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| | The Concept of “The Ummah" |  |
| | | كاتب الموضوع | رسالة |
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أحمد محمد لبن Ahmad.M.Lbn
مؤسس ومدير المنتدى
عدد المساهمات : 52644
العمر : 72
| | موضوع: The Concept of “The Ummah" الأربعاء 04 أغسطس 2021, 2:41 am | |
| The Concept of “The Ummah"
The Concept in the Qur’an:
The Glorious Qur’an is the first constituent that sets the concept of the nation in its new meaning; its broad and balanced concept that hinges on the unity of creed. It was the first to reach out for the whole existence with its universal and humane call that sets aside any tribalism or fanaticism. It addressed humanity at large without any regard for time or place.
The word “nation” was mentioned in the Qur’an in the singular form more than 50 times and we can easily extract at least five or six concepts for the word “nation” from the Qur’an.
First:
The time and epoch as in the two verses
“If We defer their punishment till an appointed time…” (TMQ, 11:8).
“Then one of the two men who had been released and who, after a long time, remembered, said, ‘I shall tell you its interpretation; therefore, give me leave to go [to Joseph in prison].’” (TMQ, 12:45).
Second:
The Imam who teaches righteousness and guides to the right path as in the verse
“Abraham was a nation in himself devoted to Allah and true in faith, He was not one of the polytheists;” (TMQ, 16:120).
Third:
The followed practice or course as in the verse
“No indeed! They say, ‘We have found our fathers following a certain course, and we are guided by their footsteps.’” (TMQ, 43:22).
Fourth:
A group of people in general as in the verses
“And when he arrived at the well of Madian, he found around it a group of men watering their flocks…” (TMQ, 28:23).
“When some of them asked, ‘Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is going to destroy or to afflict with a severe punishment?’…” (TMQ, 7:164).
This above meaning was mentioned in many other verses.
Fifth:
A group of people having the same faith and the verses are numerous when it comes to this particular concept as in:
“Had Allah pleased, He would have united you in one nation…? (TMQ, 16:93).
“…had Allah so willed, He would have made you all a single nation, but He did not so will, in order that He might try you by what He has given you…” (TMQ, 5:48).
“For all people a term has been set...” (TMQ, 7:34).
Al-Tabari thinks that this above meaning is the original concept for the word “nation” even though he accepts –in many instances– the interpretation of the word as equivalent to “community” or “group of people”.
Sixth:
A partial group belonging to a particular faith like in the verses
“Let there be a group among you who call others to good, and enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong: those who do this shall be successful.” (TMQ, 3:104).
“Every time a nation enters, it will curse its sister…” (TMQ, 7:38)[1].
Al-Wasit Dictionary defines the “nation” as: Each group for whom a messenger was sent whether they believed or disbelieved.
The Western studies come with a different conception as they see the “nation” being the resultant of an interaction between two types of factors:
The first are the objective factors like the language, history, race, single region, common interests, same aspirations, same traditions and habits, and same culture… etc. The second are the subjective factors like the individual awareness that each person a singular and separate character urging him to express this distinctive character in an organized manner[2].
In the eye of the Muslims the word “nation” extends far beyond all times in what we call “The Religion of God”; here the nation starts with Adam and it encompasses all the prophets and messengers throughout their sacred passage through history. The nation after Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) extends through all times and places, under all circumstances and for everybody alike.
Starting the age of the nation from the time of Adam (AS) as stated in the Qur’an gives a whole new meaning for the story; so it’s no longer just an acknowledgement of a fact or reality but it rather consolidates a concept upon which human unity can be founded. So what did the story tell us?
It tells us the following facts:
A) That Adam came from the earth, so the earth is his mother and father. Hence, his sons have to treat this earth the same way a son would treat his parents; this relation is after all founded on devotion. Also, since Adam is from the earth this means there is equality between all his sons since they all come from Adam and Adam came from the earth (dust).
Ibn Omar narrates to us that the Prophet (SAWS) gave a speech to the nation on the day Makkah was liberated and said, “O you people! Verily Allah has removed the slogans of Jahiliyah from you, and its reverence of its forefathers. So, now there are two types of men: A man who is righteous, fears Allah and is honorable before Him, and a wicked man, who is miserable and insignificant to Allah. People are the sons of Adam and Allah created Adam from dust…[3]“
Since Adam is from the earth then he will return to it and his life if limited by his death. Hence this life is only a place where we are tested and assigned and not a place of immortality. Allah says, “From the earth We have created you and We will return you to it, and from it We shall bring you forth a second time.” (TMQ, 20:55). Since Adam is from the earth then he needs others and he can never be a stand-alone entity. From here comes the meaning of the word “There is no might or strength except in Allah” to indicate the reality of man’s existence on earth and the reality of his quest in it.
B) Adam (AS) was given a breath from the Spirit of Allah and this Spirit is a graceful creature of His. Allah says, “When I have formed him and breathed My spirit into him, fall down in prostration before him,’“ (TMQ, 15:29).
C) The angels were ordered to prostrate to Adam and this tells us that he is honored. Allah says, “We have honored the children of Adam, and have borne them on the land and the sea, given them for sustenance things which are good and pure; and exalted them above many of Our creatures.” (TMQ, 17:70).
D) Adam represents the good in his core, as opposed to the evil in Satan. So whoever imitates Adam is good and whoever deviates and imitates Satan is evil. Allah says, “O you who believe, do not follow in the footsteps of Satan, and whoever follows in the footsteps of Satan should know that he enjoins only indecency and evil...” (TMQ, 24:21).
E) Adam was shown both the two ways! Allah says, “…and shown him the two paths?” (TMQ, 90:10); that’s to say the path to good and the path to evil.
F) Adam was honored and endowed with responsibility! Allah says, “We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, because they were afraid of it. But man bore it…” (TMQ, 33:72).
This perspective for humanity identifies the concept of the ‘nation’ that started with Adam as Allah says, “Your religion is but one religion-and I am your only Lord, therefore, fear Me.” (TMQ, 23:52), and “This nation of yours is one nation and I am your Lord, so worship Me.” (TMQ, 21:92).
This way we come up with:
1) The Nation that got Invited to the message (ummat al-dawa): This is the whole humanity,
2) The Nation that Accepted the Message (ummat al-ijaba): These are the people who believed Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), his faith and his life style. This concept encompasses the whole humanity and it makes the Muslims regard the non-Muslims as a nation worthy of being addressed as “O You People…!” even if the Muslims are addressed as “O You Who Believe…!” In our creed as Muslims we see how the Prophet’s intercession will be for all humanity till the words of Allah “And in no way have We sent you except as a mercy to the worlds” (TMQ, 21:107), come true.
Among the prerequisites of understanding this concept is to set our priorities straight, to identify an approach for dealing with this life, to identify our relation with others, to set a program for populating the earth. Hence realizing the concept of the ‘nation’ is essential if it will represent a launching pad for all these issues and many others. Activating this perception however, is more important than the perception itself[4]. |
| | | | أحمد محمد لبن Ahmad.M.Lbn
مؤسس ومدير المنتدى
عدد المساهمات : 52644
العمر : 72
| | موضوع: رد: The Concept of “The Ummah" الأربعاء 04 أغسطس 2021, 11:00 am | |
| The Nation in Heritage and History:
When the revelation descended on Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) in the cave of Hiraa, there was no such thing as “nation” in the Arab Gulf. There were conflicting tribes, a plethora of dialects and faiths, clashing aspirations and on the outskirts of the peninsula there were political entities exploited by the major states in the region at that time; The Ghassanids and the Manathira in the Levant and Hayra who were connected to the Romans and Persians. Differences were set according to wealth, prestige, honor, boasting of fathers and mothers, tribes and races. The people at that time adopted three basic classes; the masters, the commoners, and the slaves!
Let us cite this story from history to explain our point further. In the earlier days of Islam the Muslims were very few in number, and the idolaters who were opposed to Islam used to persecute the Muslims. Being so few, the Muslims could do nothing to stop their persecution, and they thought it better to migrate to Abyssinia (presently known as Ethiopia), where they could live freely and in accordance with the Islamic principles.
Al-Najashi (Negus King of Abyssinia) summoned the Muslims to his palace and, in the presence of his Christian scholars, he asked them: “What was your previous religion? What is your present religion? Why have you migrated to this country?” The Muslims’ spokesman was Jafar Ibn Abu Talib, a selfless young man who was full of belief. He replied: “O King! We were ignorant people and we lived like wild animals. The strong among us lived by preying upon the weak. We obeyed no law and we acknowledged no authority save that of brute force. We worshipped idols made of stone or wood, and we knew nothing of human dignity. And then God, in His Mercy, sent to us His Messenger who was himself one of us. We knew about his truthfulness and his integrity.
His character was exemplary, and he was the most well-born of the Arabs. He invited us toward the worship of One God, and he forbade us to worship idols. He exhorted us to tell the truth, and to protect the weak, the poor, the humble, the widows and the orphans. He ordered us to show respect to women, and never to slander them. We obeyed him and followed his teachings. Most of the people in our country are still polytheists, and they resented our conversion to the new faith which is called Islam. They began to persecute us and it was in order to escape from persecution by them that we sought and found sanctuary in your kingdom.[5]“
When the Prophet (SAWS) died he left the Arab Gulf behind as a one whole nation with one single faith and directing themselves to one direction for prayer (qibla). They all worshiped one God, followed one law (sharia), and were all under one single political leadership… etc.
Then land on which the Muslims lived expanded to include other countries like the Levant, Persia, Asia, Egypt… etc. This nation encompassed in its melting pot many other peoples like the Persians, the Turks, the Romans, the Berbers and the Kurds… etc. Then it embraced the various civilizations, sciences and cultures which were found in these countries to form eventually one single civilization that has an independent character; one of the most prominent civilizations in the history of humanity.
In her book “The Pivotal Nation” Dr. Mona Abul-Fadl argues that the continuity of the nation across history and surpassing the timed historical fact that goes from a fleeting past into today’s livable reality despite the absence of its embodied institutional shape (the caliphate) hinges mainly on several rules:
1) The Prophet (SAWS) strived to establish the nation even before the state or the sovereignty that will institutionally embody this nation.
2) The Prophet (SAWS) left behind him a ‘nation’ before a ‘leader; had there been no nation there would not have been anyone to lead it. Hence the leader (imam) is a derivative of the nation and the nation (or the community) is the original entity.
3) In this sense the ‘nation’ becomes the depository of the Muhammadan message; or to put it clearly, the nation becomes the vessel of the Qur’an.
4) This physical relation that gave way to the nation links it somehow to the cause not the effect. So the nation will survive so long as the Noble Qur’an survives but the disappearance of the “imam” or the “caliphate” even if this will weaken the effectiveness of the nation (being its embodies symbol) yet it will never end its existence which, in turn, will guarantee its regeneration. The nation in Islam is the entity that gives way to political, economic and social systems under the pretext of Islam as a doctrine and law. This whole pretext is adopted by the nation that believes in a holistic approach of life without any dichotomy between this life and the hereafter. At the end this generates for the nation a full thrust and momentum to vigorously pursue the implementation of its system till it is embodied on the land of reality. Louis Gardet expressed this meaning clearly in saying, “Islam assumes this inseparable bedrock linkage between religion and the state and between the community and creed. This physical correlation inevitably imposes itself and it exacts these appropriate positivist formations that will embody it and without which the system will be incomplete.[6]“
This gives the historical dimension of the Islamic nation a whole capacity as regards to time and place and it makes it interact with what preceded it and whatever it can absorb without any sense of alienation. This historical interaction will also not result in an aftertaste of vagueness.
One Nation, Multiple Peoples:
Muslims, from the Islamic perspective, are a one nation that includes multiple peoples, multiple races, languages and homelands. Allah says, “…and made you into peoples and tribes, so that you might come to know each other. The noblest of you in Allah’s sight is the one who fears Allah most. Allah is all knowing and all-aware.” (TMQ, 49:13).
Being made of multiple peoples does not constitute a problem for the Muslim nation so long as Islam guides this nation and governs its actions. Islam melts the differences between the peoples with its doctrines, values, rulings and ethics. It melts everyone into one single mold till their differences become an enriching diversity rather than an antagonism. Everybody is loyal to Allah and the Muslim community! Everybody is proud of the faith that Allah honored them with and chose them for, “…Today I have completed your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you…” (TMQ, 5:3).
The loyal patriots and nationalists must never feel uncomfortable to belong to the Muslim nation because belonging to a major nation can never annul belonging to countries or peoples. Islam does not deny our love for our homeland or people because this comes naturally to all human beings. Human beings belong to various circles that intertwine and integrate without conflicting. The companions belonged to their peoples and tribes unabashed, we have; Salaman the Persian, Belal the Abyssinian, Suhaib the Roman and many other Qurayshis, Awsis, Khazrajis… etc. There is no contradiction between nationalism, Islamism, Arabism and Globalism if each was put in the right context. No wonder the Muslims are one nation because their Lord is One, their messenger is one, their book is one, their prayer direction is one, their rituals are the same and their governing law (the sharia) is one.
Belonging to the Muslim nation encompasses even the non-Muslims since they all belong to the abode of Islam as agreed by the jurists[7].
The Qur’an connects all the Muslim with an indestructible tie; the tie of brotherhood in faith. Allah says, “Surely all believers are brothers...” (TMQ, 49:10). There is no meaning for brotherhood if the brother does not feel the pains and worries of his brother. The Prophet (SAWS) personified this in the narration made by Al-Nooman Ibn-Bashir who said, “The Prophet (SAWS) said, “The believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body: if one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a fever.[8]“ This kind of compassion gives way to cooperation as illustrated by the Prophet (SAWS) in, “The believer to the believer is like the bricks of a wall, enforcing each other.” And then he clasped his hands, by interlacing his fingers[9]. In another narration he says, “The Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not do him injustice nor does he abandon him.[10]“
After that comes the practical application of this brotherhood at the hands of the Prophet (SAWS) in the incident of brotherhood between the immigrants and supporters. Ibn Ishaq says, “The Prophet (SAWS) made pacts of brotherhood between his friends the muhajirin (the immigrants who fled Makkah) and the ansar (the supports who lived in Madinah). They became brothers two by two. Then he took the hand of Ali Ibn Abu-Talib and said, ‘This is my brother!’ This was how the Prophet -the master of all messengers, the leader of all those who fear Allah, the messenger of the Lord of the worlds who has no match or like in all humanity- became the brother of Ali (RA). There were also Hamza Ibn Abdul-Mutalib (the lion of Allah and His Prophet) and Zaid Ibn-Haritha (the Prophet’s freed slave) who became brothers.[11]“
Among the virtues and pure temperaments of the ansar is that Allah says about them in the Qur’an, “Those who were already settled in the city [Madinah] and firmly rooted in faith, love those who migrated to them for refuge, and harbor no desire in their hearts for what has been given to the [latter]. They give them preference over themselves, even if they too are needy: those who are saved from their own souls’ greed are truly successful.” (TMQ, 59:9).
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| | | | أحمد محمد لبن Ahmad.M.Lbn
مؤسس ومدير المنتدى
عدد المساهمات : 52644
العمر : 72
| | موضوع: رد: The Concept of “The Ummah" الأربعاء 04 أغسطس 2021, 11:03 am | |
| 
Allah also says,
“Even if you had spent all that is on the earth, you could not have coalesced their hearts, but Allah has coalesced them. Surely, He is Mighty and Wise.” (TMQ, 8:63). Al-Shawkani says in his book “Fathul-Qadir”, “This is generally speaking, and the coalition of the hearts of the believers was one of the causes of victory with which Allah endorsed His messenger. Most of the interpreters said, “This denotes the Aws and Khazraj tribes since they had ongoing wars and intense tribalism. Allah combined their hearts through their belief in Muhammad (SAWS). Other interpreters say, “It means the coalition between the muhajirin and ansar in general. The Arabs before the Muhammadan revelation practically fed on each other. They never respected ownership or blood till Islam came, united them in one and drove away this fanaticism from amongst them.”
In this respect it was narrated by Anas Ibn-Malik that he said, “The muhajirin said, ‘Prophet of Allah we have never seen any people who were a better compensation for whatever much we’ve lost nor a better consolation with whatever little they had. They have sufficed us from begging, shared with us all their blessings till we feared that they will harvest all the rewards.’ But the Prophet (SAWS) said, ‘No, this will not happen so long as you thank them and call Allah for them.’[12]“
Ibn-Katheer said, “Abdul-Rahman Ibn-Zayd Ibn-Aslam said, ‘The Prophet of Allah (SAWS) said to the ansar, ‘Your brothers left their money and children and came to you.’ So they said, ‘We will divide our money with them equally.’ The Prophet said, ‘Can you do better?’ They asked, ‘Tell us what to do Prophet of Allah!’ He said, ‘These people are not used to working. Will you provide for them and share with them your fruits?’ They said, ‘Yes we will![13]‘”
Montgomery Watt says about the concept of the nation, “The concept of the nation as it comes in Islam is the most unprecedented magnificent idea. Till our time it still remains to be a fount for every stream of faith urging the Muslims to “uniting” into a single “nation” where all the boundaries of race, language, fanaticism to lineage or kin vanish. Islam is unique in creating this unity between its followers to include different spectrums of Arabs, Persians, Indians, Mongols, Chinese, Berbers, Negroes and white races sprawling all over the globe and with all their diverse interests. No one has ever come out of this nation trying to split this link or trying to disconnect himself from it.[14]“
The Four Elements of the Nation from the Islamic Vision and Perspective:
A) A group dominated by believing in the fundamental tenets of the Islamic religion or the Islamic point of reference; whether this belief takes a doctrinal meaning (the Muslim) or a cultural meaning (the non-Muslim).
B) That this group has a single awareness in everything related to this point of reference; most important of which is submitting to this point reference and respecting all its integrated and ensuing systems that govern collective and individual behaviors as embodied by Sharia.
C) That all the elements of this group fall under the umbrella of solidarity which comes in the sense of compassion, cooperation and acquaintance as in the verse, “…and made you into peoples and tribes, so that you might come to know each other.” (TMQ, 49:13), and, “Even if you had spent all that is on the earth, you could not have coalesced their hearts, but Allah has coalesced them.” (TMQ, 8:63), and in, “…Help one another in goodness and in piety. Do not help one another in sin and transgression…” (TMQ, 5:2).
D) The pivotal task for this collaborative group is the very essence of “dawa – invitation to the message” which comes through being committed to this point of reference in the collective and individual behaviors. This commitment is the means to achieve the objective of being ‘a witness for mankind’ as in the verse, “…so that you may act as witnesses for mankind, and the Messenger may be a witness for you…” (TMQ, 2:143).
The fate of the nation, with these three tenets, can never be seen separately from the pathway of belief or invitation to the message because every quantum leap for the nation gives a major push to belief and the process of invitation to the message in reality and the other way round. In all cases belief and invitation to the message will be the vitality and regeneration of the nation.[15]“
The Madinah Constitution: The first bud in establishing the features of the nation
This constitution that was compiled the minute the Prophet (SAWS) set foot in Madinah was likely the first social contract to be written ever in the history of mankind. The Muslims and the non-Muslims lived under this covenant which organized the public affairs and governed the relations between them and their neighbors.
Ibn-Ishaq says, “The Messenger of Allah wrote a document between the Emigrants [from Makkah] and the Ansar [the natives of Madinah], and in it he made a treaty and covenant with the Jews, establishing them in their religion and possessions, and assigning to them rights and duties.” ‘In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. This is a document from Muhammad, the Prophet, governing the relation between the believers from among the Qurayshites (i.e., emigrants from Makkah) and Yathribites (i.e., the residents of Madinah) and those who followed them and joined them and struggled with them.
They form one and the same community as against the rest of men. No believer shall oppose the client of another believer. Whosoever is rebellious, or seeks to spread injustice, enmity or sedition among the believers, the hand of every man shall be against him, even if he be a son of one of them. A believer shall not kill a believer in retaliation of an unbeliever, nor shall he help an unbeliever against a believer. Whosoever among the Jews follows us shall have help and equality; they shall not be injured nor shall any enemy be aided against them.... No separate peace will be made when the believers are fighting in the way of Allah.... The believers shall avenge the blood of one another shed in the way of Allah ....Whosoever kills a believer wrongfully shall be liable to retaliation; all the believers shall be against him as one man and they are bound to take action against him.
The Jews shall contribute (to the cost of war) with the believers so long as they are at war with a common enemy. The Jews of Banu Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa’idah, Banu Jusham, Banu al-Aws, Banu Tha’labah, Jafnah, and Banu al-Shutaybah enjoy the same rights and privileges as the Jews of Banu Aws. The Jews shall maintain their own religion and the Muslims theirs. Loyalty is a protection against treachery. The close friends of Jews are as themselves. None of them shall go out on a military expedition except with the permission of Muhammad, but he shall not be prevented from taking revenge for a wound…[16]“
The constitution focused on two pivotal issues in the field of governance: 1) Justice, 2) Organizing the Judiciary. This is because the Prophet (SAWS) realized very well the importance of these two cornerstones in any sound society. After all he is the first judge in Islam who judged using the words of Allah, “…and when you judge between people, to judge with fairness…” (TMQ, 4:58), and, “Do not let your enmity for others turn you away from justice. Deal justly; that is nearer to being God-fearing...” (TMQ, 5:8), and, “Allah commands justice, kindness…” (TMQ, 16:90).
The concept of a “nation” through the terms of the constitution: A socio-political entity that is based on thought and belief rather than blood or biological basics. It is not limited by language, race or homeland. It does not sequester the thoughts and beliefs of others but it embraces them all without any assimilation. It is capable of enlarging or shrinking according to the number of its followers or deserters[17]. It clearly states that the Muslims or believers whether from Makkah or Madinah are one community and states clearly, “They form one and the same community as against the rest of men!” It is not characterized by any racism or tribalism.
The new thing about this principle is that it recognized the “nation” for the first time in the history of the Arab Gulf as a one indivisible unit, moving from the individual or the tribal life to the life of the single nation.
The document identified the members from whom is formed the “one and the same community as against the rest of men” as the followers of the new religion from the muhajirin and ansar and those who will follow them later or fight on their side like the Arabs, the hypocrites and even the non-Muslim paid fighters, and the Jews. It combined with this diaspora the nation in its broadest sense “the nation that got invited to the message” rather than the doctrinal sense “the nation that accepted the message”. From here Islam remains to be an ongoing comprehensive invitation and the whole world remains to be its scope of action.
The document ensured “equal rights and duties” between its parties and by this it ended racism and segregation in one go. It stated, “The Jews shall be responsible for their expenses and the Believers for theirs… The Jews shall maintain their own religion and the Muslims theirs. Loyalty is a protection against treachery… The Jews of Banu Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa’idah, Banu Jusham, Banu al-Aws, Banu Tha’labah, Jafnah, and Banu al-Shutaybah enjoy the same rights and privileges as the Jews of Banu Aws…” That way the constitution affirmed the full bonding between the Muslims and non-Muslims based on justice and equity. This equality is based on the common human value which is called “dignity” as Allah says, “We have honored the children of Adam, and have borne them on the land and the sea, given them for sustenance things which are good and pure; and exalted them above many of Our creatures.” (TMQ, 17:70).
It also stated that its terms apply on those who have signed it and those who shall follow them later and fight with them (whether Muslims or non-Muslim) and by this it is the first treaty in the history that acknowledges the principle of joining treaties even after they are signed[18].
After the Prophet (SAWS) departed his companions followed his footsteps and so Omar Ibnul-Khattab signed a treaty with the people Illia called “The Omarian Covenant” which stated among its articles, “In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. This is the security that Omar gives to the people of Illia. He gives them security for themselves, their monies, their churches, their crosses, their sick and ailing, and all their peoples. Their churches won’t be taken over, won’t be destroyed, won’t be reduced in size, neither will their crosses, their wealth, neither will they be persecuted because of their faith nor will any of them be prejudiced…[19]“ A big number of companions were witnesses to this covenant like; Khaled Ibnul-Walid, Amr Ibnul-Aas, Abul-Rahman Ibn-Awf and others; which means that they all accepted the content of the covenant.
Same thing was done by Amr Ibnul-Aas with the people of Egypt, Utba Ibn-Farqad (appointed by Omar Ibnul-Khattab) with the people of Azerbaijan. Al-Tabari wrote in his encyclopedia of history, “Utba wrote a covenant with the people of Azerbaijan which said among its articles, “In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. This is what Utba Ibn-Farqad (as appointed by the Emir of Believers Omar Ibnul-Khattab) gives to the people of Azerbaijan. He secures for them their valleys, their mountains, their outskirts and their borders. All its peoples are safe with their faiths, wealth, beliefs provided that they pay the jizya as best within their ability and noting that no woman, boy, poor person or secluded monk will be asked for it…[20]“
This way Islam achieved a significant shift in the societal reality since all the sub-headings were molded within the circle of the “nation” (with full respect to everybody’s privacies).
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| | | | أحمد محمد لبن Ahmad.M.Lbn
مؤسس ومدير المنتدى
عدد المساهمات : 52644
العمر : 72
| | موضوع: رد: The Concept of “The Ummah" الأربعاء 04 أغسطس 2021, 11:06 am | |
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Features of the nation (the nation that accepted the message):
1. It is the nation of utter monotheism: The Oneness of Allah, worshiping Him only, obeying Him only is the most prominent feature of the Islamic nation. It is the first duty and it is the first application for the utterance “There is no God but Allah” which came in all the divine faiths. Allah says, “We raised among every people a messenger who enjoined, ‘Worship Allah alone ...’” (TMQ, 16:36). No prophet or messenger was ever sent except with this clear message, “Worship Allah; you have no other god but He…” which comes in many verses of the Qur’an. The unity of creed is the first feature in the evolution and formation of its identity.
2. Singling the Prophet (SAWS) as the role model of the whole nation because he is the prophet, the messenger, the leaders, the teacher and the Imam Allah chose for us. Allah says, “You have indeed in the Prophet of Allah a good example for those of you who look to Allah and the Last Day, and remember Allay always.” (TMQ, 33:21). Obeying him is like obeying Allah as in, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. If you turn away, then he is responsible for what he is charged with and you are responsible for what you are charged with. If you obey him, you will be rightly guided. The Messenger is responsible only for delivering the message clearly.” (TMQ, 24:54). Abu-Hurayra also narrated, “The Prophet (SAWS) said, ‘I have left two things with you. As long as you hold fast to them, you will not go astray. They are the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet.” (Al-Bayhakei). In another narration he says, “I have left you on a clear white plain, whose day is like its night. Anyone who deviates from it is destroyed. Those who will live long after me will witness many differences; so resort to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my rightly guided companions and hold on tightly to them.” (Ibn-Majah and Ahmad).
3. It is the nation that will bear witness. Allah says, “Thus We have made you a middle nation, so that you may act as witnesses for mankind, and the Messenger may be a witness for you…” (TMQ, 2:143). Abu-Saeed Al-Khudrei said that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “Nuh will be recalled on Judgment Day and he will answer his Lord diligently. Allah will ask him, “Have you conveyed the message?” and he will answer in the affirmative. Then Allah will ask his nation, “Has he conveyed the message to you?” They will say, “No warner was sent to us!” So Allah will ask Nuh, “Who will bear witness with you?” and Nuh will say, “The nation of Muhammad!” After that you will all witness that he conveyed the message.” That’s why Allah says, “Thus We have made you a middle nation, so that you may act as witnesses for mankind, and the Messenger may be a witness for you…” (TMQ, 2:143). (Al-Bukhary).
4. It is the nation that enjoins virtue and forbids vice according to the verse, “Let there be a group among you who call others to good, and enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong: those who do this shall be successful.” (TMQ, 3:104).
5. It is the nation that preserves the legacy of prophethood in compliance with the verse that says, “The Book which We have revealed to you is the truth confirming previous scriptures. Allah knows and observes His servants. We have bestowed the Book on those of Our servants whom We have chosen. Some wrong their own souls, some keep half-way [between right and wrong]; some, by Allah’s leave, excel others in good deeds. This is a great bounty of Allah.” (TMQ, 35:31-32).
6. Its globalism! Allah says, “We have sent you as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner for the whole of mankind...” (TMQ, 34:28). Jabir Ibn-Abdullah also narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “I have been given five things which were not given to any amongst the Prophets before me. These are: … Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation exclusively but I have been sent to all mankind.” (Al-Bukhary) If we take a close look at the Islamic Sharia and it rulings we will clearly see it globalism, comprehensiveness, openness and inclusiveness for the various times, places and peoples.
7. Its moderation! Allah says, “Thus We have made you a middle nation, so that you may act as witnesses for mankind, and the Messenger may be a witness for you…” (TMQ, 2:143). Al-Tabari said interpreting this verse, “The word ‘made you middle’ means that we were customized to be a moderate nation apart from the followers of all other faiths. The Islamic faith is ‘middle’ without the exaggerated austerity of the Christians or the utter leniency of the Jews who changed the words of their prophets and killed them. The Muslims are moderate and middle as befitting the definition that Allah gives them and the best of anything is its middle.[21]“ In the narration related by Abu-Said the Prophet (SAWS) interpreted the word ‘middle’ as ‘moderate[22]‘.
8. Being charitable! Allah says, “You are indeed the best nation that has ever been brought forth for [the good of] mankind. You enjoin what is good, and forbid what is evil...” (TMQ, 3:110). Al-Qusheiri –may Allah’s mercy be upon him– says in interpreting this verse, “Since the Prophet (SAWS) is the most honorable of Allah’s prophets then his nation is the best of all nations. Since it the best of all nations then it is the longest lasting nation and since it is the longest lasting nation then the lifespan of its members are the shortest and they will be the last nation to depart so they wouldn’t stay for long buried under the earth. Their goodness is not because they pray and worship much, but because they constantly repent and return to Allah.” In interpreting, “Thus We have made you a middle nation, so that you may act as witnesses for mankind” he says, “This nation was made the best of all nations; just as they will be witnesses to all the other nations they will be the pivotal nation through which all the other nations will be protected.[23]“ In the prophetic narration related by Bahz Ibn-Hakim, “I heard the Prophet (SAWS) saying about this verse, ‘With this nation we complete 70 nations; you are the best and most honorable of them all!” (Al-Tirmidhi) Anas Ibn-Malek also narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “My nation is like the rain; you never know if the goodness will come in its beginning or its end.” (Ahmad) So as much as we believe and obey Allah and His prophet there will always be goodness in us. This goodness goes exclusively to the nation that accepted the message.
9. It is the nation that prostrates! Allah says, “You who are true believers, kneel and prostrate yourselves, worship your Lord and do good works, so that you may succeed.” (TMQ, 22:77), and, “No indeed! Do not obey him, but prostrate yourself and come closer to Allah.” (TMQ, 96:19). The Islamic nation is the only nation that was ordered to prostrate to Allah and this order was never given to the past nations.
10. It is the nation of knowledge by proof of the very first verse revealed. It was not “work”, “struggle”, “prostrate”, or even “worship”. It was “read”, “Read by the name of thy Lord, who created.” (TMQ, 96:1). Reading is the first order ever delivered by the revelation, reading is the portal to realizing the nation’s values and perspective. Because it is thus the Qur’an summed it up in, “It is He who has raised among the unlettered people a messenger from among themselves who recites His revelations to them, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom, for they had formerly been clearly misguided-” (TMQ, 62:2).
11. It is the nation of dialogue! It is a nation hinging on the core of dialogue since the Qur’an is after all a Book that is based on dialogue. Not just because it comes in the form of conversations between the prophets and their peoples so we could learn the lessons and wisdoms but because it also includes the conversation of the opposition. In the Qur’an we have many stark evidences for such dialogues as in, “The foolish will say…”, “The disbelievers will say…”, and, “If the hypocrites come to you saying…” Another feature is that the Qur’anic dialogue is fraught with the principle of “everybody has the right to state his point no matter who or what!” Hence the Islamic nation is invited to argue with the other nations as thus, “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation and reason with them in a way that is best…” (TMQ, 16:125).
12. It is a nation that will never unite on aberrance. Abdullah Ibn Dinar narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “Allah will never unite this nation on aberrance, and the Hand of Allah is with the group.” Abu Issa says, “The group here means the group of knowledged and learned jurists.” (Al-Tirmidhi). Amr Ibn-Qays narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “Allah promised me three things for my nation with which He will aid them: His wrath will never fall on all of them unanimously, they will never be eradicated by an enemy, and they will never unite on aberrance.” (Al-Daremei).
13. Paradise will be mostly made from this nation and it will be the last surviving nation on earth. Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “‘Nations were displayed before me; one or two prophets would pass by along with a few followers. A prophet would pass by accompanied by nobody. Then a big crowd of people passed in front of me and I asked, ‘Who are they? Are they my followers?” It was said, ‘No. It is Moses and his followers.’ It was said to me, ‘Look at the horizon. Behold!’ There was a multitude of people filling the horizon. Then it was said to me, ‘Look there and there about the stretching sky! Behold! There was a multitude filling the horizon,’ It was said to me, ‘This is your nation out of whom seventy thousand shall enter Paradise without reckoning.’” (Al-Bukhary). Muawia also narrated that he heard the Prophet (SAWS) as saying, “If Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend this religion. I am just a distributor, but the grant is from Allah. (And remember) that this nation (true Muslims) will keep on following Allah’s teachings strictly and they will not be harmed by any one going on a different path till Allah’s order (Judgment Day) is established.” (Al-Bukhary)
In the end we will always be short of volumes and volumes to fully clarify the concept of “the nation” in Islam, its characteristics, how to activate these characteristics and how to achieving them through the Muslim scholars in all legal, social, political, and economic fields. May Allah keep our nation intact and safe!
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[1]The Concept of “Nation” between Religion and History, by Dr. Nasif Nassar.
[2] Excerpt from an article titled “The Concept of a Nation between the Western and Islamic Civilizations” by Sheikh Ghazi Al-Tawba.
[3]Sunan of Al-Tirmidhy, good Hadith no. 3581. Musnad Ahmad, no. 8970.
[4] Excerpt from an article titled “The Concept of the Nation” by Sheikh Ali Jumaa, Al-Ahram Newspaper.
[5]Ibn Hisham, 335/1.
[6]“The Pivotal Nation” by Dr. Mona Abul-Fadl, may Allah’s mercy be upon her. The International Institute for Islamic Thinking.
[7]“The Muslim Nation –Reality not Illusion” by Dr. Yusuf Qaradawi, Maktabet Wahba, Egypt.
[8]Muslim, no. 6751.
[9]Al-Bukhary, no. 2446. Muslim, no. 6750, and Al-Tirmidhi, no. 2053.
[10]Al-Bukhary, no. 2442. Muslim, no. 6706.
[11]Ibn Hisham, 505/1.
[12]Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad, no. 13464 and Al-Bayhakei in his Sunan, no. 12392.
[13]Biography of the Prophet by Ibn-Katheer, no. 392/2.
[14]Emadul-Deen Khalil, a research titled, “They said about Islam”, WAMI, Saudi Arabia, 1992.
[15]Excerpt from an article titled, “The Nation, Religion and Authority”, by Dr. Hisham Jaafar.
[16]Sunan of Al-Bayhaqi, no. 16808 and see the whole constitution in Ibn Katheer’s biorgraphy, part 2, page 321, and Ibn Hisham’s, part 1, page 501.
[17]“The Nation and the State in the Prophet’s and the Companions’ Policy”, by Nizar Abdul-Latif Al-Hadithi.
[18]“The Madinah Treaty – Context and Significance” by Ahmad Al-Shuweibi, issue 110 from the Al-Ummah Book issued by Al-Awqaf Minstry, Qatar.
[19]History of Al-Tabari, 436/4.
[20]History of Al-Tabari.
[21]“Jamie Al-Bayan fi Taawil Al-Qur’an” by Al-Tabari, part 3, page 141-142.
[22]Al-Tirmidhi, no. 3222, Ahmad, no. 11366. A good hadith according to Abu-Issa.
[23]“Lataef Al-Isharat” by Al-Qusheiri, part 1, page 270-282.
Source:
https://www.dar-alifta.org/Foreign/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=367&CategoryID=3
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