Mab’ath: The undisputed base of European renaissance

By Yusuf Abdullah

NIGERIA/ KANO - In the name of Allah who states “Read! In the name of your Lord who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the most generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not, “Q96:1-5

Peace and blessings of Allah be upon His noble servant, our master Muhammad, and his purified progeny. Recently, the Muslim-Ummah observed Yaumul Mab’ath, which historically denotes the very day the noble Messenger Muhammad (S) received the first revelation in the cave of Hira. No doubt, the mission is the source of light and development of the human race in its entirety. I am not going to be graphical on this as I had an intensive article on educational dynamism as undisputed pride of Islamic civilisation.

The idea is to appraise some missing links with regard to World Literacy Day, marked across the world. The rationale was to all towards basic literacy and its promotion. It is imperative to ask what literacy is. Are there types referred to by the UN declaration? And to what extent are other forms of literacy considered and strengthened? Literacy is simply the ability to read and write.

 Thus, we have different types such as the Roman, Arabic, Chinese and Indian. The predominant Ajami, using Arabic letters, was widely used in Hausa land, long before the advent of colonialists to what later became Northern Nigeria. But on clear discrimination, the Roman literacy receives greater attention.

Then, we may appraise the links between literacy, education, and knowledge? Education is a process of imparting knowledge, information, and skills so that the recipient becomes a useful member of his/her society. While literacy was defined, knowledge refers to facts, information, understanding, and skills one acquires through education and experience. Therefore, education is a process through which knowledge is achieved by means of literacy as a common medium.

 So, in the cause of this piece, education is viewed from this context. Educational dynamism is evidently complementary to the vicissitudes of human life from gathering and hunting to agricultural and industrial revolutions respectively. The contemporary achievements in science and technology owe their origin to this educational trend from positive and negative aspects such as the advancement in medicine and pharmacy and technology of destruction in the nuclear arms.

 However, the scientific and technological advancement touching the world in agricultural mechanisation – boosting food production, improved medical care delivery, in addition to other fields that provide diverse employment opportunities to support the ever-increasing world population, is what many, wrongly or abusively, refer to as Western education. In contrast to geography and temporality, Sarwa (1994) defined education as a system which transmits the revealed and acquired knowledge to the younger generation of Muslims in order to prepare them for life and enable them to discharge their duties as vicegerents of Allah on earth, with the sole aim of achieving success here and in the hereafter.

So, it is an undisputed fact that Europe’s Renaissance after the Dark Ages was achieved in the light of the last revelation. What a beautiful pride to Islamic civilisation! Islam, as a religion, started in Arabia and steadily spread to Africa, Persia, and Asia to become the universal religion covering the Byzantines, the inheritors of Greek-Roman civilisations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

 The Egyptians, Persians and other Asian groups have developed from Chinese and Indian civilisations. Such converts brought their intellectual legacies to the Islamic community. Thus, Muslim scholar’s uncovered literary and scientific legacy of ancient civilisation, which they critically assessed, translated, commented and documented. The attempt to learn from an earlier civilisation, was remarkably fostered during the Abbasid when the Baitul hikma -house of wisdom and Baitul tarjama – house of translation, were established.

 The generous patronage accorded scholars and scholarship were very instrumental in furthering scholarly activities. With such efforts, Muslim preserved and revived the learning of the ancient world. It was a great service to humanity, especially in Greek learning as scientific studies had been neglected to decay for centuries in Europe.

If not for the effort of Muslim in translation and development on the works of ancient scholars, most would have been lost or destroyed before Europe’s emergence from dark ages. Although knowledge is relative and multifaceted in nature, the positive aspects, no doubt, originated from the light of heavenly revelation, most importantly the Last Messenger’s, not inclusive of the Arab age of ignorance as referred to by some Western philosophers. At this point, two historic testimonies are relevant:
 President Obama’s “New beginning” at Cairo University, Egypt on 4th June 2009 by 1:10-2:05 am (local time) as released by his press secretary. ‘Thank you very much. Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions.
 For over a thousand years, Al – Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning; and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt’s advancement. And together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I’m grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. And I’m also proud to carry with me, the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalaamu Alaykum. (Applause)… As a student of history, I also know civilisations debt to Islam. It was Islam – at places like Al-Azhar – that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment.

It was innovation in Muslim communities – (applause – that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated, through words and deeds, the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. (Applause).

 I also know that Islam has always been a part of America’s story. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President, John Adams, wrote, “The United States has, in itself, no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims.” And since, our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States.

 They have fought in our wars, they have served in our government, they have stood for civil rights, they have started businesses, they have taught at our universities, they’ve excelled in our sports arenas and they’ve won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building, and lit the Olympic Torch. And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers -Thomas Jefferson- kept in his personal library. (Applause).

So, I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States, to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. (Applause) …..Thank you. And may God’s peace be upon you. Thank you very much. (Applause)” In addition to the recent Obama’s testimony and Encyclopedia Britannica’s under civilisation, a great future spelling on the Islamic religious concept of Sir George Bernard Shaw in The Genuine Islam,’ Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936, already saw the light: “If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next hundred years, it could be Islam.

 I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capability to the changing phases of existence which can make itself appeal to everyone. I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of today. The medieval ecclesiastics, either through ignorance or bigotry, painted Islam in the darkest colours.

 They were, in fact, trained to hate the man, Muhammad, and his religion. To them, Muhammad was anti – Christ. I have studied him -the wonderful man, and in my opinion, far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the savior of humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring the much-needed peace and happiness. But to proceed, it was in the 19th century that honest thinkers like Carlyle, Gibbon, and Goethe, perceived intrinsic worth in the religion of Muhammad-already, even, at the present time many of our people have gone to his faith, and Islamisation of Europe may be said to have begun”.

 On the light of the above verses stressing the significance of broad-based knowledge acquisition, the Prophet (s) has said “seeking of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim male and female” While commending all efforts towards justice without borders on the Zaria massacre and its aftermath, I use the medium to reiterate the urgent need for the unconditional of release of Shaikh Ibraheem el-Zakzaky and his disciples. 

(Source: leadership)

Migration in the name of Faith

Safeguarding one’s faith, being good ambassadors for Islam and working for the betterment of wider society are critical features in the Islamic perspective on migration says Ali Jawad Migration has a special place in the historiography of the world’s great religions. The early histories of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are replete with tales of persecution against the early believers. Oppressive powers spared no means to exact their deadly vengeance on those who subscribed to the ‘new faith’ in order to pre-emptively deter others, and to ultimately quash the nascent religion. In the face of such torment, devout followers were left with little option but to hide their faith, face torture and worse, or to emigrate to distant lands in the hope that they could practise their faith more freely. In the religious context therefore, the concept of migration emerges as a drastic step compelled by circumstance. It is the exercise of a desperate option whereby one chooses to forsake his/her homeland, people and belongings for the sake of something deemed superior, namely one’s faith. It represents the reaffirmation of one’s inherent freedom, dignity and identity within a social context that openly stands against these values. According to the late scholar Murtadha Mutahhari, the concept of hijrah (migration) signifies ‘leaving one’s home, people and homeland for a new place of abode, with a view to saving one’s faith’. In the view of other scholars, the applicability of this concept is timeless and can have a wider context than simply saving one’s faith. Perhaps it can be applied to any migrant who leaves his residence for God’s sake. In numerous verses of the Holy Qur’an, there is mention of hijrah and promise of great reward for those who migrate for the sake of God. Such is the significance and status of ‘migrants’ in Islam that even though migration is contingent upon circumstance, a Muslim is duty-bound to maintain a true and sincere intention to embark on such a duty should circumstances change. Migration thus takes on an ethical dimension denoting a constant state of preparedness motivated by strong belief and faith. Indeed, one of the definitions of migration put forward by the scholars of Islamic ethics and spirituality entails abandoning one’s sins, or migrating from one’s lower carnal and animalistic self to the higher human self. In addition to this classical definition of migration under circumstances of duress, Islam also encourages its followers to explore the signs of God in the universe. Numerous verses of the Qur’an invite readers to reflect and ponder over the wonders of nature such as the alternation of night and day, the ocean tides, the stars and planetary objects in the heavens and so on. In addition, the Qur’an also makes mention of past nations and historic civilisations in several verses, and invites readers to ‘travel across the Earth’ in order to learn and take heed from the lessons of history. The inclusive paradigm by which Islam views peoples of different cultures and nations further encouraged Muslims to travel outwards and interact with those of other cultures and civilisations. One of the beautiful pieces of advice is by Ali Ibn Abi-Talib(a) to his son Al-Hasan(a), in which he counsels: “My dear son! Though the span of my life is not as that of some other people who have passed away before me, yet I took great care to study their lives; assiduously I went through their activities, I contemplated over their deliberations and deeds, I studied their remains, relics and ruins. I pondered over their lives so deeply that I felt as if I have lived and worked with them from early ages of history down to our times, and I know what did them good and what brought harm to them.” This approach, which is distinctly influenced by the teachings of the Qur’an, encourages human beings to be inquisitive and indeed scientific. Arguably one of the more renowned Prophetic sayings also refers to this attribute. The Final Messenger is famously known to have said: ‘Go in search of knowledge even if you have to journey to China’. The inclusive paradigm by which Islam views peoples of different cultures and nations further encouraged Muslims to travel outwards and interact with other cultures and civilisations. The Holy Qur’an stresses the ethical precept: ‘so that you know one another’, when pointing to the secret of the diversity that exists between human beings. (49:13) Finally, the concept of da’wah (calling to the way of God) features strongly in the Islamic faith. Islam renders it both an individual and collective obligation to spread its teachings. Muslims are urged to invite others to follow the Godly path through wisdom and good conduct. All these elements can be viewed as ‘push’ factors for Muslims to embark on migration from a purely religious point of view. Obviously, the traditional socio-economic factors such as war, persecution, natural disasters, economic hardship and the like are examples of situations in which migration from one’s homeland takes on a more urgent and compulsive character. In the Islamic tradition, there are historically two significant migrations that coincide with the early beginnings of the Prophetic mission. Approximately five years after the Proclamation of the Divine message by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(s), the first wave of Muslim migrants secretly fled to Abyssinia. Renowned companions such as Bilal, the Abyssinian slave, and Ammar ibn Yaser derive some of their iconic status due to their integrity, steadfastness and sacrifices during this period of history. During the thirteenth year after the Proclamation, the Holy Prophet(s) and the Muslims of Makkah emigrated to Madina, which consequently became the cradle of the Islamic civilisation. According to exegetes, the following verse from the Holy Qur’an was revealed as an instruction to the believers to embark upon this migration: ‘Those who migrate for the sake of God after they have been wronged, We will surely settle them in a good place in the world, and the reward of the Hereafter is surely greater, had they known. Those who are patient and put their trust in their Lord’. (16:41-42) The above verse sets out the basis for migration according to Islam. Like similar verses that highlight this concept, this verse specifies the criterion of migrating for the sake of God. This condition not only outlines the objective of migration but contains within it the ethical cornerstones and values that should be part and parcel of this process. Due to this association, there is a deep-rooted precept in Islamic jurisprudence referred to as al-ta’arrub ba’d al-hijrah, which broadly refers to ‘losing or weakening of one’s faith after migration’. In several narrations it is regarded as among the major sins for a Muslim, thus serving as a clear warning about the priorities that one should have when migrating to a foreign land. This precept underscores the invaluable status of faith above other considerations, whilst also stressing the need for Muslims to preserve their Islamic values and identity at all times and in all places. In modern times, migration has taken on an altogether staggering magnitude on the global stage. Muslims are confronted with unique challenges relating to how they experience, practise and project their faith in the modern era. These are challenges that emerge as a result of the natural progression of individuals and communities when introduced to alternate social contexts. According to the United Nations, ‘more people than ever are living abroad’ with a phenomenal 232 million international migrants in 2013; a sizeable increase from 175 million in 2000. Muslims are not an exception to this general trend. Today, there are close to 2.7million Muslims living in the UK with the majority being born into second or third generation migrant families. Faceless statistics such as the above admittedly overlook the broad diversity that exists. The human face of migration can only be seen in the unique story, experience and culture of each individual. Likewise, the Muslim community is far from monolithic, coming from all the four corners of the globe and contributing to the wider diversity of modern day Britain. Naturally, questions surrounding culture, identity, integration, cohesion and assimilation have arisen. The more sensationalist news stories, principally driven by the political climate and narrative of the last decade, have expectedly waned with the passage of time. These negative discourses largely contributed to an unsavoury climate and exaggerated the ‘identity-crisis’. As with all faith denominations that have a multicultural followership, Muslims are confronted with unique challenges relating to how they experience, practise and project their faith in the modern era. These are challenges that emerge as a result of the natural progression of individuals and communities when introduced to alternate social contexts. From an Islamic perspective however, the foremost obligations remain safeguarding one’s faith, becoming good ambassadors for its lofty teachings and principles, and working for the betterment of wider society. The Prophetic example, which best illustrates the ethics of migration according to Islam, provides an important reference for modern Muslim communities to tackle some of their contemporary challenges in this regard. • All information were correct at the time of publication…. January 2014 Ali Jawad is a human rights activist and political analyst with a keen interest in international diplomacy.