Reality of the modern secular state - JERUSALEM IN THE QUR’AN

Merits of the modern secular state

The secular state could not have won acceptance amongst a Euro-Christian and Euro-Jewish people, or amongst Muslims, had it not camouflaged its Kufr and Shirk with certain obvious merits. The modern secular state emerged in Europe in response to a dominant and oppressive Euro-Christian theocracy, and in order to challenge the ‘temporal’ power of the Euro-Christian Church. It challenged the Church when it proclaimed a fresh and exciting new gospel of complete and unfettered intellectual and religious freedom and human rights for all, and religious tolerance of all. It also established the political conditions that preserved peaceful coexistence amongst different religions within the same territory. It thus put an end to all the bloody religious warfare that had plagued Europe for so many centuries. 

It also skillfully bribed its way into the bellies and the hearts of mankind through its inventive creativity. It discovered or produced most of that which has been joyfully embraced by mankind, regardless of religious beliefs, as an indispensable necessity of modern life. Whenever anyone embraced modernity with all its wondrous inventions one also embraced the secular state and the secular way of life. That was no mean achievement!

Reality of the modern secular state

But these obvious merits of the secular state did not change that basic foundation of Kufr and Shirk. Indeed the modern secular state slowly began to reveal its real hidden agenda of rivalry when it began to wage a relentless war on the religious way of life Indeed religion slowly became a receding force in the new essentially godless secular world.

The democracy of the modern secular state turned out to be a sugarcoated pill of poison. The ‘political’ democracy worked in such a way as to sustain a usurious system of economic oppression and exploitation of the masses based on Riba. Economic oppression was oft-times supplemented by racial and ethnic oppression. The impoverished masses could never wrest real political power from the rich predatory elite, and hence could never have the power with which to end economic oppression. The new gospel of the modern secular society was that the rich shall inherit the earth. And that is precisely what has happened.

The new Europe proceeded to use its invincible military power and awesome powers of deception to dominate and brainwash non-European humanity. The new godless political philosophy with its godless conception of a sovereign state, exploitative economic system, and corruptive culture, eventually embraced all the rest of the world. That was no mean achievement!

Western colonial rule was now imposed upon the rest of mankind, including the Muslims, and through this means the new godless political system, based on Kufr and Shirk, was deceptively and subtly introduced. Thus the ominous prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was fulfilled! He prophesied that his community (of Muslims) would imitate and follow Jews and Christians to such an extent that even if they were to go down into a lizard’s hole, his community would do the same!

The result was that the world of Jews, Christians and Muslims entered into a collective trial of all trials (fitnah) and failed miserably in obeying the command of the God of Abraham, Most High, when He ordered:

“Follow what has been sent down unto you by your Lord-God, and follow no Master other than Him. How seldom do you keep this in mind!”

(Qur’an, al-‘Araf, 7:3)

The new modern secular state devised a system of electoral politics for constituting Parliament and Government, and sometimes for electing Judges. Citizens of the secular state, regardless of their religious beliefs, voted in democratic elections. They were obliged to submit to its authority and be obedient to it. If the elections were to produce a government dominated by idol-worshipping Hindus who were openly hostile to those who worshipped the God of Abraham (‘alaihi al-Salam), or a government which declared to be Halal (permissible) everything which Allah Most High had declared to be Haram, then the principle of democratic elections required that Jews, Christians, Muslims etc., who were citizens of that secular state, recognize that government as their lawful government, submit to its authority, and be obedient to it.

There is nothing in the revealed scriptures (Torah, Gospel, Qur’an) or the Sunnah (example or way of life) of the Prophets that can be used to justify Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc., participating in such elections in which they freely vote for such a government as lawful to govern over them. On the contrary there is very clear condemnation of such conduct! 

 

Source: Jerusalem in the Qur'an by Imran N. Hosein

to be continued....

The Caliphate and the modern secular state - JERUSALEM IN THE QUR’AN

The Caliphate and the modern secular state

The Islamic Caliphate was precisely such a conception of a state and political system that recognized Allah’s Sovereignty, Supreme Authority and Law, and enforced Haram as Haram and Halal as Halal. The Caliphate emerged in consequence of precisely that divine imperative demanding obedience of Allah, His Messenger, and ‘those in authority amongst the Muslims’. 

“Oh you who believe, obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and (obey) those from amongst yourselves who are in (positions of) authority …. ”

 (Qur’an, al-Nisa, 4:59) 

Islam refused to recognize divided loyalties – that one could deliver supreme loyalty to the state and yet, also deliver supreme loyalty to Allah, Most High. The two worlds (the worlds of religion and of politics) were not to be separated from each other since the Qur’an proclaimed, “Allah is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.” (Qur’an, al-Hadid, 57:3). Supreme loyalty must be delivered to Allah, not to the state, since the Qur’an asked the believers to proclaim:

“Say: Verily my prayer, and my service of sacrifice, and my very living and my very dying are all for Allah the Lord of all the world.... ” 

(Qur’an, al-An’am, 6:162)

Europe destroyed that Islamic model of a state and political system when the Ottoman Caliphate was targeted and destroyed. Europe went on to ensure that the Islamic Caliphate could never be restored. It did so when it assisted in the creation of the secular State of Saudi Arabia in the Hejaz, and then went on to ensure the survival of that state by way of guaranteeing its security. The Caliphate could never be restored for two reasons. Firstly, the Saudi-Wahhabi regime that controlled the Haramain the Hejaz and Hajj would never claim the Caliphate. Secondly, so long as they controlled the Haramain, the Hejaz, and the Hajj, no one else could claim the Caliphate! 

There are a number of reasons that explain why Europe targeted and destroyed the Islamic Caliphate. The first was to facilitate the achievement of the goal of liberating and returning the Jews to the Holy Land. The second was to make possible the universal embrace of Shirk of the new European model of a secular state. When the Caliphate was destroyed, the modern secular State of Turkey replaced it; and the secular State of Saudi Arabia in the Arabian heartland of Sunni Islam. Following this Indian Muslims were exquisitely deceived into embracing the secular Republic of Pakistan. Thirdly, the Caliphate had to be destroyed because it obstructed the realization of the ultimate goal in the new godless European agenda. That European goal was to establish Jewish Israel as the ‘Ruling State’ of the world – ruling the world from Jerusalem.

Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) prophesied that the Caliphate would disappear. He did so in the following Hadith:

“How will you be at that time when the son of Mary descends amongst you and your Imam (i.e., Amirul M’umineen or Khalifah) would be from within your midst (i.e., he would be a Muslim)”?

 (Sahih, Bukhari)

This Hadith revealed three things:

Firstly, it informed us that the Caliphate would be present in the world in the ‘End Time’. This amounted to a prophecy that the Caliphate would disappear from the world but would one day be restored. Secondly, prior to the restoration of the Caliphate, Muslims would live for a period of time under the authority, control and rule of those who would not be Muslims. That is precisely the world in which we live today. Thirdly, the return of the Caliphate would be an event that would be contemporaneous with the return of the son of Mary. And since we know that when Jesus (‘alaihi al-Salam) returns he will rule the world from Jerusalem as a Just Ruler enforcing Allah’s Law, the implication is that the modern secular State of Israel would be replaced in the Holy Land by the authentic Islamic State which would be free from the Shirk of secular Israel.

Those who adamantly defend the status quo of secular Islamic nation-states should pause to reflect over the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) concerning the restoration of the Caliphate.

 

Source: Jerusalem in the Qur'an by Imran N. Hosein

to be continued....

Jerusalem’ Not Mentioned by Name in the Qur’an

‘Jerusalem’ Not Mentioned by Name in the Qur’an

‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’ was written partly in response to the newspaper article of Daniel Pipes that was published in the Los Angeles Times (“Jerusalem means more to Jews than to Muslims”, July 21, 2000). In it he attempted to dismiss any Islamic claim to Jerusalem by declaring of Jerusalem, among other things, that: “It is not once mentioned in the Qur’an or in the liturgy…” Dr. Pipes and his media surrogates, who provoked us to respond, may wish to revise their opinion if they were ever to read this book.

Indeed a Muslim is duty-bound to respond to such hostile critics who persist in challenging Islam and the Qur’an, particularly so in respect of their new crusade on behalf of the Jewish State of Israel. Response should always be made through turning to the Truth that is in the Qur’an. The Qur’an declares that when Truth is hurled against falsehood, Truth will always vanquish falsehood. And the believers have been ordered to use the Qur’an while waging a mighty struggle against the disbelievers.

Regardless of whether Dr. Pipes accepts or does not accept ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’, it is clear that the study of this subject matter is basic for an understanding of the problem of Israel and Islam. And that is the primary importance of this book.

Source: Jerusalem in the Qur'an by Imran N. Hosein

to be continued....

Lady Khadijah … The Unsung Heroine - Prophet Muhammad's Wives

Prophet Muhammad's Wives

Lady Khadijah … The Unsung Heroine

The simplicity of Khadijah's example is something that cannot pass unnoticed not only by Muslim women but by non-Muslims as well.

Lady Khadijah is a woman who we have many fruitful lessons to learn from. There are different aspects of her character that each need a multivolume book to write, let alone a small article.

Her life was rich with moral lessons from which today's husbands and wives irrespective of their race, faith and geographical locations are in dire need to adopt and embrace. Her life before adopting Islam was also an exemplar to follow and her lifestyle was of that kind women in the 21st century ought to imitate.

Her upright character made the people of her clan call her at-Tahirah; an Arabic adjective meaning the 'chaste' or the 'pure'. Her morals as a widow were much more admired by the men of her clan, and her business was the talk of the town.

Admirable Business woman

Khadijah was a highly respectable business woman in her clan. She was a very wealthy lady, and all the people of her clan were keen to marry her because of her family status and thriving business; a fact she was clever enough to realize, and hence she never succumbed to their material wishes.

In other words, she was wise enough to know her qualities and hence was better able to choose her suitable match away from any clannish pressure. Due to her inability as a single woman to travel long distances on her own in the desert trading in her properties, Khadijah used to hire men from her clan to trade in her business and to travel with her trading caravans to the Levant; purchasing and selling different commodities.

At that time, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known for his honesty and truthfulness among the whole clan, and these good manners were the main reasons behind Khadijah's decision to hire him to trade in her business, and later on to choose him as a husband and a soul mate.

Indeed, the thriving business of lady Khadijah and her strategic planning in hiring the right man to trade in her business is an eternal lesson from which modern women ought to imitate in the course of their tired attempts in finding women champions from whose examples and rich experiences many lessons can be drawn.

The simplicity of Khadijah's example is something that cannot pass unnoticed not only by Muslim women but by non-Muslims as well.

It Began with Business and Ended up in Marriage

It is no wonder after all to see Khadijah talking to her lady friend,

Nafisah, about her interest in Muhammad.

Khadijah offered Muhammad a job to trade in her business on her behalf. Muhammad, on his part, showed remarkable success in his new job because of the transparency he adopted in his trading job with the business lady, and his experience in the field as a tradesman who successfully led many business trips to the Levant.

In her business trips, Khajidah appointed Maysarah (one of her servants) as an assistant to Muhammad in his new job, and through talking to her servant, she was assured of Muhammad's transparency and honesty in handling her business.

It is no wonder after all to see Khadijah talking to her lady friend, Nafisah, about her interest in Muhammad. Nafisah went straight to the Prophet and implicitly mentioned lady Khadijah. The Prophet got so interested and decided to ask for her hand in marriage.

Now, the prestigious and high-born lady is offering herself in marriage after she became pretty sure that this person she is proposing to marry will never think of her as a rich businesswoman, but as a woman worthy of company and warm marriage relationship.

It is an aspect of Khadijah's character worthy of contemplation and remembrance. It is a moral lesson for both non-Muslims and new Muslims to learn from and adopt in their daily lives. A very prestigious lady offering to marry a man who once used to trade in her business after she has tested his manners and character. What a moral lesson worthy of contemplation in today's life where marriages have turned into business deals and where real love is becoming rare.

Once she found her perfect match, Khadijah was not hesitant to offer herself and unfold her love in a dignified manner that, although was not quite common among her people, but still it was very respectable.

The happy couple, Muhammad and Khadijah, concluded the marriage ceremony and it has been narrated that Muhammad offered Khadijah a dowry worthy of her respectable status in that time. The happy couple moved forward until a turning point in their lives took place.

Indeed, Muhammad-Khadijah's marriage here is a telling example on its own of how far Islam empowers women to select their suitable matches while being free from any family pressure and worn-out traditions that in many times stand as stumbling blocks in the face of happy marriages.

Here, Khadijah chose her 'Mr. Right' on her own using sound criteria that although somewhat driven by human inclinations but yet has its undeniable and fair share of a marriage choice that is mainly based on reason and rationale. Selecting her partner herself is an experience girls in 21st century can benefit from once they apply the same rules their head figure Khadijah once followed.

Khadijah: The First Female Muslim

his beloved wife Khadijah comforted and 
reassured him when he returned home

Fifteen years after their marriage, Muhammad was ordered by God to carry out his duty as a Messenger to the whole of mankind.

It was in the Cave Hira' that he received the first revelation. It might be out of context to mention the minute details of how and when Muhammad received the revelation, but what matters here is how his beloved wife Khadijah comforted and reassured him when he returned home after he received the first divine revelation.

Trembling of awe as a result of the revelation he received, Muhammad returned home, and told his wife what happened. Hearing him, she comforted his soul with outstanding courage saying:

'By God, He will never forsake you. You extend ties of kinship, say the truth, help the weak, show generosity to guests, and strive hard to apply justice.'

We haven't witnessed a woman ever assuring her husband in the same way Khadijah did. She managed to reassure her husband in the right time and she instantly sought practical ways to achieve that by visiting her cousin Waraqah who had knowledge of the People of the Book.

Later on, Waraqah appeased Muhammad's heart that this experience he witnessed is shared only by Prophets and Messengers of God. It has been reported that Khadijah was the first to proclaim her Islam.

She embraced Islam with no introduction or even a brief inquiry about the new religion. The word hesitation finds no place in her dictionary after she had witnessed her husband granted the honor of divine revelation directly from God.

It is really rare to trace back how she became a Muslimah, but a great number of Muslim historians state that she was the first member from among both men and women to declare faith in Allah and His Messenger.

Others state that she was the first female to adopt Islam. This latter view is the most famous one and it is the one followed by the greatest majority of Muslims. 

Khadijah lived as a very loyal and supporting wife to her husband (i.e. Muhammad) for more than nine years after the beginning of the revelation. She supported the Islamic mission with her money and was a source of comfort for her husband.

She respected her husband's meditations before the revelations were sent to him, and later she supported him as a leader in his community.

It is through this attitude of Khadijah that modern women, irrespective of their faith, race, or location can draw fruitful lessons taking Khadijah's way of treatment to Muhammad as an exemplar.

Modern women, who at many times tend to start a perfect life may yearn to have a luxurious lifestyle and once they face the hardship of reality, they may fail to face the first test.  Hence, learning from the heroine figure of Khadijah is necessary. She stood behind her husband in his stressful moments, shared his sorrow before his happiness, bore his burden before enjoying the moments of ease together.

Muhammad's Love to Khadijah

Muhammad remained loyal to Khadijah 
a long time after her death

Khadijah's Islam alleviated Muhammad's suffering, and assured him the tranquility he was in need of at home. Khadijah played a great role in granting her husband the necessary courage he had to adopt in order to face both physical and psychological sufferings as a result of his divine mission.

It is a role today's modern wives ought to learn from Khadijah in order to help their husbands cope with modern challenges that threaten the institution of family and threaten to target its very roots.

Muhammad remained loyal to Khadijah a long time after her death, and it has been reported that he called the year she died as the 'Year of Grief.' He used to praise her a lot in the presence of his other wives to the extent that his wife 'Aishah said:

"I have never felt jealous from any woman except Khadijah."

The Prophet used to mention her qualities a lot saying:

"She (Khadijah) believed in me while others rejected my call. She affirmed my truthfulness when people called me a liar. She spent her wealth to lighten the burden of my sorrow when others had forsaken me." (At-Tirmidhi)

Muhammad even continued to honor her friends a long time after her death as a sign of showing gratitude to her.

The Beloved Wife Passing Away

According to some Muslim historians, Khadijah died during the month of Ramadan before the year of Muhammad's emigration to Madinah on the 'Year of Grief.' Muhammad was badly affected as a result of his wife's death and it has been reported that he said while seeing his beloved dying: "How heavy it is on myself to see such a scene."

He stayed many days in his home overwhelmed by sadness for the death of Khadijah, the loyal and obedient wife with whom he stayed twenty five years in love, dedication, patience, and commitment.

Finally, Khadijah's story of adopting Islam as a religion and as a way of life remains a new living story from which men and women will continue to have spiritual provision along the course of centuries.

Khadijah is a telling example by herself as a non-believing lady who lived by morals and principles, as a wife who stood by her husband in difficult times, as a believer who showed no hesitation to accept the truth, and as a supporter to her new belief with different forms of personal sacrifices.

Her example is one worthy of contemplation and imitation by young women in our modern societies.

Source: http://onislam.net