Most of those who responded to my last write-up: “Of Veracity”, felt that it was picking-up on the veracity of Hadiths. It was not intended to single out just one cause for the downfall of Muslim Ummah but to highlight the importance of understanding the Qur’an and following it as it should be followed. Is the Muslim Ummah really acting upon the edict of The Divine Message as it should be acted upon? Let us examine how far have Muslims drifted away from the definitive pronouncements contained in the Holy Qur’an.
Ayas: 83, 84 & 85 of S. Baqarah refers to the plight of Jewish tribes as follows:
“And We took undertaking from the Children of Israel (Jewish tribes): Worship none save God, be good to parents and kindred to orphans and the needy, speak kindly to mankind, establish Salah and pay the poor due. Shed not the blood of your people nor turn your people out of their dwellings. Yet it is you who slay each other and drive out a party of your people from their homes – assisting their enemies against them, in guilt and rancor. Then it is only a part of the Scripture you believe in, and reject the rest? And what is the reward of those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom. For God Almighty is not unaware of what you do”
The above-mentioned Ayas were revealed to the Prophet, soon after his migration to Yathrib (Medina as it is known now), referring to the prevailing conditions there. I have quoted these Ayas because the followers of Abraham and Moses were also considered Muslims (those who submit to the will of God Almighty), and to show their relevance to Muslims today!
The two Arab tribes of Yathrib: Al-Aws and Khazraj were fighting one another for centuries. The three Jewish tribes living there at the time were Banu Qaynuqa, Banu
N-Nadir and Banu Qurayza. Of the three, the first two were allied to Khazraj and Banu
Qurayzah with Al-Aws. During their warfare Jews were killing Jews in alliance with Pagan Arabs – A crime in Mosaic Law – ordained by God in Torah: “Thou shall not Kill”.
The question is whether those who profess to call themselves Muslims, have submitted to God’s Will, are they really following God’s Commands? Let us see what the Qur’an says:
S5.32: “We ordained for the Children of Israel that If anyone slew another person without a just cause, as if he slew the whole people: and if he saves one life, it is as if he saved the whole nation.”
S4.92: “Never should a believer kill another believer, unless it be by mistake, if one so kills a believer, it is so ordained that he should pay compensation to the deceased family, unless they remit it freely”.
S4.93: “But whoever deliberately slays another believer, his recompense shall be Hell, therein to abide; and God will condemn him, and will reject him, and will prepare for him awesome sufferings”.
Just look at the killings and plight of Syrians, Yemenis, Palestinians, Libyans, and Afghanis, to mention the few, and general character of Muslim Ummah as a whole – from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia is there ONE Islamic country that can be proud of itself? Can we as nations accept that we are following the way of life prescribed in the Qur’an and acted upon by our beloved Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)? Haven’t Muslims become deaf, dumb, and blind?
Naturally the reward of such actions is disgrace in this life – which is so evident today throughout the Islamic world and what will happen in ‘afterlife’ to such people, humans cannot even imagine, it is only in God’s hands. Why have we descended into such an abyss is a question to ponder upon?
Obviously, something fundamental has gone wrong! What can it be? The answer to this question require going back into the history of Islam from the time of the Prophet and the Golden Age of Islam which lasted almost 300 years after his death. The scientific and intellectual progress during this period was phenomenal; and so was spiritual/mystic enlightenment. Imam Abu Hanifa, born 699 CE, Imam Jaffar Al-Sadiq,
Born 700 CE, Imam Malik ibn Anas, born 711 CE, Imam Al-Shafi, born 767 CE, Imam Abdullah Ahmed ibn Hambul, born 780 CE. All these pious learned men were devoted to God Almighty and in-depth understanding of the Qur’an. They also taught the Qur’an and gave their verdicts based on the Qur’an and life of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). It would have been inconceivable for them to think that the later generations would cause dissent by creating divisions and different sects in their names! The Muslims today have degenerated much further, contrary to Quranic Edicts by creating divisions/sects: Sunni, Shia, Wahabi, Ismaili, Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahmadi and many more. The Holy Qur’an is emphatically clear about it:
S2.176: Allah has sent His Divine Message in Truth but Divisions are being caused.
S3.103,105: Be not Divided among yourselves. Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves – for them there is a Dreadful Penalty.
S6.159: As for those who divide their Deen into Sects, you (O’Mohammad) have no part and nothing to do with them.
There are many other places in the Qur’an where Sectarianism is strictly forbidden. The Ummah should look into their conscience on this point and decide how far they have drifted away from the Divine Writ! The causes of these divisions must be looked into seriously and rectified.
The very first Revelations, contained in Suras: Al-Alaq and Al-Qalam. In both Suras the relevant Ayas are about learning, intellectual and spiritual advancement. The Arabic words for ‘teach’ and knowledge are from the same root. In a translation the complete harmony of the words for ‘read’ and ‘teach’ and ‘pen’, implies reading, writing, study, research and attaining knowledge – scientific and spiritual understanding. The word ‘Iqra’ gives a universal direction to mankind, for attainment of knowledge. How far the Muslims have drifted away from ‘Iqra’ and ‘Al-Qalam’, is one of the causes of their degradation. It is an irrefutable fact that the Islamic scientists and philosophers were the fountainhead for the Renaissance in Europe from the 13th century onwards. Just look at the names of those who contributed immensely for the world’s intellectual and spiritual enlightenment.
JABIR IBN HAYYAN (721 – 815 AD): His work contains the oldest known systematic chemical substances and the oldest know instructions for deriving an inorganic compound (SAL ammoniac chloride) from organic substances (plants, blood and hair) by chemical means. He is also known to have discovered aqua regia.
Al-KHAWARIZMI (780 -850 AD): His name has become immortal in the history of algebra and algorithm. He transformed the mathematics from digit to letter and gave a pragmatic dimension to the science of mathematics.
AL-KINDI (801 – 873): Known as Father of Arab Philosophy, was also a Mathematician, Physician and Musician. Author of many books in the field of Medicine. Al-Kindi was also one
of the fathers of CRYPTOGRAPHY.
IBN QURRA (836 – 901): He was a Mandean Physician, best known as Tbit in Latin. He also Made important discoveries in Algebra, Geometry and Astronomy. Reformer of the Ptolemaic System and founder of Statistics.
AL-BATTANI (858 – 929): Known in the West as Albateginius was an Astronomer and Mathematician. He introduced a number of trigonometric relations and his Kitab Az-zij was more accurate than all writers up to his time. His treatise on Astronomy were very influential in Europe, were translated into many languages.
ABU BAKR AL-RAZI (865 – 925): Was a Persian Polymath, Physician, Alchemist, Philosopher, and an important figure in Medicine. He wrote on logic, astronomy, and grammar. He wrote 20 books on various subjects: of those two most significant works are “Kitab al- Mansuri” and “Kitab Al-Hawi”. He became a famous Physician. His portraits are displayed in the Chapel of Princeton University, USA and at the Faculty of Medicine, Paris along with Ibn Sina, as a tribute to their enormous contributions to the Science of Medicine.
AL-FARABI (872 – 950): Was a Philosopher and Jurist who wrote on Political Philosophy Metaphysics, Ethics and Logic. He was also a Mathematician and Music Theorist. He wrote extensively. Commentary on Aristotle’s and Plato’s work are among his most notable.
ABU ALI SINA (980 – 1037): Known as Avicenna in Europe, a Persian Scientist who is regarded as one of the most significant Physicians, Astronomers, Thinkers and writers of Islamic Golden Age and the father of early modern Medicine.
The above mentioned are just a few of the names who brought about a positive change in the world as we see it today, the list goes on.
The question is why have the Ummah not produced anyone of such caliber for the past eight hundred years? And why was such a plethora of knowledge permeated during the first three hundred years and hardly anything after that? Why did the centers of learning in Baghdad and Cordoba become deserted?
The answer lies in lack of willingness for in depth understanding of the ‘spirit’ of the Divine Revelation. Unfortunately, majority of the Ummah are those who simply recite it, without understanding a single sentence and believe that they have done a great service to God Almighty. Have they? They should deeply think as to who are they guided by? The road to salvation lies in total devotion to fully understanding the Holy Quran and acting upon it as it was acted upon during the life of the Prophet and a few hundred years after that, although there were some cases of disobedience after his demise!
Ahle Qur'an 