Introducing Islam E-Book

Ziauddin Sardar

• Herausgeber: Icon Books
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Graphic Guides
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 133

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Islam is one of the world's great monotheistic religions. Islamic culture, spanning 1,500 years, has produced some of the finest achievements of humanity. Yet the religion followed by a fifth of humankind is too often seen in the West in terms of fundamentalism, bigotry and violence- a perception that couldn't be more wrong. Introducing Islam recounts the history of Islam from the birth of Prophet Muhammad in the 6th century to its status as a global culture and political force today. Charting the achievements of Muslim civilisation, it explains the nature and message of the Qur'an, outlines the basic features of Islamic law, and assesses the impact of colonialism on Muslim societies. Ziauddin Sardar and Zafar Abbas Malik show how Muslims everywhere are trying to live their faith and are shaping new Islamic ideas and ideals for a globalised world.

Leseprobe

Published by Icon Books Ltd., Omnibus Business Centre, 39–41 North Road, London N7 9DP email: [email protected]

ISBN: 978-184831-774-1

Text copyright © 1994 Ziauddin Sardar Illustrations copyright © 1994 Zafar Abbas Malik

The author and artist have asserted their moral rights.

Originating editor: Richard Appignanesi

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

The Life of Muhammad

The Pledge

Muhammad’s Wisdom

Marriage

The Revelation

The Night Journey

The Hijra to Madina

The Battle of Badr

The Battle of Uhad

The Treaty of Hudaybia

Makkah Falls

The Farewell Sermon

Death of the Prophet

A Life of History

The Hadith

The Science of Hadith

The Sunnah

Some Sayings of Prophet Muhammad

The Qur’an

The Authentic Qur’an

What is the Qur’an?

The Uniqueness of the Qur’an

Purposes of the Qur’an

Essence of the Qur’an

Qur’anic Guidance

The Commentaries

Interpreting the Qur’an

Translations of the Qur’an

Impact of the Qur’an

Tawheed

The Pillars of Islam

Khalifa

Ilm

The True Meaning of Jihad

Shariah

The Aims of Shariah

Fiqh

The Classical Schools of Fiqh

Permanence and Change

‘There shall be no coercion in matters of faith’

Formative History of Islam

The Seeds of Discord

The Rightly Guided

The Expansion of Islam

The Rise of the Shia

The Shia Concept of Imams

The Muslim Civilization

The Knowledge Industry

The Warraqeen

Institutions of Learning

Arguments and Debates

Sufism (Mysticism)

Literature

Science

Technology

Medicine

Social Sciences

Geography and Travel

Architecture and Town Planning

Art

Music

Spread of Muslim Learning to Europe

Decline

Colonialism

Manufacturing Colonialism

IsIam and the West

1. Denunciation

2. The Crusades

3. Orientalism

Reform and Revival

The Muslim World

Muslim Minorities

Immigration

Black Muslims

Organization of Islamic Conference

The Iranian Revolution

Islamic Fundamentalism

The Islamic state

Women

Reconstruction

Islamization of knowledge

Today and …

… Tomorrow

The Authors

Further Reading

Index and Little Dictionary

As Salam alaykum: peace be upon you. I am Fez and, insha Allah (God willing), I will make sure that the authors keep to the straight path. Stay tuned.

Muhammad, peace be upon him*, is the most influential man in history. But he is not an ordinary man. He is a Prophet – the last Prophet of God.

*Attention Muslim readers: in keeping with tradition, you are required to repeat this salutation every time you come across the Prophet’s name.

Prophet Muhammad did not start a new religion. He conveyed the same message as all the other prophets of God – including Adam, Noah, Ibrahim, Moses and Jesus.

The eternal message that Muhammad preached is not named after him. It is called Islam which means peace and submission to God. The term Islam also signifies the natural inclination of human beings, a God-centred worldview, a civilization with over fourteen hundred years of history and an universalist world culture.

The followers of Muhammad are not called Muhammadan, this is an insulting term that first emerged during the crusades. Those who believe in the message of Muhammad and that he is the last Messenger of God are called Muslims.

‘moslems’ is a condescending colonial term used by people with stiff upper lips who have difficulty in pronouncing the ‘mu’ sound.

The Life of Muhammad

570 CE: Prophet Muhammad was born in Makkah (aka Mecca), in the Arabian peninsula now called Saudi Arabia. His father, Abdullah, had died a few weeks before his birth. His grandfather entrusted him to a foster-mother, Halima, who looked after him during his infant years. When he was six, his mother died. Two years later, his grandfather also died. The young Muhammad was now looked after by Abu Talib, his paternal uncle. Abu Talib was a generous but poor man. So Muhammad had to earn his livelihood from a tender age – he was thus unable to learn how to read or write.

Makkah was a desert city. Its main distinction was the Ka’aba, the house dedicated to the One God and built under divine inspiration by Prophet Abraham. The majority of Makkah’s inhabitants were idol worshippers. Makkah functioned as a city-state, governed by a council of ten hereditary tribal chiefs with clear division of power. The most powerful of Makkan tribes was the Quraysh – the tribe of Muhammad. The city’s inhabitants were poor but generous people, they loved poetry and war, and were fiercely loyal to their tribes and their gods. While it had no natural resources of its own, it was an active commercial centre. Foreign traders brought their goods to be sold in the local market. Muhammad became a trader and accompanied Abu Talib on business trips to Palestine and Syria.

He is not one of us who proclaims the cause of nationalism and he is not one of us who fights the cause of nationalism and he is not one of us who dies in the cause of nationalism. Nationalism means helping your people in an unjust cause.

Prophet Muhammad

WARNING! Islamic tradition forbids the portrayal of Prophet Muhammad or any of his Companions. DECLARATION! “We agree and comply” – the authors. The Ka’aba in Makkah

The Pledge

ne day, a trader from Yemen was cheated of his goods by a group of Makkans. When the trader asked for help, no one came to his support. So he wrote a satirical poem and recited it aloud for all to hear. When Zubair, one of Muhammad’s uncles, heard the poem he felt great remorse. He called a meeting of city’s elders and established an order of chivalry with the declared aim of protecting the oppressed of the city, local inhabitants or foreign visitors. Young Muhammad became an enthusiastic member of this organization which was called Hilf al-fudul. Later he would say: ‘I am not prepared to give up the privilege (of being a member) even against a herd of camels; if somebody should appeal to me even today, by virtue of that pledge, I shall hurry to his help.’

Muhammad’s Wisdom

uhammad often helped the inhabitants of Makkah to settle their disputes. Once, the Ka’aba caught fire and was burnt to the ground. When it was rebuilt, all the tribes of Makkah took part in its construction. But when it came to fixing the sacred Black Stone in the wall, a quarrel arose amongst the Makkan leaders – all wanted to have the honour of fixing the stone. Finally, they agreed to select a judge from amongst them and abide by his ruling. The judge was Muhammad; and his solution to the problem saved the honour of all concerned. He spread a white sheet on the ground, placed the Black Stone in the middle, and asked the tribal leaders of Makkah to hold the sheet and carry the stone to its site. Muhammad than fixed the stone in its place. It was his integrity, honesty and wisdom that earned Muhammad the title of Al Amin – ‘the trustworthy’.

Four tribal leaders of makkah

Marriage

ne day, when Muhammad was 25, his uncle Abu Talib said to him: ‘I am, as you know, a man of scanty means, and truly the times are hard. Now there is a caravan of your own tribe about to start for Syria, and Khadijah, daughter of Khuwaylid, is in need of the services of men of our tribe to take care of her merchandise. If you offer yourself for the enterprise, she would readily accept it.’ Muhammad replied: ‘Be it as you say.’

Muhammad’s courtesy, honesty and devotion to his work, earned the admiration of the widowed Khadija. So impressed was she with the young Muhammad that she proposed marriage. Muhammad accepted. At 40, she was 15 years older than him.

To bring about a just reconciliation between two contestants is charity, helping a person mount his animal or to load his baggage onto it is charity, a good word is charity, to remove obstacles in the street is charity, smiling upon the face of your brother is charity…sexual relations with your spouses is charity.

Prophet Muhammad

The Revelation

27 Ramadan, 611 CE: Muhammad was in the cave of Hira, a few miles from Makkah. It was his practice to retire to this cave regularly for prayer, meditation and reflection on the questions of creation, purpose of life and death, the struggle between good and evil. While in a state of inner reflection, Muhammad heard a commanding voice addressing him. Frightened, and with trembling voice, he asked: ‘Who is it?’ ‘Read!’ said the voice. ‘I am not of those who read,’ Muhammad replied. He was grabbed, hugged vehemently and then released. ‘Read!’ said the voice. ‘I am not of those who read.’ He was hugged again; and again for the third time. ‘Read!’ ‘What shall I read?’ ‘Read! In the name of your Lord who creates, creates man from a clot! Read, for your Lord is most Generous, who teaches by means of pen, teaches man what he does not know.’ He did. And Muhammad became the Messenger of God.

Muhammad returned to Khadija and told her what had happened. She covered him with blankets as he shivered with fear. ‘O Khadija!’, he asked, ‘what is the matter with me?’ In Khadija’s mind there was no doubt what had happened on Mount Hira. He had experienced a revelation. And she became the first convert to Islam.

Muhammad first communicated his message to his intimate friends, and secretly, to the members of his own tribes. As his followers grew, he preached openly in the city and nearby communities. The Makkans did not care for someone who denounced their gods and ancestral beliefs. They launched a vigorous campaign to persecute the Prophet and his small band of followers. Makkans would force Muslims to lie on burning sand, place huge boulders on their chests, pour red-hot iron over them. Many early converts to Islam died under this torture – but none renounced their new faith. When the oppression became too great, the Prophet advised his followers to leave Makkah and go to Abyssinia. Many did.

The Makkans tried a change of tactic. Did Muhammad want wealth? Was he interested in becoming a chief? ‘He can have anything he desires, if he recants and stops preaching.’ Muhammad replied with his characteristic fortitude: ‘By God, if they put the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left hand and ask me to give up my mission, I will not do it.’ After several other attempts at compromise, the Makkans demanded that Abu Talib hand over his nephew to be killed. When the demand was not met, the city’s chiefs decided to impose a complete boycott on Muhammad, his followers and his tribe. No one was to talk to them or have any dealings with them. The tribes living around Makkah also joined in the boycott.

Muhammad endured the persecution of the Makkans for 13 years. The hardship led to the death of his beloved Khadija and his uncle Abu Talib. He was constantly abused, sometimes stoned, thorns and rubbish were thrown over him – always, always he would pray, ‘Guide them on the right path God, for they know not what they do.’

Scheming makkan leaders

The best richness is the richness of the soul; the best provision is piety; the most profound philosophy is the fear of God, the Exalted, the Great.Prophet Muhammad

The Night Journey

t was during the most agonizing period of his mission in Makkah that Prophet Muhammad was granted a unique favour by God. He had a vision of an audience with God. The mystical ‘Night Journey’ – isra – took place from Makkah to Jerusalem, followed by the subsequent ‘Ascension’ – miraj – to heaven. Led by his celestial guide, Muhammad ascended, one by one, the seven Heavens of creation. At each Heaven he met earlier prophets of other nations – Moses, Jesus, Abraham and Adam, the first of the prophets. Beyond the seventh Heaven, Muhammad passed through the veils covering that which is hidden, until he reached the veil of Unity and looked upon that which the eyes cannot see, minds cannot imagine. It happened at the twinkle of an eye. And led to the institution of five daily prayers as an integral part of Islamic faith.

A solar eclipse occurred the day Muhammad’s infant son, Ibrahim, died. Some Arab tribes were very impressed by the joint occurrence of the two events. Muhammad must be a true Prophet, they thought, if his loss was mourned by the heavenly bodies. Consequently, they flocked in front of his house and asked to be converted to Islam. The phenomenon, Muhammad told them, had nothing to do with the birth or the death of a mortal – it had no connection with the death of his son. Disappointed, the gathered tribes dispersed.

No father gives his child anything better than good manners. Prophet Muhammad

The Hijra to Madina

622 CE: Exactly one year after his ‘Night Journey’, Muhammad was persuaded by a group of Muslims from Madina, a town 200 miles north of Makkah, to migrate to their city. As life in Makkah was intolerable, Muhammad agreed. Meanwhile, the Makkans had produced an elaborate plan to kill Muhammad. On the appointed day, the Makkans entered his house with the intention of stabbing him while he slept. To their astonishment, they discovered that Muhammad, accompanied by his companion Abu Bakr, had already left for Madina. In his bed lay Ali, his young cousin. The Makkans formed a posse and gave chase. Muhammad and Abu Bakr hid in a cave on Mount Thawr and eventually reached Madina safely.

The hijra – or the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madina – marks the beginning of the (Muslim) calendar.

The Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar based solely upon the Moon’s changes. The Muslim year takes no account of seasonal changes. In relation to the solar year, it recedes approximately eleven days each solar year, with the result that in each 32.5 years it passes through all the solar seasons. Thus, if in a given year the fasting month of Ramadan occurs during the heat of the summer, it will occur within the cool season 16.25 years later.

The people of Madina rejoiced at the arrival of Muhammad. The city also played host to hundreds of migrants from Makkah. Muhammad suggested that each working and well-off individual from Madina should take a migrant from Makkah as his brother. ‘Fraternize in Allah’, he announced, ‘you are brothers.’ As helpers, the folks from Medina were to share half their property and belongings with their migrant brothers from Makkah. The inhabitants of Madina accepted Muhammad’s suggestion. But some people from Makkah did not wish to burden their brothers from Madina.

‘show us the way to the market,’ they said, ‘we will maintain ourselves by working.’

The Battle of Badr

624 CE: The Makkans were not too pleased by Muhammad’s safe departure and the establishment of the city-state of Madina under his leadership. They vowed to crush him. After thorough preparation lasting some two years, a Makkan force of a thousand fully armed warriors, many on horses, marched on Madina. Their objective was total annihilation of the small Muslim community of Madina. Muhammad decided to fight them outside the city, near the field of Badr. And so 313 ill-equipped Muslims, with two horses and 70 camels between them, met the Makkan brigade. The battle was fierce and swift. Seventy Makkans were killed; seventy were captured. The Makkans fled, leaving much of what they had brought behind them. A few days after the battle, Muhammad released the prisoners captured at Badr.

The Battle of Uhad