the simple inside truth - jamiat ahle hadees final.pdf · accordance with the holy quran and...

"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" November, 2012 (3)

inside

04 Editorial

07 Guidance from the Glorious Qur'an

08 Pearls from the Holy Prophet

09 Islamic Feature:Prophet Muhammad: Universalityof His Message

12 Islamic Feature:Prophet Muhammad: The Leaderof Humanity

15 Islamic Feature:Prophet Muhammad: First Amongthe 100

19 Islamic Feature: Islam for Peaceand Tranquility

22 Islamic Feature: UnderstandingIslam in Historical Perspective

27 Feature: Importance of Moral Edu-cation

29 News from Headquarter

The

SIMPLE

TRUTHMONTHLY

Chief Editor

Asghar Ali Imam Mahadi Salafi

Editor

Dr. Abul Hayat Ashraf

Publisher

Khawaja Md. Qutbuddin

Address:

Markazi Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees Hind

Ahle Hadees Manzil

4116, Urdu Bazar, Jama Masjid,

Delhi-110006

Ph: 011-23273407

Fax: 011-23246613

websit: www.ahlehadees.org

E-mail: [email protected]

November, 2012

Vol. No. 6 Issue No. 11


Las week we came across a news report of

parallel Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth by some low-

profile Salafi brothers.It seems they tried to

go down the annals of history for sowing seeds

of ill-will, disunity and confusion.Nothing can

be more detrimental to the unity of Salafis than

accusation, wrangling, ill-will, jealousy and

malice among the followers of Salafi maslak.

The Executive Body of Markazi Jamiat Ahle

Hadeeth, representing all States of India, in a

joint statement on October 16, 2012

unreservedly condemned the act and

mischievous campaign against Markazi Jamiat

for which print media, telephone and email

messages have been used. The accusation by

the parallel Jamiat has come at a time when the

Muslim Ummah in general and Salafi brothers

in particular are facing umpteen challenges from

the forces inimical to Islam.

The print media will follow them for sometime, but

Ahle Hadeeth public are likely to remain

unimpressed with both, their high profile attacks

and their pie-in-the sky notions of real Jamaat”.

And without the good intention to win significant

support of Ahle Hadeeth brothers, the parallel

Jamiat will be doomed, to be an evil player in the

Indian Ahle Hadeeth stakes.

UNITED WE STAND

DIVIDED WE FALL

Editorial

Time and again Ahle Hadeeth brothers have

shown their maturity by chucking out those who

got too complacent and handed surprise victories

to those who they felt would do a better job. All

members of the Executive Body Center around

the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth, its Ameer,

Hafiz Muhammad Yahaya Dehlavi, General

Secretary Maulana Asghar Imam Mahadi Salafi

who maintain an iron grip and also provide

direction and leadership to Jamiat

The resolution adopted in the meeting

demands of Saudi and Kuwaiti embassies to

keep a close eye on such destructive elements

and their activities to save the Muslim Ummah

from them.

If will be appropriate to have a glimps on the

important services rendered by Ameer-Jamat

Hafiz Muhammad Yahya Dehlavi and G.

Secretary Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mahdi

Salafi during their tenure.

Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth, Hind use to send relief

and rehabilitation materials to help alleviate the

sufferings of the people during riots and natural

calamities.Two years ago the Kosi Flood has

caused unbearable damage to people in Bihar,


Bengal and Orissa. Jamiat extended its helping

hand to victims and provided food, shelter,

boats, and other humanitarian aids.

Jamiat has marked an achievement in yet

another field. It has prepared a new syllabus for

English medium schools and Madarsas covering

science, social studies and other secular subjects

including Arabic and Islamiat from primary to

standard 5th. The books accourding to stated

syllabus are being prepared.

In recent past to mould the general Muslim’s

mind to implement the provisions of Shariah in

individual and family life in letter and spirit, Jamiat

got books published on different aspects of

Shariah according to Quran and Hadeeth.

Jamiat has published “Noble Quran” with

English translation. It has offered 550 Holy

Quran to India Tourism Development Corp. Ltd.

New Delhi for each and every room of Ashoka

Hotel and1600 Holy Quran for hotels under its

possession all over India. Tafseer Ahasanul

Bayan (Urdu translation of Holy Quran);

Tarjuma Thana’ee (Hindi Translation of Holy

Qura’n) were also printed. Tareekh Khatame

Nabawwat in four volumes and History of

Jam‘aate Ahle Hadeeth in four volumes by Dr.

Bahauddin as well as Directory of Ahle

Hadeeth Madaris, Tarikh (Life history) of

‘Ulame-Ahle Hadeeth and Commentary of

Sahih Bukhari in Urdu by Maulana Daud Raz

were published. Fatawa Sheikhul Hadith

Maulana ‘Ubaidullah Rahmani” was also

published. Apart from stated publications there

are at least 17 previous publications and others

are soon to be out. Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth had

organised a symposium on “Terrorism: A curse

in Modern Times” on March 19, 2006

appealing to crores of justice-loving citizens to

join in stopping the elements who were

misleading the public opinion for associating

terrorism with Islam. Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth, Hind

condemns all sorts of terrorism and terrorists.

Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth. Hind had organised a

convetion, seminar and Symposium on

Education and Terrorism on July 23-24, 2006

in Delhi and made it clear with that Madarsas

are centres of religion and ethical learning. They

have nothing to do with terrorism. Mr. Shivraj

Patel, then Union Home Minister, appreciated

the services of Madarsas and its role in nation

building during the meet.

The 29th All India Ahle Hadeeth Conference,

held in Delhi on 28th October, 2008 reasserted

its pledge that we will live in our beloved country

India according to the principles of Holy Quran

and Sunnah, that is based on universal qualities

like Tawheed (Oneness of God), unity of

humanity, justice, peace, purity and modesty,

gentlemanliness, honesty and rationality and

thoughtfulness. We pledge to continue our

endeavour to call people, with distinction

towards love and amity and wean them away

from evil.

Jamait Ahle hadeeth organises the refresher and

oriental course for graduates of Madarsas,

du‘aat, Islamic workers, Imams, Muftis, and

teachers, annually acquainting them with modern

concepts of teachings and daawa, etc.

The Jamiat has in recent years introduced a

variety of projects to upgrade the quality of

Islamic training, Ifta and jurisprudence. For this

purpose Al-M‘ahad al-‘Alee lit-takhassus fid-


Darasat al-Islamia (Higher Institute with

speciality for Islamic Training) was established

to provide a quality education bilingual in Arabic

and English infusing in them modern approach

to teaching, preaching, developing leadership

qualities as well as activating their skills.

Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth believes, and rightly

believes, that the best way to assure the

protection of Islamic Shariah in India is that

Muslims get all their disputes solved in strict

accordance with the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth has a panel of Muftis at

headquarter Delhi and state -level- Jamiat in the

country to issue fatawa and solve individual and

family disputes.

Jamiat has been publishing its organ monthly

Journals in four languages,, “The Simple Truth”

in English; (2) Al-Istiqamah in Arabic; (3)

Islahe-Samaj (Hindi) and Fortnightly Jareeda

Tarjuman in Urdu.

Jamiat Cooperates with other Jam’aats,

Organisations and NGOs to serve Islam,

humanity, minorities and the country.

Here is a bird-eye view of some of the

publications that Markazi Jamiat has revived.

Muttahida Hindustan ke Ulama-e-Islam ka

Awwaleen Mutaffiqa Faisla (The first joint

legal verdict of ulama of United Indian

Subcontinent). The book is compilation of

fatawas of the prominent Islamic scholars of

Indian Subcontinent. Attention has been paid

on publishing some of the books which were

either written or translated by some devoted

sympathizers of the Jamiat. These are Kitabul

Janaiz (in Arabic) pages: 160 and Nisabe

Taleem barae Primary Darjaat (Urdu) pages:

154.

The educational books have been revived with

new composing and beautiful cover designs like

Chamane Islam Qaieda, part 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Due consideration is being taken to avoid the

shortage of the books for the convenient of the

readers.

A directory of madarsas of Ahle Hadees has

also been published comprising of 650 pages.

It would serve a good reference book for the

students of history.

The stated facts are a bird-eye view of the

services rendered by Ameere Jamat Hafiz

Muhammad Yahya and G. Secretary Maulana

Asghar Ali Imam Mahadi Salafi.Appreciating

their services the Working Body of Markazi

Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth Hind unanimouly

condemned the Propaganda made against them

and Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth by some

mischievous people.

The resolution adopted that the Parallel Jamiat

Ahle Hadeeth will not be contacted and talked

unless and untill they dissolve the parallel Jamiat.

. Any kind of contact with them may not be

possible without the consultation of General

Body and Working Body of Markazi Jamiat

Ahel Hadeeth Hind. The resolution cautioned

the Salafi brothers of the mischievous people

who have launched an aggressive propaganda

against the Markazi Jamiat and its office-bearers

of being corrupt. They are true enemies of

Markazi Jamiat Ahel Hadeeth Hind, and they

need to be isolated and ignored. United we

stand, divided we fall.

µµµ


“Men are the protectors and maintainers of

women, because Allah has given the one more

(strength) than the other, and because they

support them from their means. Therefore the

righteous women are devoutly obedient and

guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah

would have them guard. As to those women

on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill

conduct, admonish them (first), (Next),

refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat

them (lightly), but if they return to obedience,

seek not against them means (of annoyance);

For Allah is Most High, Great (above you

all); (Surah An-Nisa, 4:34)

It is the male who is qualified to function as head

of the family. The female has been so constituted

that she should live under his care and protection.

Qawwam means who stands firm in another’s

business, protects his interests, and looks after

his affairs; or it may be, standing firm in his own

business, managing affairs with a steady purpose.

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “The best wife

is she who, if you look at her, will please you;

who if you bid her to do something, will obey;

and who will safeguard herself and your

property in your absence.”This tradition contains

the best explanation of the above verse. It should

RIGHTEOUS WOMEN

Guidance from the Holy Quran

be born in mind, however, that obedience to

God has priority over a woman’s duty to obey

her husband. If a woman’s husband either asks

her to disobey God or prevents her from

performing a duty imposed upon her by God,

she should refuse to carry out his command.

Obedience to her husband in this case would

be a sin. However, were the husband to prevent

his wife from performing either supererogatory

Prayer or Fasting-as distinct from the obligatory

ones-she should obey him, for such acts would

not be accepted by God if performed by a

woman in defiance of her husband’s wish. So

for as the actual application of these measures

is concerned, there should, naturally, be some

correspondence between the fault and the

punishment that is administered.

In case of family jars four steps are mentioned,

to be taken in that order; (1) perhaps verbal

advice or admonition may be sufficient; (2) if

not, sex relations may be suspended; (3) if this

is not sufficient, some slight physical correction

may be administered; but Imam Shafii, considers

it inadvisable.(4) If all this fails, a family council

is recommended in temper, nagging, sarcasm,

speaking at each other in other peoples

presence, reverting to past faults which should

be forgiven and forgotten, all this is forbidden.

And the reason given is characteristic of Islam.


The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) taught the following

prayer to his companions; “O Allah; I seek

refuge in You from the anxiety and grief, from

in ability and sloth, from the burden of

indebtedness and the domination of men”

(Bukhari and Muslim)

Health is not only a great blessing of God but

also a valuable trust from the Almighty Allah.

Regard your health as of great value and take

every care to safeguard it. Health once lost is

hard to recover. As the little worm eats into the

books and destroys great libraries, similarly a

little negligence or an ordinary sickness ruins the

life. To neglect the rules of hygiene and to be

indifferent towards the proper maintenance of

health is callous, even as it is an act of ingratitude

to the Almighty Allah. The essence of human life

is reason, morality, faith and knowledge. It is

only the physical health which ensures the proper

functioning of these human faculties. The true

believers have to perform lofty deeds in life and

discharge heavy responsibilities of state. It is

imperative, therefore, that they should have

robust physique, sturdy intellect and sound mind,

firm will, high morale and a life full of spirit,

enthusiasm and sublime passions. Healthy and

spirited individuals make dynamic nations and

HEALTH MAINTENANCE

Pearls From the Holy Prophet

such nations by offering supreme sacrifices in

the struggle for existence, achieve a pre-eminent

position and are a living symbol of the value and

dignity of life.

Avoid sorrow, anger, grudge or anxiety, envy,

jealousy, slander, narrow-mindedness: don’t lose

your spirits and keep your mind clear of all

complexes. These moral ills have an adverse

effect on the digestive system and a defective

digestive system is the major cause of poor

health. And the Messenger of Allah said: “Do

not harm yourself or others” (Reported by

Ibn Majah).

As an application of this rule, we may say that if

it is proved that the use of tobacco is injurious

to health, it is haram, especially for a person

whose physician has advised him to stop

smoking. Even if it is not injurious to health, it is

still a waste of money, spent neither for religious

nor for secular benefit, and the Holy Prophet

(S.A.W.) forbade wasting of property. “This

becomes the more serious when the money is

otherwise needed for the sustenance of oneself

or ones family.

²²²


My choice of Muhammad (S.A.W.) to lead, the

list of the world’s most influential persons may

surprise some readers and may be questioned

by others, but he was the only man in history

who was supremely successful on both the

religious and secular levels. This bold but

meticulous observation of a renowned writer

Michael H. Heart in his celebrated book, The

100: A Ranking of the most influential

persons in History, (New York: Heart

Publishing Company. Inc, 1978, p.33) leads

open minded persons to probe into realities of

life of the last Prophet of Islam Muhammad

(S.A.W.). To consider Muhammad merely a

spiritual leader of Muslims is to rob him of his

magnanimity and to belittle the expanse and

amplitude of the message he disseminated. The

Quran and the proclamations of Muhammad

make it clear that he is guide for whole universe.

His message is for all mankind irrespective of

time and place. He is in fact benefactor of

humanity.

Born in a barbaric tribe of Arabia where the

darkness of ignorance prevailed, where loot,

arson, robbery, lechery and injustice were order

of the day, where only might was right,

Muhammad brought about a drastic change in

the lives of the people. He wiped out evil in all

PROPHET MUHAMMAD

UNIVERSALITY OF HIS MESSAGEBy Dr Haseeb Ahmed

its forms from the face of the earth, established

peace and paved way for progress and

salvation.

The value system he propounded is relevant even

in today’s world. First and foremost is the

equality of all human beings irrespective of caste,

tribe, colour, region or sex. According to Islam,

‘No Arab is greater than a non-Arab. A black

is in no way inferior to the white, nor is a white

superior. “The Creator made you into Nations

and Tribes, that you may know each other (not

that you despise each other). The most honoured

of you is he who is the most Righteous of you

(The Qur’an: 49-13).

Reacting to this virtue, Mahatma Gandhi opines

that “Europeans ruling over South Africa may

well dread Islam and spreading of Islam among

the African tribes. If Africans embrace Islam,

there is a threat to white supremacy, because I

have seen that after becoming a Muslim the very

moment he is fit to eat and drink from the same

plate and tumbler from which any other Muslim

(even a white-Muslim) eats or drinks”

(Mahatma Gandhi in Jagath Maharshi p.2)

A great historian of undisputed reputation A.J.

Toynbee observes: “The extinction of race

consciousness, as between Muslims, is one of

the outstanding achievements of Islam, and in

Islamic Feature


the contemporary world there is as it happens,

a crying need for propagation of this Islamic

virtue.” (Civilization of Trial: New York).

There is no gender bias in Islam. Man and

women both are equal. ‘Whosoever does good

work; male or female ….. shall be admitted into

Paradise.” In those days of Muhammad, Arabs

denounced girl child. They thought girls and their

security are burden for tribes that were always

prone to war. They used to bury the female

infants alive. It was Muhammad (S.A.W.) who

raised the slogan:

“On who brings up at least two girls will be very

close to me in the Heaven.” Woman as daughter,

sister, wife and mother is to be regarded with

respect. The wife must be fed with the same

what you eat and Heaven lies under the feet of

mother are values much relevant in present day’s

deformed society where we cry out to stop

female foeticide and to save girl child.

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) metamorphosed

the wicked individuals into good Samaritans by

convincing them to shun self pride and imbibe

humility. He taught that nobility in conduct carries

weight. “The insistence upon kindliness and

consideration in the daily life is one of the main

virtues of Islam” (H.G Wells, the Outline of

History, London).

Man must respect and recognize the rights of

other fellow beings. Parents are pathways to

paradise. One, who eats full, when his neighbor

sleeps hungry, cannot be a Muslim. If you

encroach upon even a small piece of land that

does not belong to you, the weight equal to that

of seven earths will be hung by your neck as

punishment on the Day of Judgment. Life of an

individual is regarded invaluable in Islam. “if

anyone slew a person unless it be for murderer

or for spreading (grave) mischief in the land it

would be as if he slew the whole people (in the

world). And if anyone saved a life, it would be

as if he saved the life of the whole people” (The

Quran, 5:32).

All individuals are answerable for their deeds

on the Day of Judgment. Even if a goat with

horns strikes a goat sans horns, justice will be

restored.

Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to

him) struggled against all odds to enforce

economic justice. Being Messiah of the poor

and downtrodden, he ordered to pay the wages

of a labourer before his sweat dries. Servants

must not be treated inhumanly. He not only

preached but also put into practice the most

successful system of Zakat that bridges the class

cleavage. Socrates, Edmund Burke, Mahatma

Gandhi and many others envisioned a world

where the distinction between the rich and the

poor be vanished. Muhammad (S.A.W.)

proclaimed that it is one of the objectives of his

mission to collect the surplus from the rich and

return the same to the poor.

In addition to offering prayers five-time a day

and fasting during the month of Ramadhan, it

was mandatory for every Muslim to deposit his

‘Zakat’ into government exchequer called

‘Baitulmal’ from where it would be canalized to

the needy. In very short span of time the situation

got changed. Poverty alleviation was

accomplished. It is a historical fact that after

implementing the Zakat system, there was

nobody who was eligible to receive charity

(Zakat) in Madina and charity was then sent to

neighboring countries like Yemen. Paying Zakat


was so important that Caliph Abu Bakr made

his intentions clear that he would not hesitate to

wage a holy war against those rich Muslims who

would avoid paying the Zakat.

Muhammad (S.A.W.) imposed ban on usury,

hoarding, black marketing, corruption and bribe.

Abdullah bin Amr reports that Muhammad

(S.A.W.) cursed the receiver as well as the giver

of bribe (Hadith). He said that corruption breeds

fear and harassment among the people.

Concealing defects of commodities and cheating

consumers by trader is a crime.

Hoarding is an offence in Islam. According to

Muhammad (S.A.W.), when there is acute

shortage of a commodity, if a person keeps that

commodity in his warehouse for more than forty

days, with a view to make more profit, he will

not be forgiven even if he distributes the whole

commodity in charity. His law was tough on

crimes like rape and murder. Wine, which is a

source of evils, was strictly prohibited. The needfor prohibition of liquor is felt even today as we

witness frequent agitations from one or the otherplace by women or villagers to end liquor tradefrom their area.

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) did not leave anystone unturned to promote literacy. Therevelation of the Qur’an began with word Iqra

meaning Read. In the Battle of Udh, Muslimsdetained some enemy soldiers as war prisoners.They were released on the condition that each

one of them must teach how to read and writeat least three illiterates in Madina. The Prophetproclaimed that one erudite is greater than one

thousand worshippers. He had a school whereeducation was imparted. The disciples werecalled ashab-e-suffa. To sustain international

relations, to communicate with foreign countries,

he ordered one of his followers to learn Hebrew(language of Jews).

Today’s world is highly concerned about thehazards of environment. Muhammad (S.A.W.)curtailed all polluting agents. He prohibited

urinating (thereby polluting) in the streams ofwater. He said, “Use water judiciously even ifyou are sitting on the bank of a river or lake”.

He promoted tree plantation by saying, “Thoughyou see the Doomsday approaching, don’t giveup planting a tree. He restricted extravagance

in all forms. One who wastes is Satan’s brother.

Tolerance is the most desired virtue of a gloriouscommunity. Muhammad (S.A.W.) advocated

communal harmony, integrity and universalbrotherhood. “To dishonor the gods of othersis to dishonor your own god”, “Let there be no

compulsion (on anyone) regarding faith(religion)” (The Quran-2:256).

During the regime of Caliph Umar, one non-

Muslim woman from Egypt complained that theruler of her area dismantled the house andannexed it to the Mosque. On enquirythe ruler

Amr ibn al Aas explained his side: ‘The exixtingmosque was insufficient as the number ofdevotees was growing day by day. The woman

was offered more than the market price for herland. She did not accept it. So, in view of publicinterest, her house was acquired and the mosque

was extended on that land and the price of herland had been deposited in the governmenttreasury so that she can withdraw it at any point

of time.’ Siding with the woman, the Caliphordered to demolish the new part of the mosqueand to rebuild the house as it had been before.

Thus the revolution Muhammad (S.A.W.)

brought about in socioeconomic, political and

cultural spheres of human life has the quality to

sustain the tests of all times.


Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) emerged on the

horizon of the globe as a great saviour and

benefactor of humanity. He brought ‘light of

truth’, dispelled the darkness of ignorance and

vice and saved humanity from disaster and

destruction. He enlightened the mind and soul

of human beings by acquainting them with the

‘Ultimate Reality’ and giving them the taste of

true happiness, peace, prosperity and well-

being. He came on this earth with a mission which

he accomplished with great acumen, utmost

sincerity and dedication. He faced numerous

odds, hurdles and obstacles in his way but

successfully removed them one by one and

showed the world that nothing can stop a person

who is dedicated and committed to the divine

mission in true sense. He directed humankind

towards the path of righteousness, developed

their hidden potentialities and provided them

with the complete code of life. He brought mercy

to humanity. The Quran says: “We sent you not,

but as a Mercy to all creatures” (21:107).

The mission of the Prophet (S.A.W.) was

universal and his message was to the entire

humankind and to all ages to come. It is not

limited to a tribe, a community and a particular

PROPHET MUHAMMAD

THE LEADER OF HUMANITY

By Jamil Farooqui

brand of people but applies to all, irrespective

of caste, creed and ethnic background. It gives

benevolence to all who pay heed to and act upon

it. It injects new vision into human mind to

comprehend reality, gives a new meaning to

human life and makes human stay on the earth

most relevant, beneficial and worthwhile. He laid

the foundation of a civilization which united

humankind into one strong composite ideal

community to enjoy righteousness on all and

prevent them from misdeed. (3:110)

The most significant contribution of the Prophet

(S.A.W.) to humanity was his guidance towards

the ‘Absolute Truth’ which is none other than

God. He manifested this truth by his thought and

action. He conveyed the divine message to

humanity with great vigour and force that "Allah

is One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;

He begetteth not, nor He is begotten; and there

is none like unto Him” (112:1-4). He instilled

this truth into the minds of people and enabled

them to comprehend Allah and His attributes

which are the most vital forces behind the

functioning of the cosmos. This new vision

demolished the traditional structure of human

thought and belief by which people used to

Islamic Feature


consider physical and imaginary objects as gods.

The principle of Oneness of God revolutionized

human life and brought about drastic dynamic

changes on earth.

The second contribution of the Prophet (S.A.W.)

to humanity was the establishment of the divine

order on earth. The principle of tawhid

(monotheism) served as a foundation on which

the structure of human collectivity was built by

sincere efforts of the Prophet. As a matter of

fact, the society that came into being was an

ideological one dedicated to the implementation

of the divine order in every walk of human life.

That society was an ideal Islamic society and,

as such was a peaceful, harmonious and welfare

society in true sense. That society removed

barbarism, cruelties, torture and exploitation

from the social scene. The Islamic social system

was installed to create an adequate healthy

atmosphere to live in peace and harmony with

other fellow beings. Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) successfully executed divine

commandments and activated human

potentialities to establish complete servitude to

Allah. He, in fact, liberated humankind from

selfish attitude, egoistic tendency and temporary

pleasure of material things which were the

sources of tension and turmoil in this world. He

gave humankind eternal pleasure by providing

food for human soul.

The third benevolence the Prophet bestowed

upon humanity was the concept of unity of

humankind and the development of a single

brotherhood. The people of Arabian Peninsula

were divided into groups, cliques, bands, and

tribes on the basis of caste, creed, colour,

descent and other primordial loyalties. Each of

them considered itself superior to others. They

were at daggers drawn and used to fight with

each other. They did not hesitate to shed the

blood of their own brethren on petty matters.

He removed all artificial distinctions between

human beings and united them under the banner

of Islam, the system of life, given by the Creator.

He convinced the people that human beings are

the progeny of Adam and as such they constitute

one family. They have similar physiological

structure and they are one. God created them

with the same elements, bestowed upon them

same abilities, gave same responsibilities and

provided same guidance to live in this world.

The distinction on the basis of race, colour and

descent is superficial and cannot make a person

superior or inferior. The distinction is made by

men to grab social privileges and deprive others

of the same. All persons are equal in the sight of

Allah. The Quran proclaims: “Mankind was

but one community. But differed later.”

(10:19). It is further asserted that “Mankind

was one single community, and Allah sent

unto them Messengers.” (2:213). The Prophet

(S.A.W.) enforced the egalitarian system of Islam

and, for the first time in the history of human

civilisation, abolished social, political and

economic inequalities from social scene. He

vigorously declared: “All of mankind is the

family of Allah, and the dearest of them in

the sight of Allah is one who renders the most

help to His family.”

The egalitarian principle of Islam which the


Prophet (S.A.W.) preached to humankind was

not merely theoretical but he acted upon it with

all sincerity and impressed upon others to follow

it. He abolished slavery which had been

practiced from centuries not only in Arabia but

also in other parts of the world. It was a

revolutionary step that he took to eradicate

inequality and declared that to Allah no other

service is more acceptable than the emancipation

of slaves. Similarly he gave high status to women

who were treated inhumanly and considered a

commodity. This was the great benefit which he

bestowed to humanity and will be remembered

for all ages.

The other example of equality was that he

developed the concept of brotherhood

according to which believers were integrated into

one composite whole to cooperate with each

other and act together for the pursuance of the

divine order. The Quran, time and again,

impresses upon humankind to help and vie with

one another in righteousness and not in sin and

transgression.

But help ye in one another unto righteousness

and pious duty. Help not one another into

sin and transgression, but keep your duty to

Allah. Lo! Allah is sure in punishment. (5:2)

It shows that the basis of human relation and

coming together is the commitment to the

ideology of Islam and nothing else. The

fundamental duty of believers is to completely

submit to the will of Allah. Those who are

committed and dedicated to this cause develop

fear of God or taqwa. Persons who achieve high

degree of taqwa are most honoured in the sight

of Allah (49:13). They will make their life

meaningful and beneficial. They will also get

reward in the hereafter. Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) explicated that the commitment to the

will of Allah is the basis of human society.

The fourth dimension of the Prophet’s mercy

(S.A.W.) was the concept of dignity of human

being. He raised the status of human beings by

assigning them positive role to play in this world.

The position of human before the advent of Islam

was very low. They were treated like animals

and sometimes sacrificed to please deities and

false gods. The Christian concept of fall of human

gave the impression that human existence on

earth was the result of sin, therefore they were

subjected to torture and suffering. The Prophet

(S.A.W.) explained that human beings are the

best creatures and occupy a central place in the

divine scheme of creation. Allah created them

in the best form (95:4), bestowed innumerable

bounties upon them, provided good things to

use and made all worldly things subservient to

them. Thus, the Creator of the world awarded

great honour to human beings. The Quran says:

We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided

them with transport on land and sea; given

them for sustenance things good and pure; and

conferred on them special favours, above a

great part of our creation. (17:70)

Allah, further, exalted the position of human

being by appointing him His vicegerent on earth.

Though it was the position of great responsibility

because they had to execute the divine mission

yet it placed them on a pedestal and made them

superior to all creatures.


Can you name someone who , according to your

own criteria, is the most influential person in

history? This self-made question was addressed

by Michael H. Hart, a Christaian American, in

his book The 100 A Rakning of the Most

influential persons in History. Michael Hart

has gathered, from varios fields of human activity,

one hundred personalities from human history

who include great thinkers, phiolosophers,

scientist, scholars, leaders and messengers. Out

of all these he placed Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) at the top of the list. He contends "My

choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the

world’s most influential persons may surprise

some readers and may be questioned by others,

but he was the only man in history who was

supremely successful on both religious and

secular levels today, fifteen centuries after his

death, his influence is still powerful and

pervasive" This is a witness given by an American

scholar, a natural scientist regarding the position

of the Prophet. The question here is what is that

in the life of the Prophet which has compelled

this scholar to accept him not only as the most

influential man of history but rather the most

active maker of history whose influence still

continues to influence and fashion the life of

PROPHET MUHAMMAD

FIRST AMONG THE 100

By Dr. Muhammad Mumtaz Ali

modern man. The answer is very simple, We

observe many personalities in history who are

effective and influential only in some particular

areas of life. For example they are either

philosophers or scientists but not leaders. Some

are leaders but they are not thinkers and

philosophers. Some are great thinkers and

philosophers, but they are not able to influence

the moral and spiritual life of man. All of them

are experts in some specific areas of life. We

surely see some influential personalities of history

but do not see their influence in the present day

life of man as we see the influence of the

Prophet. The reason is quite obvious. Other

personalities are not as comprehensive as the

personality of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.).

Most of the personalities of history are influential

in some areas but the personality of the Prophet

Muhammad (S.A.W.) is influential in almost all

areas of life. He is in fact all in one. He is a

Messenger of Allah, a leader, a general, a

teacher, a spiritual religious figure, a political hero,

a law-giver, a maker of history and most

importantly the founder of the spirit of modern

age of knowledge, wisdom and sciences. As

Muhammad Iqbal has pointed out, the Prophet

of Islam seems to stand between the ancient and

Islamic Feature


the modern world. In so far as the source of his

revelation is concerned, he belongs to the ancient

world; and in so far as the spirit of his revelation

is concerned, he belongs to the modern world"

R.W.J. Austin says, "Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.), as the last prophet, or seal of the

Prophets, draws together in his humanity all truth

about man in his various modes. He is the whole

true man in whom all human virtues and aspects

are in perfect balance. This is the reason that

Iqbal calls the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)

as the perfect man. Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) maintained an equilibrium in all aspects

of his life and therefore became a model for all

generations as is claimed in the Holy Quran:

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah

a beautiful pattern of conduct.” (33:21)

He is a mercy and blessing of Allah to mankind

for they can see in his life a balanced and

comprehensive model for the successful life of

man in this world and in the hereafter. He brought

out the world from its heedlessness to the path

of submission to God and gave it that knowledge

which makes it distinguish between the truth and

falsehood. He taught man to utilize his reason

fully and forbade him to become blind follower

of dogmas. He is the last universal messenger

of Allah. His message is neither time bound nor

confined to any particular community. As said

in the Holy Quran: “We have not sent you but

as a universal Messenger to men, giving

them glad tidings, and warning them against

sin, but most men understand not.” (34:28)

His model of life is also above the cultural

environment, though he was born in a particular

environment but as a Messenger of Allah, He

provided a universal and merciful model to the

mankind. He is described in the Quran as an

evidence of Allah’s mercy and blessings:

“The Messenger of Allah is also a great

favour for the believers when He raised from

among them a Messenger to recite to them

His signs, and to purify them, and to teach

them the Book and Wisdom. For before that

they were in manifest error.” (3:164)

The Prophet is a special favour from Allah for

the believers who brought the Quran and

interpreted and implemented it. This favour

consists in two things. First, in the form of Book.

Second, in the from of Wisdom. The Book

means the Holy Quran which contains the

principles of life which guarantee the healthy

development of life. The Wisdom refers to the

interpretation of the Quran in the form of the

traditions of the Prophet. These two constitute

the basic sources of Islam. At the time of the

farewell pilgrimage the Prophet clearly said to

the companions that if the believers hold firmly

these two sources, they will surely follow the

right path of Islam. And if they follow these

sources, they continue to march on the path of

progress and divine pleasure. That is why in our

time our scholars and leaders are asking the

Muslims in the world to go back to the main

sources of Islam for practical guidance for the

development and progress of the Muslim

community. The Quran contains those principles

of life which are beyond essential for the

progress and good conduct of humanity. Man

cannot design these principles which are


indispensable for the successful life of man in

this world. In the early revelations itself it is

mentioned that in this Quran those principles of

life are revealed to mankind without which man

cannot live a happy and meaningful life. It is

evident from the life of modern man which, in

spite of tremendous development of science and

technology, is seriously suffering from

inconsistencies and failures. Therefore it is said

in the Quran" He Who taught (the use of) pen,

taught man that what he knew not”. (96:4-5)

Abdullah Yusuf Ali says that through the Quran

Allah teaches us new knowledge at every

moment. Individuals learn more and more day

by day; nations and humanity at large learn fresh

knowledge at every stage. This is even more

noticeable and important in the spiritual world.

Furthermore, it is only through the revelation of

Allah through the Prophets (S.A.W.) that man

could be able to know the fundamentals of

knowledge because even human reason is too

limited to show man the real key to knowledge

and wisdom. Man by himself is helpless and

absolutely ignorant. Whatever knowledge he

acquires comes from Allah because He is the

real source of knowledge. In this way, we can

say that all our knowledge and capacities are

gifts from Allah.

This is the mercy of Allah that He taught through

the Prophet the right kind of thinking and right

model of action. The gist of the moral teachings

of the message of the Prophet was beautifully

illustrated by his cousin Jafar ibn Abi Talib in the

court of Negus of Abyssinia, “O king, we were

a people of ignorant barbarity. We used to

worship idlos and eat carrion flesh; we

practiced immorality, we disregarded family

ties, we neglected the duties of hospitality,

and the strong among us ate up the weak.

Thus we continued until Allah sent us a

Messenger of our own nembers, of whose

descent we know, and whose truthfulness,

faith, and chastity are unquestioned. He

summoned us to Allah, to believe in Him as

One God, to worship Him, and to repudiate

what we and our fathers worshipped apart

from Him in the way of stones and idols. He

bade us tell the truth in our conversation,

observed good faith and ties of kindred, be

faithful to our hospitable duties, and avoid

forbidden things and bloodshed. He forbade

us to practise immorality and to use obscene

speech, to eat up the property of orphans,

and to slander chaste women. And he bade

us worship Allah and associate nothing with

Him, he ordained for us the prayers, the poor-

tax, and fasting .. etc."

If we study the biography of the Prophet, we

learn that there is no other way except to follow

the path and model of Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) in our day to day life, which alone can

save the present day humanity from self-

destruction and suicide. This is the reason that

the modern man of the east and the west, as

well as, the man of the north and the south is

coming closer to the model life of Prophet

Muhammad (S.A.W.). Here Michael Hart’s

observation becomes crystal clear that the

character and personality of the Prophet still

continues to influence the people around the


world. The path and model of the Prophet takes

man away from the darkness of ignorance to

the light of knowledge and wisdom. Allah said

in the Holy Quran: “A Messenger, who

rehearses to you the Signs of Allah containing

clear explanations that he may lead forth

those who believe and do righteous deeds

from the depths of Darkness into Light.

(65:11)

Therefore whenever we mention the name of

the Prophet, we are asked to say peace be upon

the Prophet who showed the path of peace to

all mankind. But history is a witness to the fact

that this Prophet of peace and mercy had to

pass through innumerable difficulties and

problems. The leaders of Makkah who were

deeply involved in all immoral activities and

exploited weaker sections of the society never

wanted that the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)

should continue his mission of leading mankind

from the depths of the darkness of materialism

and injustice to the light of the spirituality of Islam

in which man becomes God-fearing and God

loving. Therefore, they wanted to settle with the

Prophet and come to some agreement with the

Prophet so that they could continue the

exploitation of the masses. Therefore they

authorized a prominent leader of the Makkah

oligarchy, Utabah to negotiate with the Prophet.

Utabah met the Prophet in the vicinity of Ka’bah

and told him. “O son of my brother, you know

your place among us. Your ancestors are high in

our pedigree, and your clan is foremost and

strong. You have shocked and disturbed your

people. You have broken their unity; you have

ridiculed their wisdom; you have insulted their

gods; you have degraded their religion; and you

have even denied piety and pure faith to their

ancestors…. Through all this if you want to

become wealthy, we will all contribute to make

you the richest of us all. If your object is honour

and power, we will make you our leader and

promise to decide nothing without you. If, even,

you think of royalty, we will elect you our king.

If that which you experience and see (meaning

the revelation and the visitation of Gabriel) is

beyond you control and you cannot defend

yourself against it, we shall help cure you by

spending money for medical care. It is possible

for a man to be overcome by the force of an

unseen power until he finds a way to a cure."

After listening to all this, the Prophet recited from

the Quran the basic tenets of Islam and said that

he wanted nothing but complete submission to

Allah.!

The efforts of the leaders of Makkah failed and

the mission of the Prophet became successful

to the extent that he gave a new turn to history.

He successfully established a practical and

universal model to be followed by the mankind.

No wonder, therefore, the Prophet is identified

as ‘No. 1’ among the most influential

personalities of the world who moulded and

shaped human destiny. In the contemporary

crisisridden age, the only realistic and practical

model that can rescue and save us from self-

destruction is the model of Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.), provided we follow in all sincerity.

²²²


Media speculations since the horrific terrorist

attacks on America on September 11, has

pointed the finger at Muslims and the Arab

world. Such orchestrated acts of

incomprehensible carnage have nothing to do

with the beliefs of most Muslims. The Quran

specifically declares: “If anyone murders an

(innocent) person, it will be as if he has

murdered the whole of humanity. And if

anyone saves a person it will be as if he has

saved the whole of humanity.”

In the Quran the name of the faith comes from

the word silm-peace. Far from the kind of Turko-

Arab centric message, the Quran presented a

belief in the universal existence of God, one God

for all. It does not discriminate against peoples;

it says we may be of different colours and from

different tribes, but we are all human and “the

best of people are the most God conscious”.

The Quran acknowledges the coexistence of

other faiths, and in doing so acknowledges that

different cultures can live together in peace.

“There is no compulsion in religion, it satates,

that people should not be compelled to follow a

particular faith. Elsewhere it states, “To you,

ISLAM FOR PEACE

AND TRANQUILITY NOT CHAOS

AND CONFUSIONBy M.H. Lakdwala

your religion; to me mine”. Respect for moral

values and justice is at the Quran’s core. The

Islamic history provides ample examples of

inter-religious and international relationships; of

how to live together.

Communal well-being is central to human life,

so there is a concept in Islam called Istihsan,

which means “to look for the common good”.

Even though the Quran may lay down a diktat,

scholars are also supposed to consider the

circumstances prevalent at the time. Sometimes

that means choosing the lesser of two evils or

even suspending legislation if necessary; for

instance, a person who steals bread during a

famine is not treated as a thief.

Moderation is the core of faith, so those who

accuse Muslim schools of fostering fanaticism

should learn a bit more about Islam. The Prophet

(S.A.W.) said, “Ruined are those who insist on

rigidity in faith,” and, “A believer remains within

the scope of his religion as long as he doesn’t

kill another person illegally.” Such knowledge

and words of guidance are desperately needed

in hard times, to separate fact from falsehood,

and to recognize the last Prophet’s own definition

Islamic Feature


of that which makes a person representative, or

otherwise, of the faith he lived and the one we

try to follow.

When it comes to the Islamic conduct of war,

some of the verses of the Quran that have often

been quoted by non-Muslims to “prove” that

Islam promotes violence and bloodshed are

found in Al-Baqarah, the second chapter of the

Quran, (verses 190-194).

Fight against those who fight against you in

the way of Allah, but do not transgress, for Allah

does not love transgressors. (Al-Quran-2:190)

Slay them whenever you confront them and

drive them out from where they drove you

out. (For though killing is sinful) wrongful

persecution is even worse than killing. Do

not fight against them near the Holy Mosque

unless they fight against you; but it they fight

against you slay them, for that is the reward

of such unbelievers. (Al-Quran-2:191)

Then if they desist, know well that Allah is

Ever Forgiving, Most Compassionate. (Al

Quran-2:192)

Keep on fighting against them until mischief

ends and the way prescribed by Allah

prevails. But if they desist, then know that

hostility is only against the wrong doers. (Al

Quran-2:193)

The sacred month for the sacred month;

sanctities should be respected alike (by all

concerned). Thus, if someone has attacked

you, attack him just as he attacked you, and

fear Allah and remain conscious that Allah

is with those who guard against violating the

bounds set by Him. (Al-Qur’an-2:194)

The Holy Quran comprises of revelations from

God to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) over a

period of twenty three years (610 C.E.-632

C.E.). The first 13 years of the porphethood of

Muhammad were spent at his hometown

Makkah, where he and his fellow Muslims were

severely persecuted by the pagans of Makkah.

During that time, Muslims were not ordered to

fight back, but to bear the persecutions. Finally,

God permitted the Prophet and his fellow

Muslims (known as Sahabah) to emigrate to the

city of Madinah, about 400 kilomerters away.

This emigration, known as the Hijrah, marked

the beginning of an Islamic society in Madinah,

in which the Prophet became the head of the

state. It was not long before the polytheists of

Makkah marched towards Madinah to wage

war against Muslims and destroy the Islamic state

of Madinah. This battle is known as the Battle

of Badr. The verses 2.190-2.194, above were

perhaps the first injunctions from God to

Muslims to prepare themselves for fighting. It

was obviously a war in the defense of their Faith

and their homeland.

In verse 190 of Al-Baqarah, God instructs

Muslims to fight back, but not to transgress and

remain just even during the battle. “They are told

that material interests should not be the

motivation for their fighting, that they should not

take up arms against those who were not in


opposition to the true faith, that they should not

resort to unscrupulous methods or to the

indiscriminate killing and pillage which

characterized the other wars. The excesses alluded

to in this verse are acts such as taking up arms

against women and children, the old and the

injured, mutilation of the dead bodies of the enemy,

uncalled for devastation through the destruction of

fields and livestock, and other similar acts of

injustice and brutality. The Prophet (S.A.W.)

prohibited all these acts. The real intent of the verse

is to stress that force should be used only when its

use in unavoidable, and only to the extent that is

absolutely necessary.

God, in whom the believers have faith, is

forgiving and ready to pardon even the worst

criminals and sinners after they have renounced

their arrogant defiance towards Him. It is

suggested that this attribute of God should be

reflected in the behavior of the believers as well.

Hence, whenever the believers have to resort

to armed conflict, they should do so not for the

sake of quenching their thirst for vengeance but

in the just cause of their defense. Their conflict

with any group should last only as long as that

group is fighting them. As soon as it gives up

this fight the hostility should cease.

It should be emphasized that so many revelations

in the Holy Quran came down to provide

guidance to Prophet Muhammad and the

Muslims in the context of what they were

confronting at that time. Therefore, it is important

to understand and know the historic context of

the revelations for a proper understanding of

those verses.

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was the peace

maker of his time. He endured torture, hunger

and the killing of his loved ones by his enemies,

but he remained a merciful person. In his most

startling conquest of Makkah only four people

died In his 23 years of struggle for Islam, the

total number of people who lost their lives from

all sides was less than 2, 000 in the wars that

were imposed on him and the Muslim

community.

The task before Muslims today is to reclaim Jihad

and to invest it with its true meanings, different

from those imposed by militants. The term Jihad

is now part of the language of international

discourse. But instead of helping to heighten the

understanding of Islam, its repeated mention is

hurting the religion's image. The media needs to

shoulder some blame for that. But Muslims must

also realize that the meaning of Jihad has been

hijacked by the very people who have resorted

to violence in its name.

Jihad today is taken by Muslims and Non-

Muslims alike to refer to an aggressive attitude

rooted in a call for authenticity and purity in

Islam. This interpretation, exercised by Muslims,

reacting against the modern world, gives the term

a militant edge that it did not possess before. At

its extreme, Jihad has come to represent a so

called “holy war” against whatever its abusers

consider to be anti Islamic.


The age we are passing through is very

challenging for the Muslims throughout the

world, especially in America. Islam is being

presented with many distorted and “ugly” faces

due to their centuries old prejudices and

surmounting ignorance about Islam, the Qur’an

and Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). However,

it is remarkably astonishing that there are a lot

of Christian brothers and sisters who are serious

and want to understand the true face of Islam

and get rid of the “ugly” faces that are being

depicted frivolously by the missionary zealots

and Evangelical churches and preachers.

Unfortunately, Islam in its truest form was never

presented or able to reach to the West and what

one understands through his or her own

commendable efforts needs explanation, putting

the Quranic verses in correct perspective in

which they were revealed, the stages through

which the Islamic Movement as launched by

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) passed through

and the point of climax (perfection) when it

reached in the ninth/tenth year of Hijrah with

what natural end-results. These are the vast

topics and need elaborate discussion.

UNDERSTANDING ISLAM IN

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVEBy Shamim A Siddiqi

Historical Perspective:

But before I talk about the Quran and what it

presents and what one understands through his

or her personal studies, it is desirable to evaluate

the history of Islam from Adam to Muhammad

(S.A.W.) in the continuity of the process

ordained by God.

1.Islam was the Deen (the way of life) of all the

Prophet of Islam from Adam-Abraham to Jesus.

It was neither Judaism nor Christianity

(Yahudiyat or Nasraniyat). All the Prophets were

the Prophets of God (Allah) and their Deen was

Islam (obedience to God) to which they all

invited mankind to follow. Their God was only

one God, Allah (God is correctly translated in

Arabic Bible as Allah). It was the people, their

respective followers who subsequently deviated

into different channels and called or pronounced

themselves as the Jews and the Christians. In

fact, all were Muslims and their Deen was Islam.

Prophets Moses and Jesus (Peace be upon

them) never called themselves Jew and Christian

respectively. My book, The Greatest Need of

Man, available on www. dawahinamericas.com

in Section A Islam elaborate it further.

2.Similarly, each Messenger had the same

mission of and applied same process for

Islamic Feature


establishing the authority of God (the Kingdom

of God) on earth. Each of them invited his fellow

human beings to monotheism, accountability on

the Day of Judgment and accepting the authority

of the Prophet of the time. Through continuous

and ceaseless efforts, all the Prophets of God

called the people of their respective times to

these basic concepts of the Deen of Islam. It

was their Dawah llallah (calling the people to

the fold of their Creator and Sustainer).

Whosoever responded to their call became their

companions, formed into the Party of God. The

Prophet of the time helped them individually and

collectively to purify their character and make

them trustworthy people of the time. Some

succeeded in building the party of God but most

of them were denied, opposed tooth and nail

by the tyrants, the secularist and the vested

interests of the age. Even some were killed. Only

Prophet David and Solomon (peace be upon

them) succeeded in establishing the Kingdom

of God on earth.

3. Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) departed

from this world at a very early stage of his life

due to the conspiracy hatched by the Jews. He

had no time to establish a society even in terms

of the Ten Commandments of Torah. He could

not lead a married life and give a socio-

economic-political system to his people. It means

that this big gap was to be filled by some other

Prophet after Jesus (peace be upon him) in order

to deliver Justice and a comprehensive system

of life to mankind. As planned by God, Prophet

Jesus (peace be upon him) was elevated to

heaven but before that he professed that another

Prophet, the “Comforter” (Ahmad or

Muhammad), is to come after him (Jesus). One

can read John 14:16, 15:26 and 16:7. The word

“Comforter” pinpoints directly to the coming of

the next Prophet of God and he could be none

but Muhammad, the son of Abdullah of Makkah.

But it is the greatest human tragedy that the arrival

of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), after a lapse

of about 600 year after Jesus and the Book of

Guidance that was revealed to him by Allah were

and are being denied knowingly by the Christians

and the Jews together just to meet their political

expediencies. History confirms it. The end-result

is that most of humans and their societies are

living a disbalanced life on earth and heading to

encounter an uncertain future in the life

Hereafter.

4. This world belongs to God. He is not only

the Creator but Sustainer and controlling this

universe meticulously. We are not its masters

but trustees of what we possess only for a very

temporary phase of life. He is not only our

Creator and Sustainer but Lawgiver too. He has

ordained a system of life for mankind as how to

live, act and behave on this earth. The job of

each Prophet of God, as explained earlier, was

to deliver the Guidance, purify the character of

his followers, present his life as model to his

people, explain the difficult situations that occur

in this process and establish a model society as

it is envisaged in the Book of Guidance of the

time. The only Prophet of God, after David and

Solomon who succeeded in establishing the

Kingdom of God on earth was Prophet

Muhammad (S.A.W.). He had left a practical

model for all of us to follow till eternity.

Muhammad was the prophecy of Prophet Jesus

and the last Prophet of God on earth as no

prophet was to come after him.


After Prophet Jesus, Prophet Muhammad

undertook the mission of the Prophets of Allah

in order to establish the kingdom of God on

earth.

5. We have no choice but to study the process

and the stages through which his movement

towards establishing the Kingdom of God

continued all through his 23 years of struggle:

13 years in Makkah and 10 years in Madinah.

Only then, one will be able to understand what

Verse of the Qur’an was revealed to him and at

what time; what was the situation of the

movement when it was revealed; what were the

conspiracies being hatched against the Prophet

and his mission by the people at the helm of

affairs and the vested interests of the time; how

the inside and outside hypocrites were behaving

to harm the Islamic Movement; what armed

resistance was let loose against the growing

Islamic State (Kingdom of God) to get it

annihilated from the surface of the earth and how

Allah guided His Messenger Muhammad

(S.A.W.) through revelations as what to do and

how to deal with that particular situation. Islam

was and is a movement irrespective of time and

place. The Prophet had to face all situations with

wisdom, acute sense of responsibility, justice and

compassion for mankind. Allah, in His infinite

mercy, guided the Prophet of the time and for

all times to come at every occasion through

revelations in the Quran.

In fact, every verse of the Quran will tell the

reader when and under what condition or

circumstances it was revealed. The situation at

Makkah was quite different from that at

Madinah. In Makkah it was just a movement

but in Madinah it was gradually becoming a state

with its own policy, programme and a well-

defined system of life at individual and collective

levels.

6. It is, therefore, essential that one who wants

to understand the Qur’an and what it contains

must equally labour to study the life of Prophet

Muhammad in detail. The Quran was revealed

to him to guide the destiny of mankind under

the strict guidance of Allah, coming in bits and

pieces during 23 years of time. If the life pattern

of the Prophet Muhammad is ignored, the

readers will never reach the depth of the Quran

and will remain just like one who recites its verse

like a parrot. They get nothing out of the Quran

and remain “fishing” in its “shallow” waters and

make its understanding worst and worst for him

and others. That is the reason the orientalists,

the missionaries who claim to have “studied” the

Qur’an get nothing except some twisted facts,

wrong connotations and misguided conclusions

out of their “shallow knowledge” of the Qur’an

as they do not collaborate the revelations

through the Qur’an with the actual situation in

which Muhammad was piloting the movement

under the guidance of Allah. Thus, they do

disservice both to Islam, their own destiny and

the destiny of mankind.

Evolutionary Process:

Now I would like to put some fundamental

questions to anti-Islam forces for understanding

the situation that appears anomalous to their

limited concept of Islam as a “religion” (like

Judaism and Christianity) and not as a Deen, a

way of life. It will make the position of Islam

crystal clear for those who want to understand


it with all sincerity.

1.Every State worth its name does have an

ideology, a declared state policy, programme

and objective to struggle for its existence and

survival. It prepares its citizens to be worthy of

that idealism. If one revolts, denies or works

against the declared policy of the state, will

anyone tolerate that individual within the

premises of that state? If the Communist Russia

could not tolerate the preaching of capitalism

within its bounds; if the USA could not tolerate

the preaching of communism in the midst of

capitalism, how can an ideological Islamic State

give full liberty to its individuals to preach against

its ideology, policy and progamme and let them

damage the very genesis of its foundation?

Where will one put the people committing

rebellion against an established state? An Islamic

State gives them at least some time to think and

reconsider their attitude even during midst of

war. (Reference: Quran 9:6)

2. The verses 1 to 9 of the Quran from Chapter

9 (Al-Tauba Repentance) were revealed in the

9th year of Hijrah while Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) was on his return journey from Tabuk

where the Roman emperor of the time was

amassing his troops in hundreds of thousands,

but retreated seeing the Messenger of Allah

advancing towards him with only 30,000 Muslim

army. The Christian Emperor Hercules was well

aware of the Holy Prophet’s position as the

Prophet of Allah and he could not dare to face

him. The Emperor left the scene of the battlefield

vacant. Those verses pertain to that stage when

the Islamic State has practically been established

in the entire Arabian Peninsula and in its outskirts.

The people of Scriptures the Jews and Christians

were told that if they want to retain their faith,

they can live in peace within the bounds of the

Islamic State just by paying only a toll tax of

about five to ten Dirham per head, enjoying all

their civil and religious rights. Now and Evangelic

priest of today, without having any idea under

what circumstance these verses were revealed

stands up, pronounces and concludes that these

verses from the Quran are “oppressive” and

Islam “promotes” coercion. Only ignorance will

cry at their wisdom.

3. Similarly, Verses 12 to 16 from the same

Chapter 9 of the Quran pertain to the settlement

with Jews and Christians. As stated above, the

choice was left in their hands. Could there be

any other just solution than what is ordained by

Allah in both the cases: The idolaters and that

of the Jews and Christians? It was the best

solution to enable the Muslims, the Jews and

the Christians to live together. The history of

Muslim Caliphate subsequently showed that

both the communites of Abrahamic faith always

lived in peace and prospered living with Muslims

side by side. However, unfortunately, the Jews

are proving otherwise under the country of their

domination and the behavior of our Christian

American brothers have become lately shrouded

with “doubts and presumption” simply on

unproven “flimsy” grounds. I invite the Jewish

and Christian Communites to think about this

anomalous situation and declare how much these

priests are bigoted and far from the truth.

4. So is the case of the Qur’anic verses from

Chapter Al-Baqarah (2), Al-Nissa (4) and Al-

Maidah (5) that deal with the condition of

hypocrites. If I start taking each verse and deal


with its historical perspective, the article will

become unmanageable. Mostly, in these Verses,

Allah has dealt with the condition of Hypocrites

(Munafequeen) of the time who were fast

becoming a menacing danger for the nascent

Muslim society. So Allah has dealt with them

decisively; and you know it would have never

been good if they were left as an integral part of

an ideological society without purification and

correcting their attitude of life. In such a situation,

I would suggest that our Christian priests must

study some Exegetical explanation or Tafseer

of some prominent Islamic scholars like

Maulana Maudoodi: English Translation of his

“Meanings of the Qur’an,” Then he will be able

to speak about Islam with some authority and

knowledge from the original source.

5. From the above discussion, at least, one can

gather the impression that the propaganda going

on against Islam, the Quran and Prophet

Muhammad (S.A.W.) is based just on heresy,

false “allegations” and talking out of context only.

No one cared to verify the allegations from the

original text and ascertaining about the references

and the background in which each verse was

revealed as one can see in the cases referred

above.

6. Similarly, the derogatory remarks that are

usually “passed” against Prophet Muhammad

are simply made without any knowledge about

his character and the enormous contributions that

he had made to human history and civilization.

At least our “Knowledgeable” priests, before

opening their “mouths”, could go through the

reading material about the life of Muhammad

written by scholars like Toynbee, M Watts,

Professor Hitty, Prof, T.R. Irving, Haykal and

latest by Y. Emerick and learn about his

contributions in enriching human history whose

many visible signs one can find in the American

Constitution too. The First Charter of

community right to live together in harmony was

presented by Prophet Muhammad when he

executed the Covenant of Madinah with Jews

and Arab tribes and the first Charter of Human

Rights was presented by him during his first and

the last pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah in 632 A.C.

Equally, the concept of equality, justice and fair

play, consultation, accountability of the rulers and

the executives, respectability of law, liberty and

freedom of expression, all wre introduced by

Islam and practiced by Muhammad and his first

four Caliphs. Europe and America learned these

values and virtues from Islam, flourished and

maintained them magnificently but unfortunately

the undemocratic regimes of the Muslim world

lost them at all counts and so they are nowhere.

7. A close study of the Holy Quran and the

Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)

reveals that Islam has nothing to do with

terrorism of any sort under any circumstances.

If one studies Islam sincerely, he or she will try

to raise himself or herself above the propaganda

going on against Islam and Muslims and the

“misguided” war of USA-UK to capture the

heart of the Muslim world, control its oil-rich

land to guarantee its free flow for the oil-hungry

West one way or the other. That wild and

uncivilized game of neocolonialism will go on

unabated on “flimsy and fake” grounds for

decades together. History will soon give its

unbiased verdict about these wars of “greed”

and “domination” over the weak and the

innocent. And that will be very harsh.


Education occupies an important place

among the Muslims. It has great impact on

the minds of growing generations who are

the pillars of every society. Moral education

in the early days of Islam served the needs

of the Ummah. It produced mature

generations and made the Ummah the leader

not the led, the powerful not weak; for it was

an Ummah that gives more than it takes.

Educationists are heavily responsible for guiding

the growing generation, arming them with faith

and protecting them against trails and

temptations. The Muslim Ummah should deem

herself above regarding education as a mere

means of increasing material wealth and neglect

the noble goals of education. The young boy

who goes to school is like an empty vessel and

within days and years. This vessel will be filled

with conducts, manners and ways that are learnt

from educational institutions. It is these, that

shape his life and moulds his way of thinking

and way of life and it is by this that education

embodies the identity of the society and the

Ummah and shows her values.

Nations do not progress by accumulating

information but by education that implants values

and principles that reflect in practical life. Wise

men do not regard to goal of education as mere

IMPORTANCE

OF MORAL EDUCATION

accumulation of information and committing

texts to memory without having any respect for

their meanings. If we therefore, aim at nurturing

the generation and making them progress to

perfection, no amount of material information

and mechanical expertise can develop a person,

make him a complete human being and

encourage him to do good if that is no backed

with a strong belief in excellent values and

concepts. Mere memorization of the concepts,

without allowing that to have impact on the heart

or conduct is of no use. The duty of education,

before, imparting information, should be to

prepare the heart that will use this information

for good, not evil, for the benefit of mankind

not to harm them. This can however not be

achieved except by implanting the correct faith

in the depths of the youth’s heart so that, it cannot

be stained with ambiguity or deviated by lust. It

should be a faith based education that is far from

frivolities and impudence and whose foundation

is the Quran and Sunnah, understood according

to the way of the righteous predecessor, and

aimed at purifying the soul. It should be an

education that makes the soul aim at lofty matters

and deem itself above debasing things; an

education that makes the soul pleased, annoyed,

befriend and fight for the sake of Allah alone.

Our need for hearts that are full of true Faith is

Feature


therefore, not less than our need for heads that

are filled with information, so that our growing

generation will not become a devil that spread

its evil and destruction across the world and in

order that they may not be corrupted by drugs

and perverted ideologies.

Ibn Seereen said. “The righteous predecessors

used to learn moral guidance as they would learn

knowledge.”

The effective and truthful education is the one

that goes hand in hand with nurturing, for

education without nurturing is useless and

valueless, and to separate between them breeds

a generation that will be weak in faith,

ignominious in personality and confused in

thought; a generation that will have no regard

for values and will be an easy target for vicious

thoughts and ideologies. The youth educated in

this way will use his knowledge to cause misery

to himself and is society, what is the value of

knowledge, if its owner is a liar and traitor who

indulges in filthy dealings and undo the very

essence of education bit by bit through his

pervasive behaviors? What is the value of

knowledge if that does not reflect practically in

the students relationship with his teachers,

brethren and books?

Therefore, learning is more than to memorize a

book or to receive information or to attend

lasses. It is rather making of a generation and

implanting of belief, concepts and values. The

perpetuity of any nation then lies in its ability to

transfer its faith, morals and history to its

upcoming generations with its language.

The moral problems of a nation manifest when

it neglects education and separates moral

education from learning. If all this scientific

progress is not accompanied by high moral

standards, it will eventually lead to real perdition.

Was it not this civilization that triggered, within

25 years two world wars in which weapons of

mass destruction that threaten the humanity with

complete destruction, were created and

wantonly used? Modern civilization wallows in

the abyss of moral decay in spite of its scientific

progress and it caused among the Muslim

communities problems of belief, morals and

ideologies which can only be solved if the

Muslims go back to the Islamic values and

Divine Guidance. That is why education specialist

say that, the first step towards reform is good

education and last step is also good education.

The Muslim youth will grow up to be fruitful

member of the society if he does not see cheating

or hears lie; he will learn virtues, if his

environment is not polluted with immoralities;

he will learn virtues; if his environment is not

polluted with immoralities; he will learn

compassion if he is not treated with harshness

and he will learn honesty if dishonesty is

eradicated from the society.

Learning is an obligation of every male and

female. But because of the natural differences

between both, we must not neglect the

methodology and curricula that will enable

natural responsibilities in life. By teaching a girl

useful sciences and knowledge, she is being

prepared to carry out her primary duty as a wife,

mother, house mistress, nurturer of generations

and maker of men; and the boy is made to

qualify as the leader of the house who directs its

affairs with wisdom and knowledge.

Khutab. Org.

Shaykh Abdul Baaree Ath-Thubaytee


The Working Body of the Markazi Jamiat Ahel

Hadeeth Hind held its meeting on October

16,2012 at Ahle Hadeeth Complex, Okhla,

chaired by the Ameere-Jamiat Hafiz Muhammad

Yahya Dehlavi, it was attended by members of

Majlise Amila from all states of India. The

meeting discussed a wide range of

organizational, community, national and

international issues. Particular attention was paid

to the issue of newly created parallel Jamiat Ahle

Hadeeth by some mischievous persons. The

Body unanimously condemned the same and

warned that it is a conspiracy being waged

against Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth. They

have launched an aggressive propaganda against

the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth. The working

Body refuted the charges of being to be corrupt.

They further asserted that there was a complete

transparency, impartiality and constitutional

adherence in the office-bearer’s election on May

27, 2012. The G.Secretary, Maulana Asghar Ali

Imam Mahadi Salafi refuted all the charges of

dishonesty and fraud in any sense.

The meeting paid tributes and prayed for the

souls which passed away recently, like Maulana

MARKAZI JAMIAT AHLE HADEETH

DELIBRATES ON BURNING ISSUES

News from Headquarter

Mati-Urrahman Madani, teacher at Jamia

Islamia Bhawwara, Madhubani, Alhaj Abdur

Razzaque former member of working Body,

Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth and wife of Janab

Abdul Wahhab Salafi.

Expressing concern at the rampant social evils

the Working Body stated that the root cause

of all evils prevailing in the Muslim society is

the moving away from religious teachings.

Islamic teachings are the only solutions of all

social, political, economic, religious and moral

problems.

The Body appreciated the Supreme Court’s

order releasing the 11 innocent Muslim youths

who were arrested on the basis of fabricated

stories and mere suspicion. However, the

vacious campaigns against Muslim youths is

again seriously on. The Working Body

condemned this compaign which is part of a plan

by saffron and communal elements in the Police

to retard Muslim progress. The Working Body

demanded serious and tangible action against

the saffron terror which is now being totally

overlooked despite chilling details. The WB


further demanded transparency in the matter and

establishment of fast track courts to try such

cases so that our youths are at pronounced “not

guilty “after 10 or 14 years in jail. These innocent

persons should be given reasonable

compensation.

The Working Body unreservedly condemned the

makers, financers and supporters of a

sacrilegious film about the beloved Prophet of

Islam which is reflection of their sick minds. The

WB wished to remind governments at home and

abroad that all freedoms, including the freedom

of expression, have “your freedom ends where

my nose begins “applies. No one in India or

abroad, should be allowed to insult religious

beliefs and icons held in reverence by others.

The WB once again raised the issue of the

victims of the fake war on terror especially the

Batla House encounter. It is unfortunate that

Delhi Police Special Cell showes how it

systematically fabricates cases against innocents

and implicates them in fake terror cases. A

judicial enquiry is need of the hour in Batla House

encounte .The WB called for the implementation

of Sachar Committee and Mishra Commission

recommendations for social and educational

progress of Muslims at the earliest.

The WB recommended to organize seminars,

public addresses and public contacts to highlight

the different aspects of Islam.

The WB welcomed the current effort of the

government to raise Muslim representation in

the Police force. The Muslim representation

should also be raised in Army, IB and other

security agencies.

The WB is deeply concerned about the ongoing

killings and wholesale destruction in Syria by

dictator, Bashar Al Asad's government. The WB

urged the Syrian government to arrive at an

understanding with the opposition to save the

country and to usher in a democratic, multi-party

polity which serves not a family or a clan but the

whole Syrian people.

The WB demanded that Israeli government

should give heed to Palestinian problems. The

atrocities of Israelis were exceeding the limits

targeting the existence of the Palestinian people

and confiscating their houses and lands and

expelling them from their country. The WB

appealed the peace loving nations to prevent

Israel from carrying out its plans to demolish

the holy places and confiscate its endowment.

The Working Body strongly condemned the act

of desecrating the Holy Quran by the American

pastor. He has again hurt the whole Muslim

community by burning the holy scripture of the

Holy Quran and the silence of US administration

is a tragic. The US government should stop its

frenzied persons from committing such immoral

sacrilegious acts and should give exemplary

punishment to such persons.

ªªª

the simple inside truth - jamiat ahle hadees final.pdf · accordance with the holy quran and...

Documents