knowledge in the truest sense, based on belief in the purest
principles. So it addressed the rational mind and the heart at the
same time, it provoked emotions and thought at the same time. This is
an advantage that has not been shared by any other civilization in
history. The reason why this particular characteristic of our
civilization is to be so admired is because it was able to establish a
state system based on principles of truth and justice, based on
religion and belief without religion becoming an obstacle to the
development of the state and the progress of the civilization. Rather
religion was one of the greatest factors in its development. From the
mosques of Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Cordoba and Granada the rays of
knowledge shone into all parts of the world. Islamic civilization is
the only one in which religion was not separated from the state even
though it was spared the misery that resulted from the mixing of the
two as happened in Europe in the Middle Ages. The head of state was
the Caliph and a leader of the believers )Ameer Al-Mu'mineen(, but he
ruled in accordance with the truth, and legislation was left to those
scholars who were specialized in that field. Each group of scholars
had its field of specialization, and all of them were equal before the
law. Superiority was determined by one's level oftaqwa)piety( and
service to people:
The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said:"By Allaah, if Faatimah
the daughter of Muhammad were to steal, Muhammad would certainly cut
off her hand."
This is the religion on which our civilization is based; no special
privileges and immunities are there for a chief )Caliph, President,
Prime Minister(, a clergyman, noble or rich...
Allaah Almighty Says what means:}Say, "I am only a man like
you..."}]Quran 18: 110[
5. The last of these unique characteristics of our civilization is
this amazing religious tolerance which has never been seen in any
other civilization that was based on religion. If a person does not
believe in any religion or any god, it is not strange for him to
regard all religions as being equal and to treat the followers of all
religions fairly; but if a person follows a religion and believes that
his religion is true and that his belief is the best of beliefs, then
he wields the sword and conquers cities, taking power and sitting in
the position of a judge, but his belief in his religion and his pride
in his belief does not cause him to be unfair in his judgments or to
deviate from the path of justice, or force people to follow his
religion... it is strange to find such a man in history, so how about
an entire civilization which is based on religion but was the most
tolerant, just, compassionate and humane civilization known to
history! This is how our civilization was, and we will mention dozens
of examples later on. It is sufficient here to note that our
civilization is unique in history because it was established by one
religion but it was for all religions.
These are some of the unique features of our civilization when
compared to the history of other civilizations. Hence, it was admired
by the whole world and loved by free and intelligent people of all
races and religions, at the time when it was strong and when it was
ruling, directing, educating and teaching people. When it collapsed
and was succeeded by another civilization, the way in which people
looked at it changed. Some began to look down on it and others admired
it. Some spoke of its virtues and some went to extremes in criticizing
it. Thus, the views of western researchers differ concerning our
civilization. They would not have done that were it not for the fact
that they -- the ones who set the standards and whose opinions are
followed are in a position of strength and are behind the steering
wheel of civilization nowadays, whereas those who are being judged,
along with their civilization, are in a position of weakness and are
the ones whom the strong are planning to rob of their resources and to
rule their country with avarice. Perhaps this is the attitude of the
strong towards the weak, whom they despise and belittle. This is what
the strong have always done throughout history, apart from us when we
were strong, for we were fair towards people, strong and weak alike,
and we acknowledged virtue in easterners and westerners alike. Our
history of exemplary characteristics includes fairness in judgment,
purity of intention and sincerity of conscience.
It is unfortunate that we did not really notice the bias of the strong
against us, or their unfairness in judging our civilization. Many of
them were either religious fanatics whose prejudice blinded their eyes
to the truth, or nationalist fanatics whose nationalistic pride made
them refuse to attribute anything good to anyone who was not of their
nation. But what is our excuse for being influenced by their view of
our civilization? Why do some of our own people look down on a
civilization to which the whole world bended the knee for many
centuries?
Perhaps the excuse of those who belittle the worth of our civilization
is that it is nothing when compared with the wonders, inventions and
scientific marvels of modem civilization. Even if this is true, it
does not justify looking down on our civilization for two reasons:
1.Every civilization consists of two elements: a spiritual ands
ethical element, and a material element.
With regard to the material element, undoubtedly each civilization
supersedes those that came before. This is one of the laws that Allaah
has decreed for the development of life. It is nonsense to expect an
earlier civilization to have reached the level of material development
of a subsequent civilization; if that were acceptable, then it would
be permissible for us to look down on all the civilizations that came
before our own, because of the things that our civilization has
invented and the means and manifestations of civilization that were
not known to any of the earlier civilizations. So the material element
of civilization can never be the basis for differentiating between
them.
It is the spiritual and ethical element that makes civilizations
endure and enables them to bring happiness to mankind and save mankind
from fear and pain. Our civilization surpasses all previous and
subsequent civilizations in this regard, and it reached a level that
has never been matched in any age of history. This is enough to give
our civilization a lasting impact.
The purpose of civilization is to enable man to reach the highest
degree of happiness, and in this regard our civilization managed to do
what no other civilization in the east or in the west managed to do.
2.Civilizations are not measured by materialistic standards or by
quantities or areas, or by luxurious standards of living, food and
clothing. Rather they are measured by the impact they have on human
history. The same applies when we speak of battles and kingdoms; they
are not measured by the size of the battlefield or the numbers of
soldiers. The decisive battles of ancient times or of the Middle Ages
cannot be compared to the battles of the Second World War, for
although the numbers of soldiers and the means of fighting may appear
insignificant, they are still regarded as important historical battles
because of their far-reaching effects. The battle of Cannae in which
the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal defeated the Romans is one of
the battles that are still studied in the military colleges of Europe
to this day. The battles of Khaalid ibn al-Waleed in the conquest of
Syria are still studied and admired by western military experts, and
for us they are golden pages in the history of military conquest in
our civilization. The fact that the battles of Cannae, Badr,
Al-Qadisiyah and Hit-teen happened so long ago does not snake people
ignore that they were decisive historical battles.
--
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Regards,
NAJIMUDEEN M/
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