not answer the Du’aa of a person straight away. Almighty Allah (SWT) either:1-Does answers the Du’aa straight away,2- Delays a little, till the time is right or3-Gives the reward for the Du’aa in the Hereafter.The story that I related was using point 1. Point 2 shows that there is truth in whatever Almighty Allah (SWT) does. I.e. Almighty Allah (SWT) answers your du’aa when most needed, or when it is a suitable time. You should never despair and think you are not part of Almighty Allah’s (SWT) mercy. A Muslim should not do this in any way. The word despair men’s to lose all hope or confidence. If this is the case, you are denying Allah and losing your faith and Iman (level of faith). And because you are doing that, you are denying that Allah (SWT) is the most supreme because you are saying the He is not worthy of worship for he cares of you not. And this in itself s a sin. Remember, every sin is in a form shirk, weather it be a small sin or a large one. And committing a sin shows you have no fear for Allah (SWT) in you heart, which will in turn become black (the actual heart will not, but your spiritual one will). The you become shrouded in the lies of this world, and eventually you eyes, ears and heart will become sealed from the truth and light, and a spiritual barrier will be placed around you as stated in the Holy Qur’an.The reward of Du’aa’s in the Hereafter is so great that when a Muslim realises this fact, he will wish that none of his du’aa’s were accepted in this temporary world, rather they were saved for the Hereafter.Du’aa can change fate. Allah the Almighty created your fate, so it is he who can also change it. That is why when there seems like there is no hope left, you should still ask Allah (SWT) for it is only He who can get you out of even the precarious of positions.Du’aa’s can also create which has not been created i.e. change fate. Fate is a complicated concept, and because it is stated hat your path in this world is already predestined, I myself am not sure if fate can be changed. I believe that if you ask Allah and your fate is changed, it was actually your fate to know what your fate could have been, and it was your fate to whatever your fate was changed to Let My servants know that I have the power to grant My servants’ wishes.”Do Du’aa for me, and us all.
Picture: http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/6417/dua2yn5.jpg
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December 11, 2007 at 5:49 pm
· Filed under Muslim History ·Tagged abd al-malik, Al-Andalus, Baghdad, berbers, conquoring, cordoba, ewducation, fall, gibralter, granada, Islam, islamic history, jabl tariq, madinat al-zahra, musa ibn nasyr, muslim, rise, scholars, sevile, spain
Part 1
The Conquering of Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus (Present day Spain) has an 800 year fabulous history, whilst under Muslim rule. In the late 7th century, southern Spain was ruled by Roman Catholics while the Visogoths, a Germanic people also ruled the other parts of Spain. Making their people- the Christians and Jews-lives miserable, they made them pay up large amounts of taxes while large farms were worked in by Serfs, whose conditions were worst than those of slaves.Musa ibn Nasayr-representing the Caliph Abd al-Malik who lived in Damascus-was the governor of North Africa and resided in Ceuta a small seaport off the Moroccan coast. From here on a clear day you could see Spain in the distance. Deciding to expand the kingdom, he called upon the new Muslim Tariq ibn Ziyad, governor of Tangiers a seaport in Northern Morocco. On April 28 771CE (5t Rajab 691AH according to the Muslim calendar) He was chosen by Musa ibn Nasayr to conquer Spain or Al-Andalus with 7000 Berbers (The people residing in Tangiers). Tariq boarded his ship and crossed the sea to Spain, where upon arriving, burned his ships showing his army that win the battle or die with honour. Reading his Fajr prayer in Spain, he gave this famous speech;
“Oh, Muslims, to where can you flee with the sea behind you and your enemy in front. By Allah it is your courage and patience alone that can help you.”
First conquering Jabal al-Fath (Mountain of conquest), it was re-named Jabal Tariq (Tariq’s Mountain or Gibraltar) in honour of their leader Tariq ibn Ziyad.Two months later, on July 711CE (Ramadan 92 AH according to the Muslim calendar) with 1200 men, Tariq ibn Ziyad faced the Visigoth army of King Roderick on the river plain west of Jabal Tariq. After a week long battle, King Roderick was killed and his army defeated.Musa ibn Nasayr wrote a letter to the Caliph of Damascus saying;
“Ya amir al-mu’minin (Oh head of state) these are not common conquests, these are like the meeting of nations on the Day of Judgment.”
Within a century, nearly all of Spain was conquered by the Muslims, bringing rapid changes to now Islamic Spain. The Muslims showed respect for property. The Christians and Jews were able to pray in their synagogues or Churches without fear of persecution. The non-Muslims did not have to serve in the Muslim army. The serfs were able to own their own land giving a portion of their crops to the Muslim government. They had to pay a jaziyah (tax) whence paid were fully protected by the Muslim State. The Muslims applied justice equally and soon Arabic had become a language of culture which even the Christians and Jews preferred. Over the time Islamic Spain had become an agricultural paradise and one unified Muslim population. Read the rest of this entry »
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December 11, 2007 at 5:47 pm
· Filed under Makkah, Muslim History, Salah (Prayer), Supplication, The Qur'an ·Tagged history, Islam, Makkah, mecca, muslim, part 2, The Qur'an, where
Picture 1: Ancient Map created by Muslim geographer Al-Idrisi with south at the top
Picture 2: Another ancient map by Al-Idrisi – Mid 11th century
Picture 3: Picture of Mecca and the Kaabah housing around 1 million muslims
As we have read in part 1, the Qur’an al-Hakim is the book of no doubt. Now we are going to read why Allah chose Makkah to be where he sent the last prophet Muhammad (SAW) and why Allah chose to reveal the Qur’an here.
Makkah is considered to be the centre of the world by Allah. Now if Allah considers this, there must be some truth to it.
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and before his time, Makkah was the centre of worshiping Allah. All the Prophets of Allah have visited Makkah once in their lifespan. Now Makkah started to become inhabited by the Arabs after the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) left his wife Hajira (PBUHer) and baby son Ishmael (PBUH) at the site of the well of ZAM ZAM, by the will of Allah. From there after Hazrat Ishmael grew up, him and his farther built the Kaabah under the command of Allah. From then on the Kaabah became a site of worship, but when Hazrat Ibrahim and Ishmael and their followed passed away, through the passage of time it became a place of idol worship. And because of this, it was the centre of trade and prosperity, for people from all over Arabia came here to worship the Idols. So Makkah was a well known trade route then making it an ideal place to reveal the Qur’an and send the last Prophet Muhammad (SAW), because people from all over Arabia and beyond would come there, embrace Islam and leave to spread the word of truth to the world.
Makkah is also geographically the centre of the world. Muslims were one of the first to make accurate maps of the world and when they drew their maps, they placed south at the top. In that way, Makkah was the centre of the world, and still is, even though the poles have been swapped around.
Around the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) there were two superpowers. One being Rome and the other being Persia (present day Iran). These two empires were extravagant and stretched all over Asia, Africa and Europe. At this time, Makkah and Arabia were inhabited by tribes, often warring with each other. The ironic thing is, none of the two superpowers thought Arabia worthy of being part of their empire. In this way, Makkah and Arabia were free, each clan having their own rules and laws. This meant that no influence from these two superpowers could have been part of the Prophet, and this also meant that big scholars and their literature, their sciences and advancements couldn’t have been any part of the Qur’an which contains numerous scientific miracles, that have only been discovered in recent times. This just straightens the fact that the Qur’an is the word of Allah, and was not written by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who was in fact unlettered.
I am going to conclude with saying that there is Hikmat (undoubted truth) in whatever decision Allah has ever made. But it might not be apparent at first. Mashallah.
Picture 1:http://www.hs.ias.edu/islamicworld/islamic_map_1154_ad.jpg
Picture 2:http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Travelers/Idrisimap.gif
Picture 3: http://www.phys.uu.nl/~vgent/islam/images/makkah1.jpg
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December 11, 2007 at 5:45 pm
· Filed under Experiences - The Actual Blog, Islamic Misconceptions, Media, Muslim History, News Articles ·Tagged aggresion, agressive, extremists, fundamentalists, Islam, islamic, misconceptions, muslim, terrorists
I was reading the Asian World Newspaper and I came across a page about world religions. I read what it said about Islam, and it said that; “In its first phase, Islam was aggressive. But the mystics of Islam, or the Suif saints helped in spreading the message of peace and universal love.”What it says is a whole load of crap. The real essence of Islam was there in its first period, and if you say that it was aggressive, then your saying that Islam is aggressive; a common misconception of the 21st century, fuelled by the media, which is inevitably controlled by America. (Most of it anyway). Islam is a peaceful religion, that is why it spread so quickly, because of its fairness to all, humans and creatures alike. And people who say Islam was spread by the sword are totally wrong. Another misconception fuelled by the media. Empires were spread by the sword es, but religion, no. How can people say Islam was aggressive when Muslims at war are not allowed to harm people who do not raise a weapon against you, women, children, aged people, trees, nature etc. Makkah was conquered without a drop of blood being shed, Jerusalem was conquered by Hazrat Umar Farooq without any lives being taken because it was for tolled in the Jewish scriptures that not to fight with the man with so and so description, and hand over the keys of Jerusalem to him without a fight because you will surely lose. And if Islam was spread by the sword then how come no-one was massacred. And right now I am talking about the early days. And the Jews of the city – when it was time for the Muslims to pray – offered for them to pray in their synagogue, but Hazrat Umar refused saying he didn’t want people to say that the Muslims conquer cities and read their prayers in other religions places of worship and also so it didn’t become a tradition.Yes Muslims have been persecuted, probably more than any other religious people since the beginning of time. Yes Muslims were forced to convert religions under persecution. When the Christians conquered Jerusalem, they massacred like hell, leaving not women, children, babies etc. It is said that the blood came up to the horses knees’ and how high up are horses knees? And what about when Spain was re-captures, Muslim Mosques were turned to churches, Muslims were treated unfairly, tortured, not cared about, had no right, were not allowed to avoid pork at meal times, had their graveyards desecrated etc.The amount of Muslims persecuted and that are still being persecuted is way more than the Holocaust, if it ever happened, but I am not going to accept or deny the Holocaust publicly for it is against the law. Hah, that’s funny, it is against the law. Now that’s saying something.And think about the Children in Iraq, Afganistan, Lebanon, Africa etc who are being killed mercilessly, under the heading of “War on Terror” fuelled for worldly desires of oil, natural resources, and generally the killing of Muslims, because of the fear that if Muslims unite, the truth will reach the world. But all the major stuff is dubbed down, and the diluted version reaches the public.I an going to conclude, by saying that Islamic law is just, and people only say that it was “aggressive” because the Muslims had the guts to retaliate Now-a-days retaliation for survival is seen as terrorism, and keeping your mouth shut is seen as if you are hiding something. Wake-up to the truth. Now.
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December 11, 2007 at 5:42 pm
· Filed under Random Articles, Salah (Prayer), Supplication, The Reality of this Life ·Tagged life, muhhamad, prophet, Reality, The Reality of this Life
In the Name of Allah the Kindest Most Merciful
Abu Huraira ( God Bless him) Narrates that once the Holy Prophet ( Peace & Blessings be upon him) said: “Let me show you the reality of this world.” I requested him to do that. He took me to a place of reuse outside Medina. There I saw human skulls scattered all around. Addressing me he said: “These are the human skulls that embodied brains filled with greed. These people were like many amongst you who live today. Like all of you they pinned their hopes on things worldly. These skulls are lying without skin after a few worldly days they will become part of the earth. They struggled hard to eat the spicy dishes only to swallow this filth today. The state in which they exist now cannot be tolerably seen by those who have eyes to see. The very sight of those who enjoyed the fragrance of tasty food makes you hate them. The dirty rags are the substitute for the gaudy dresses that made men proud. Now they are at the mercy of the winds which move them the way they like. And these are the bones of those animals that carried human beings only to make them fell proud. Anyone can shed a tear or two at their tragic end” Abu Huraira stated that the tears welled up in his eyes and he wept bitterly.
This is the harsh reality of life. The misconceptions, the smokescreen that have veiled your senses into numbness is going to be your downfall, lest you wake up and strive to the truth and fear god. We’re a mere traveller in this world and our ultimate abode is to sleep lower than the dust, upon which we spent our time enjoying ourselves, bringing ourselves one step closer to ultimate destruction. We are travelling towards this ultimate abode relentlessly and inevitably, just like this galaxy is hurtling through space at millions even trillions of miles per hour ( Signs of god in nature), yet we don’t feel it just like we don’t feel the real value and essence of the time we have been allocated on this earth. Yet we chose to spent it to “chill” not realising that the whole concept of “fun” is a ploy of the devil to bring you down with him into the burning depths of hell, of which the fire will be seventy times hotter than that of the earth. Be warned. Those people who lived in high castles and defied the word of the Almighty Allah will also one day roll in the dust, just like the rest of us. People have seizures at the mention of death, for they know that it is their ultimate abode and what ever they do, they cannot escape it. People understand that they have been sent onto this earth with a purpose, but what they conclude that purpose to be, they have got wrong. The purpose is to worship the almighty and serve him and to “submit” hence the word Islam. Start your search for the truth. I’m going to conclude part one with a hadith;
It is reported that Allah’s Apostle (Peace be upon him) said: “The world is captivatingly sweet and rosy in appearance. God created man as His deputy so that he could judge his behaviour. When the Jews, the followers of Moses, rose to power, women, gold and fine dresses became their weakness.”
Think for yourselves. Have we not fallen into the same snare that the Jews and other nations had fallen into, those nations that were ultimately destroyed because of their insolence and lust for life. And that what was forbidden they declared lawful. Remember death is inevitable.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
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December 11, 2007 at 5:39 pm
· Filed under America, Headline News, Media, News Articles, Video - Miscellaneous ·Tagged Baghdad, execution, Iraq, saddam hissain, saddam hissein, video
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December 11, 2007 at 5:30 pm
· Filed under Salah (Prayer), Supplication ·Tagged , Islam, laly a tul Qadr, muslim, prophet muhammad, responsibilities, Salah, The Night Ascention
Asalamualaykum.
The Night Ascension and Responsibilities Placed Upon Us.
A Muslim should – which a lot of us don’t – read Salah or prayer five times a day. I am simply in the following text giving you some things I have noticed about Salah, whilst reading, pondering and questions that were aroused in my mind that through the passage of time were given their answer, usually through experience.
I’ve heard the story of The Night Ascension also known as Laly a Tul Qadar in the glorious language of Arabic, many times. Almost all the times I was told or read the story; Salah was given as a present to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). As a present I thought. What kind of present is this? This is indeed a present, and a glorious one too. We need something to grasp onto, something to keep us steady – in line; on the true path. Not veering from the path of those whom Allah has blessed. Something that will keep us close and in touch to Allah (SWT). Most people would reply that it is the religion of Islam that does all of this. We believing, being a Muslim is enough. A grave error on their part. Yes indeed our religion of Islam does keep us steady, if followed properly. Salah keeps the connection between you and Allah there, never cut or severed in any way. And if it does sever in any way, we revert back to our Salah. It is thing we use to firm our hold on reality, the object we use to grasp onto faith. Notice how a person who does not pray is caught up in this fake/temporary world as if it will never end. That person has lost his grip. If we were not given this blessing, we would have become like wild pack of roving animals by now, wondering astray like a bunch of cloud.
During descending back to this earth with this sacred present, the blessed Prophet Muhammad was stopped and questioned by the Prophet Moses (PBUT). He queried about what the Prophet had received from The Almighty Allah. The Prophet of Islam replied that he had received Salah, which was to be preformed 50 times a day. The Prophet Moses (PBUH) then ordered the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to ascend back to Almighty Allah and ask to decrease the amount allotted. Allah (SWT) decreased the amount by 5. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) then descended once more, was again was questioned by the Prophet Moses (PBUH) and was again asked to ascend and ask Allah (SWT) to decrease the allotted amount; which He did, again by 5. This whole scenario was repeated till the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was left with 5 prayers. But he was asked again the Moses (PBUH) to ask Allah (SWT) to decrease the amount. But this time the Prophet Muhammad replied that he was too ashamed to face his lord once again. So we are now left with 5 prayers. But the question arises that why the Prophet Muhammad was repeatedly asked, to ask Allah (SWT) to decrease the amount? Well all of us can deduce that we unworthy humans cannot even perform 5 prayers properly, let alone 50. But the Prophet Moses (PBUH) knew this, and told the prophet in the last attempt to decrease the prayers that my Ummah (i.e. the Jews) were given prayers to perform 3 times a day. And they weren’t capable of performing those, so how could your Ummah manage to achieve that? Allah states in the Glorious Qur’an that:
“You are the best nation (Ummah) that has been raised up for the (benefit of) people. You enjoin the good and forbid the evil…” (Qur’an 3:110).
Allah states the above verse in the Qur’an, the book of which there is no doubt. Allah (SWT) states this, putting a responsibility upon us to stay the best of
Ummah’s till The Day of Resurrection. The question is are we? The Moses (PBUH) compares us to his nation; the Jews who wavered and drowned in disbelief from the beginning. And there we are also put to the test and challenged once more. Are we better than the Jews? We certainly don’t act like we are. Constantly Allah (SWT) states in the Qur’an – when He has to prove or make a point about something forbidden or erroneous – He referrers to the Jews as the unbelieving nation. The nation that lost its faith. That is how low the Jews stooped; as to kill and plot against the Prophets, to make ghastly remarks and lay false charges upon them. They stooped exceedingly low, so low as to be mentioned in the Qur’an countless times, most or all times to show that don’t stoop as low as them. And then again: Are we better than the Jews? A responsibility placed upon us. So don’t sit idle, and commence praying five times a day, remembering that the Jews couldn’t even perform 3.
Salam.
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December 11, 2007 at 5:28 pm
· Filed under Muslim History ·Tagged Baghdad, Bayt al-Hikmah, history, House of Knowledge, House of wisdom, Iraq, Islam, Knowledge, muslim, Science
Baghdad only came to close attention in the 8th century, although its roots date back to ancient Babylon in 1800 BC. Baghdad, meaning “the gift from God” became a center of learning, soon after the discovery of paper after capturing Chinese papermakers in the battle of Talas- Papermaking 751 CE. In 762CE, Baghdad, located on the west side of the Tigris River became the capital of the Abbasid dynasty, as it took control of the Muslim world. Over the next five centuries, Baghdad became the home of education and learning. Muslims thrived for knowledge, and the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) encouraged this in his life, saying to “seek learning even as far as China“. In the area of medicine, the Prophet Muhammad said, “For every disease, Allah has given a cure,” and scientists were encouraged to find those cures. This attitude toward learning and research was a powerful reason that science developed so much under Islam. Moreover, Islam encouraged learning and to read the Qu’ran, which-in one of its chapters-begins: “Recite!” (Which is also translated: “Read?”), symbolizing read to gain knowledge. Baghdad soon became a place of museums, hospitals, libraries, roads, brilliant architecture and mosques. This age was known as the `Golden Age` of Islam. Great libraries still existed in the west of Baghdad where lay the former Greek world and to the east of Baghdad where lay the Persian speaking lands. The libraries of Constantinople (present day Istanbul) and Edessa (present day Shanli-Urfa in south east Turkey) housed valuable manuscripts written in Greek and Syriac (an ancient language spoken in Syria). Jundi-Shapur, the great Sasnanian School of learning was overflowing with valuable manuscripts. It was the Muslims who were the first people to be interested in preserving and translating these manuscripts. The second caliph of the Abbasid Dynasty Al-Mansur (712-75CE) had an ancient Indian mathematical book called the “Bramasphuta Siddhanta” translated into Arabic from the ancient sacred language of Sanskrit. This is when the serious buying and translating of these manuscripts from different subjects like anatomy, medicine and astrology etc all started. Books or manuscripts from foreign lands were quickly translated and placed in Al-Mansur’s library for reference only.Caliph Harun al-Rashid (768-809) continued collecting manuscripts and translating them. They were then placed in Harun Al-Rashid’s library “Treasure of Knowledge” (Kanz Al-Hikmah in Arabic). Pieces of manuscript of books translated exceptionally well were weighed and the translators given its weight in gold.
Bayt Al-Hikmah
Although these two caliphs contributed greatly to preserving the valuable knowledge of the various subjects, it was Al-Ma’mun, son of Harun al-Rashid who contributed and supported this the most. A larger more official institution the “House of wisdom” (Bayt al-Hikmah in Arabic) was established by Al Ma’mun. Only the best translators worked in the Bayt al-Hikmah to preserve the philosophical and scientific manuscripts from foreign lands. Most of the famous Muslim scholars from the 9th to 13th centuries had their educational roots in Baghdad. Bayt al-Hikmah attracted scholars from all over the world, from many cultures and religions. They studied the works of Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, Euclid, and Pythagoras. The House of Wisdom was home to, among others, the most famous mathematician of the time: Al-Khawarizmi, the “Father” of Algebra (which is named after his book “Kitab al-Jabr”). The House of Wisdom was the greatest “think tank” the medieval world had ever seen! Without the translations and research that went on here, much of the Greek, Latin and Egyptian knowledge would have been lost to the world. Much of the Muslims efforts are overlooked by the west at this present period of time, although their works are still admired by many. The historian Al-Maqrizi described the opening of the House of Wisdom in 1004:“In 1004 A.D. ‘The House of Wisdom’ was opened. The students took up their residence. The books were brought from [many other] libraries … and the public was admitted. Whosoever wanted was at liberty to copy any book he wished to copy, or whoever required to read a certain book found in the library could do so. Scholars studied the Qur’an, astronomy, grammar, lexicography and medicine. The building was, moreover, adorned by carpets and all doors and corridors had curtains, and managers, servants, porters and other menials were appointed to maintain the establishment. Out of the library of Caliph al-Hakim those books were brought which he had gathered– books in all sciences and literatures and of exquisite calligraphy such as no king had ever been able to bring together. Al-Hakim permitted admittance to everyone, without distinction of rank, who wished to read or consult any of the books”. Baghdad became a city of knowledge, “There were many libraries from which to borrow books in the Muslim civilization. Historians list thirty-six libraries in Baghdad alone around the middle of the thirteenth century, and that does not include the House of Wisdom!
The Fate of Baghdad
Since the founding of Baghdad, the city had become a city of culture and prosperity. Great caliphs, philosophers, scientists, astronomers, mathematicians, religious leaders etc lived in this truly marvelous city. This knowledge filled city where all kind of books were translated, copied and bound was one of a kind. Only Cordoba in far off Al-Andalus could be measured up to the greatness of Baghdad. Although, this city was the center of knowledge and learning in the medieval world, by the middle of the 13th century CE Baghdad and a lot of the Muslim world had become divided and lacked unity. This was mainly because the Muslim world had become divided into different small independent dynasties. This was also because of conflicts between Sunni’s and Shia’s. Much of the Muslim world and the east had suffered from the destructive wrath of the Mongols at the hands of Genghis khan (The scourge of God), in the early 13th century CE. The Mongols were superb horsemen and practiced shamanism, an old animistic religion. Their homeland was present day Mongolia. They raided and caused destruction where ever they went. When Genghis khan died his grandson Hulagu Khan carried on the legacy of his grandfather. The great Persian historian al-Juwayni who traveled with Hulagu Khan in the invasion of Persia wrote ; “They came, they burned, they slaughtered, they looted and then they left.”Hulagu Khans army consisted of people from all over the eastern empires. When invading Persia in 1257 he waged war with his horsemen as tent dwelling nomads living on mare’s milk and horse flesh, great siege engines and Chinese archers.
Assault on Baghdad
Before the death of Genghis Khan, he had in mind that he would attack Baghdad. As he died before he could attack, his grandson had to attack for him carrying on his vengeful and destructive legacy. The last Abbasid caliph Al-Must’asim bi Allah was arrogant and overconfident. He sent a message to Hulagu Khan telling him that an assault on Baghdad would move the entire Muslim world .However Hulagu Khan ignored the message and carried on massing forces. When Al-Must’asin bi Allah realized that the situation was very bad and serious, he could do nothing as it was too late. Negotiating wouldn’t resolve the problem, but he tried. He offered him the title of sultan and offered his name be mentioned in the Friday Khutbahs (sermons held in Friday prayer). Hulagu khan, the grandson on Genghis khan the scourge of god attacked Baghdad, a city of treasure and knowledge on February 10, 1258.Hundreds of thousand of innocent lives were lost that day. The city was set ablaze and plundered. The Caliph was forced to give up his treasures, and was killed along with members of his family. Although the caliph was killed, it stated in the religious laws of the Mongols that no royal blood could be spilled. Historians agree that he was rolled up in a carpet and trampled to death by horses.The illiterate Mongols ransacked palaces, homes and libraries. All the knowledge stored there in the past years was destroyed in a matter of days. It is said that the Tigris river an red with the blood of the dead then black from the ink run of the manuscripts thrown into the river.Although Baghdad was destroyed and ransacked to the ground, there was a positive outcome to this. The descendents of Hulagu khan became Muslims in later years. Uljaytu Khan (Died 1316 CE) the grandson of Hulagu khan became a Muslim and a patron of arts while his grandfather had shown no respect for knowledge. As a Muslim he encouraged the translating and coping of the Holy Qur’an.
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December 11, 2007 at 5:27 pm
· Filed under Muslim History ·Tagged Al-Azhar, cairo, education, egypt, history, Islam, islamic, islamic education, muslim, Muslim History, oldest university, university
u> The Fatimid Period 969-1171CE
The Abbasids rule fell and the Fatimids fourth caliph Al Mu’iz li Dinullah took Egypt from them in 969 CE. His military commander Jawhar Al Saqilli immediately began to build a new capital for his master calling it Cairo. Cairo located on the east side of the River Nile and to the south of the Mediterranean ocean became the heart of the empire.The grand mosque Al-Azhar’s foundations were laid in 971 AD (14th of Ramadan 369 Hijrah according to the Muslim calendar) and took two years to build. The name was originally Al Qahira (The Mosque of Cairo) but was later changed to Al-Azhar (The Splendid) in honour of the prophet Muhammad’s (Peace and blessings be upon him) daughter Fatimah Al-Zahra where also the “Fatimids” name is derived from. The first prayer in this magnificent mosque took place on 788 AD (7th of Ramadan 361 Hijrah according to the Muslim Calendar).The Fatimids were of Shia belief and so the Friday sermons, call to prayer, religious lectures and how the country was run was done according to Shia laws. Prayer as held in Al-Azhar and so it became the center of religious life. From the very beginning however, Al-Azhar was a center education and learning. The first lectures took place as early as 975 CE.The caliph Al Aziz Billah established a more formal and advanced education structure. He employed qualified and renowned scholars to teach in Al-Azhar and built hostels nearby to accommodate the teachers and students. At that time, studies focused on Shia theology, but some basic grammar, literature and history was also taught. There was free tuition, plus board and lodgings.It was not until another school; Dar al Hikmah was added to Al-Azhar in 1005CE that these subjects and several sciences became significant features in Al-Azhar’s syllabus. It had raised the standard of education in Egypt and produced scholars such as Bin Zulaq author of “Fada’il Misr” (Egypt’s assets) and “Qudat Misr” (Egypt’s judges). Also ulma (scholars) like Imam suyuti, Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani and Imam Ibn Hajar Al-Haitami glorify the name of Al Azhar and its past.
The Ayyubid Period
Salahuddin Al Ayyubi (Saladin) defeated the Fatimids in 1171 CE, returning the country to Sunni rule as it was before the Fatimids took over. Saladin became sultan of Egypt and Syria in 1176CE when the Syrian sultan Nuruddin passed away. Keen to remove the Shia influence from Egypt, he ordered that the Friday prayer be held at Al- Hakimi mosque rather than Al Azhar. It was only after a century that prayer was held in Al Azhar again. Saladin built a large array of schools all over Egypt all teaching the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence (Hanbali, Shaf’i, Maliki and Hanafi). Saladin did not close Al Azhar, but let it teach the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence. Although the fame of Al Azhar decreased a little during the Ayyubid period, it still produced some very successful and famous scholars.
Al-Azhar library
Al-Azhar library, which was compiled in1897, comprises 99,062 books consisting of 595,668 volumes of the most precious Islamic manuscripts and rare books, some as old as the 8th century. The library is a center of attraction to researchers, students and other Islamic universities. It contributes to human knowledge about the Islamic heritage by making photocopies of some of the manuscripts available for the benefit of researchers from Egypt and other countries. The library does not collect non-Islamic literature.
Legacy
Al-Azhar is considered to be the most prestegious school of Islamic learning, and its scholars seen as the most respected. Amoing it, it teaches Islamic relegion, culture and Arabic. It maintains a committee of ulma (Islamic scholars) to judge on individual Islamic questions, a printing establishment for printing the Qur’an, and training (government-appointed) preachers in Islamic missionary work. Al-Azhar is the oldest kown university to be established, even older than Oxford and Cambridge.
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