Islam and Middle East – from Historical Perspective

This article was taken from one of Harun Yahya’s website. I would like to share with all of you, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, about how Islam view relations with non-Muslims throughout the history, particularly in this case, in the Middle East. Even though history are not eligible to become the source of rulings, but there are lots of lessons and guidelines that we can learn from it.

But then again, I would like to stress that Muslims are human, thus they are not free from making mistakes. Thus I hope that no one will ever judge Islam simply based on what the Muslims did, unless their actions were derived in accordance to the Syariah.

ISLAM HAS BROUGHT PEACE AND HARMONY
TO THE MIDDLE EAST ALL THROUGH HISTORY

by

HARUN YAHYA

Palestine, and particularly Jerusalem at its heart, has been holy for Muslims since the beginning of the history of Islam. Muslims’ seeing Palestine as holy has enabled them to bring peace and harmony to the region. We shall be considering some historical instances of this in this article.

There are two fundamental reasons why Jerusalem is holy for Muslims: It is the first direction to which Muslims used to turn to pray. Furthermore, what can be seen as one of Prophet Mohammed’s greatest miracles, his ascent to heaven, was from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, in other words from Makkah to Jerusalem. This fact is revealed in the Koran in these terms:

Glory be to Him who took His slave on a journey by night from the Masjid al-Haram to the Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, in order to show him some of Our Signs. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Surat al-Isra: 1

In stories about the Prophets in the Koran, those holy verses that discuss Palestinian lands refer to them as ‘blessed lands’ and ‘holy lands.’ In the above verse about the ascent to heaven, Masjid al-Aqsa is described as a land ‘whose surroundings We have blessed.’ In Surat al-Anbiya, in which the migration of the prophets Abraham and Lot is recounted, the same territory is described as ‘a land We have blessed.’ All Palestinian soil, where many prophets from the tribe of Israel have lived, fought in the path of God, and been martyred or died and buried, is holy for Muslims.

Consequently, Muslims have brought “blessings”, i.e. peace and security to Jerusalem and Palestine over the last 1,400 years.

The Peace and Justice brought to Palestine by Khalif Omar

Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews until A.D. 71. In that year, the Roman Army made a major assault on the Jews, and exiled them from the area after great savagery. As the time of the Jewish diaspora began, Jerusalem and its surrounding area was becoming an abandoned land.

However, Jerusalem once again became a center of interest with the acceptance of Christianity during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Roman Christians built churches in Jerusalem. The prohibitions on Jews settling in the region were lifted. Palestine remained Roman (Byzantine) territory up until the 7th century. The Persians conquered the region for a short time, but the Byzantines later reconquered it.

An important turning point in the history of Palestine came in the year 637, when it was conquered by the armies of Islam. This meant the genesis of a period of peace and harmony in Palestine, which had for centuries been the scene of wars, exiles, looting and massacre, and which saw new brutality every time it changed hands, a frequent occurrence. The coming of Islam was the beginning of an age when people of different beliefs in Palestine could live in peace and harmony.

Palestine was captured by Omar, the second caliph after the Prophet himself. The entry of Omar into Jerusalem, the incredible tolerance, maturity and kindness he showed towards people of different beliefs, introduced the beautiful age that was beginning. The British historian and Middle East expert Karen Armstrong describes the capture of Jerusalem by Omar in these terms in her book Holy War:

The Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem mounted on a white camel, escorted by the magistrate of the city, the Greek Patriarch Sophronius. The Caliph asked to be taken immediately to the Temple Mount and there he knelt in prayer on the spot where his friend Mohammed had made his Night Journey. The Patriarch watched in horror: this, he thought, must be the Abomination of Desolation that the Prophet Daniel had foretold would enter the Temple; this must be Antichrist who would herald the Last Days. Next Omar asked to see the Christian shrines and, while he was in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the time for Muslim prayer came round. Courteously the Patriarch invited him to pray where he was, but Omar as courteously refused. If he knelt to pray in the church, he explained, the Muslims would want to commemorate the event by erecting a mosque there, and that would mean that they would have to demolish the Holy Sepulchre. Instead Omar went to pray at a little distance from the church, and, sure enough, directly opposite the Holy Sepulchre there is still a small mosque dedicated to the Caliph Omar.

The other great mosque of Omar was erected on the Temple Mount to mark the Muslim conquest, together with the mosque al-Aqsa which commemorates Mohammed’s Night Journey. For years, the Christians had used to the site of the ruined Jewish Temple as the city rubbish dump. The Caliph helped his Muslims to clear the garbage with his own hands and there Muslims raised their two shrines to establish Islam in the third most holy city in the Islamic world. [1]

In short, Muslims brought ‘civilization’ to Jerusalem and all of Palestine. Instead of barbaric beliefs that showed no respect for other peoples’ sacred values, and which killed them simply out of differences of belief, there reigned the just, tolerant and moderate culture of Islam. After its capture by Omar, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together in peace and harmony in Palestine. Muslims never tried to use force to make people convert, although some non-Muslims did so of their own free will.

The peace and harmony in Palestine lasted as long as Muslim rule in the region. However, at the end of the 11th century, an invader entered the region from abroad, and the civilized land of Jerusalem was barbarically and savagely plundered, in a way never before seen. These barbarians were the Crusaders.

A historical testimony of Muslim tolerance to the Christians: Muslim Dome of the Rock next to the Christian Church.

The Savagery of the Crusaders

Crusaders plundered Jerusalem and killed all its non-Christian inhabitants.
While members of all three religions were living in peace and harmony in Palestine, the Christians in Europe decided to organize the ‘Crusades.’ Following a call by Pope Urban II on 25 November 1095 at the Council of Clermont, more than 100,000 people from all over Europe set out for Palestine to ‘Free the Holy land from the Muslims’ and find the fabled wealth of the East. After a long and wearying journey, and much plundering and slaughter of Muslims, they reached Jerusalem in 1099. The city fell after a siege of nearly five weeks, and the Crusaders moved in. And they carried out a savagery the like of which the world has seldom seen. All Muslims and Jews in the city were put to the sword. In the words of one historian, ‘They killed all the Saracens and the Turks they found… whether male of female.” [2] One of the Crusaders, Raymond of Aguiles, boasted of this violence:

Wonderful sights were to be seen. Some of our men (and this was more merciful) cut off the heads of their enemies; others shoot them with arrows, so that they fell from the towers; others tortured them longer by casting them into flames. Piles of heads, hands and feet were to be seen in the streets of the city. It was necessary to pick one’s way over the bodies of men and horses. But these were small matters compared to what happened at the Temple of Solomon, a place where religious services are normally chanted … in the temple and the porch of Solomon, men rode in blood up to their knees and bridle reins. [3]

In two days, the Crusader army killed some 40,000 Muslims in the barbaric ways just described. [4] The peace and harmony in Palestine, which had lasted since Omar, ended in terrible slaughter. The Crusaders violated all the ethical laws of Christianity, a religion of love and compassion, and spread terror, allegedly in the name of Christianity (As it was, so it is. Even in the 21st century, there was a leader, you-know-who, who declared ‘crusade’ against terrorism allegedly in the name of Christianity, which is actually aimed at Islam and Muslims- ghazi).

The Justice of Saladin

The barbaric Crusader army made Jerusalem their capital, and established a Latin Kingdom whose borders stretched from Palestine to Antioch. However, the Crusaders who brought savagery to Palestine did not last long. Saladin gathered all the Muslim kingdoms under his banner in a holy war, and defeated the Crusaders at the battle of Hattin in 1187. After the battle, the two leaders of the crusader army, Reynauld of Chatillon and King Guy, were brought in Saladin’s presence. Saladin executed Reynauld of Chatillon, who had won fame with the terrible savagery he had committed against Muslims, but he let King Guy go, as he had not committed the same crimes. Palestine once again saw the true meaning of justice.

Immediately after Hattin, and on the very same day that Prophet Mohammed had been taken from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night, the day of the ascent, Saladin entered Jerusalem and freed it from 88 years of Crusader occupation. When the Crusaders had taken the city 88 years earlier, they had killed all the Muslims inside it, and for that reason they were afraid that Saladin would do the same thing to them. Whereas he did not touch even one Christian in the city. Furthermore, he merely ordered the Latin (Catholic) Christians to leave it. The Orthodox Christians, who were not Crusaders, were allowed to live in the city and live and worship as they chose. The British historian Karen Armstrong describes the second Islamic capture of Jerusalem in these words:

On 2 October 1187 Saladin and his army entered Jerusalem as conquerors and for the next 800 years Jerusalem would remain a Muslim city… Saladin kept his word, and conquered the city according to the highest Islamic ideals. He did not take revenge for the 1099 massacre, as the Koran advised (16:127), and now that hostilities had ceased he ended the killing (2:193-194). Not a single Christian was killed and there was no plunder. The ransoms were deliberately very low…

Saladin was moved to tears by the plight of families who were rent asunder and he released many of them freely, as the Koran urged, though to the despair of his long-suffering treasurers. His brother al-Adil was so distressed by the plight of the prisoners that he asked Saladin for a thousand of them for his own use and then released them on the spot…

When Imad ad-Din saw the Patriarch Heraclius leaving the city with chariots crammed with treasure, he urged Saladin to confiscate it. But Saladin refused. The Koran said that oaths and treaties must be kept to the letter and it was essential that the Muslims should observe the legalities… Heraclius paid his ten-dinar ransom like everybody else and was even provided with a special escort to keep his treasure safe during the journey to Tyre. [5]

In short, Saladin and the Muslims in his command treated the Christians with great mercy and justice, and even showed them more compassion than their own leaders had.

Richard the Lionheart, was not very “noble” at all. After Jerusalem, the Crusaders continued their barbarity and the Muslims their justice in other cities in Palestine. In 1194, Richard the Lionheart, who is portrayed as a great hero in British history, had 3,000 Muslims, among whom were many women and children, basely executed in Acre Castle. Although the Muslims witnessed this savagery, they never resorted to the same methods. They abided by God’s command “Do not let hatred for a people… incite you into going beyond the limits” (Surat al-Ma’ida) and never used violence against innocent civilians. They never employed unnecessary violence, not even against the Crusader armies they defeated.

The savagery of the crusaders and the justice of the Muslims once more revealed a historic truth: Only an administration built on the principles of Islam could allow people of different faiths to live together in Palestine. This fact continued to be demonstrated for 700 years after Saladin, particularly during the Ottoman period.

The Ottoman Empire’s Just and Tolerant Rule

In 1514, Sultan Selim captured Jerusalem and the surrounding area, and some 400 years of Ottoman rule in Palestine began. As in other Ottoman states, this period would enable Palestine to enjoy peace, stability, and the living together of different faiths.

The tolerance of Islam continued in the Ottoman Empire. Church, synagogue and the mosque coexisted peacefully. The Ottoman Empire was administered under what is known as the ‘nation (millet) system,‘ the fundamental feature of which was that people of different faiths were allowed to live according to their own beliefs and even legal systems. Christians and Jews, described as the ‘People of the Book’ in the Koran, found toleration, security and freedom in Ottoman lands.

The most important reason for this was that although the Ottoman Empire was an Islamic state administered by Muslims, it had no desire to force its citizens to adopt Islam. On the contrary, the Ottoman state aimed at providing peace and security for non-Muslims, and to govern them in such a way that they would be pleased with Islamic rule and justice.

Other major states at the same time had a much cruder, oppressive and intolerant view of government. The Kingdom of Spain could not tolerate the existence of Muslims and Jews on the Spanish peninsula and inflicted great violence on both communities. In many other European countries, Jews were oppressed just for being Jews (for instance they were imprisoned in ghettoes), and were sometimes the victims of mass slaughter (pogroms). Christians could not even get on with one another: the fighting between Protestants and Catholics in the 16th and 17th centuries turned Europe into a lake of blood. The Thirty Years War between 1618 and 1648 was one result of this Catholic-Protestant conflict. As a result of that war, central Europe turned into a battleground, and in Germany alone, one-third of the population of 15 million perished.

In such an environment, it is an indisputably important truth that Ottoman rule was exceedingly humane.

Many historians and political scientists have drawn attention to this fact. One of these is Columbia University’s world-famous Middle East expert Professor Edward Said. Himself from a Jerusalem Christian family, he continues his research in American universities. In an interview in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz he recommended the ‘Ottoman nation system’ if a permanent peace is to be built in the Middle East. What he said was:

A Jewish minority can survive the way other minorities in the Arab world survived. …it worked rather well under the Ottoman Empire, with its millet system. What they had then seems a lot more humane than what we have now. [6]

1. Karen Armstrong, Holy War, MacMillan, London, 1988, p. 30-31
2. Geste Francorum, or the Deeds of the Franks and the Other Pilgrims to Jerusalem, trans. Rosalind Hill, London, 1962, p. 91
3. August C. Krey, The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants, Pinceton & London, 1921, p. 261
4. August C. Krey, The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants, Pinceton & London, 1921, p. 262
5. Karen Armstrong, Holy War, p. 185
6. 18.8.2000, Ha’aretz Newspaper; MiddleEast.Org, August 2000

Seminar: Krisis Kenaikan Harga Minyak – Penyelesaian daripada Islam

Assalamualaikum, bagi mereka yang berkelapangan, jemputlah hadir ke Seminar Pemikiran Islam yang bertajuk “Krisis Kenaikan Harga Minyak: Penyelesaian daripada Islam” anjuran Ikatan Intelektual Nusantara (IKIN) dengan kerjasama daripada Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia.

Tarikh  : 29 Jun 2008 / 25 Jamadilakhir 1429H

Tempat : Puri Pujangga, UKM Bangi

Masa    : 8.00 pagi – 1.00 petang

Insya Allah dalam seminar tersebut akan dibincangkan tentang pandangan syarak berkenaan isu kenaikan harga minyak serta bagaimana Islam mendepaninya. Dalam post saya yang bertajuk “Oil Price Hike – The Causes and The Solution”, saya telah berkongsi tentang punca-punca yang menyebabkan krisis ini dan juga telah menyatakan penyelesaiannya secara ringkas. Insya Allah dalam forum ini, kita akan berpeluang untuk mendalami dengan lebih lanjut bagaimana Islam - sebuah ideologi yang dipimpin wahyu - menangani isu ini.

Jemputlah hadir beramai-ramai, mudah-mudahan kita beroleh kebaikan daripadanya… Dalam kehangatan kita memprotes kenaikan harga minyak ini, ada baiknya kita meluangkan sedikit daripada masa kita untuk meneliti semula isu ini menurut perspektif syarak. Bila di seminar nanti, jangan malu dan jangan segan untuk berjumpa serta bertegur sapa dengan pihak sekretariat seminar. Insya Allah di samping boleh bertukar pandangan, dapat juga membina ukhuwwah di kalangan kita.

Wallahu’alam

 

Declaration of ‘War’ against Pedestrian Infidels

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim…

I hereby declare state of ‘war’ against the blog Pedestrian Infidels (http://pedestrianinfidel.blogspot.com) for their biased, hate-driven, and negative false accusations against Islam. They do nothing but triggering religious hatred between Muslims and non-Muslim. The tone of their articles and comments are very inflammatory and would surely hurt the feelings of Muslims. Besides, their action also may cause further misunderstanding about what Islam is. They showed no respect to Islam at all. They make a whole lot of blatant lies, slanderous articles, and also fitnah towards Islam, and then they hide behind the concepts of freedom of speech.

I call for all Muslims who read my declaration not to become irrational. Instead, we must respond rationally and do our best to spread the true message of Islam to every single non-Muslims in this world. Yes, we will be angered but still we have to act professionally and in a civilized manner.

I demand the author of the blog to delete Pedestrian Infidel, or they will face the fury of Muslims and also punishment by the future Caliphate.

Signed,

Muhammad Ghazi

Perigi mencari timba??!

Mungkin sudah ramai yang mengalami peristiwa sebegini. Tapi bagi saya, ia merupakan suatu perkara yang benar-benar mengejutkan… Dalam keadaan yang serba tak bersedia ni, tiba-tiba datang wakil merisik. Terkejut ada, takut pun ada. Maklumlah, rasa diri ni macam masih budak-budak lagi, tiba-tiba ada orang datang merisik. Namun, saya tekad dalam hati, saya ingin bersedia betul-betul sebelum membuat sebarang komitmen dalam berumah tangga. Setidak-tidaknya saya kena dapatkan kehidupan yang stabil terlebih dahulu. Bagaimana nak memimpin rumah tangga kalau diri sendiri pun tak terurus?

Teringat saya kepada junjungan mulia Nabi Muhammad saw. Baginda saw pun dirisik oleh Saidatina Khadijah. Jadi, kalau ada sesiapa yang berpandangan serong terhadap kes ‘perigi mencari timba’ ni, lebih baik dia berfikir dua kali.

Setahu saya, dalam Islam tiada salahnya kalau pihak wanita yang merisik. Tak tahulah kalau-kalau ada ijtihad atau fatwa mana-mana ulama’ yang melarangnya. Setakat ni saya tak jumpa, dan saya yakin bahawa tindakan sebegini tiada salahnya di sisi syarak. Jadi, saya menolak bukan kerana ia bertentangan dengan syarak. Juga bukan kerana saya ni memilih (sebab saya tak tahu pun siapa yang merisik tu. Yang merisik tu tak nyatakan namanya). Harap tak disalahfaham…

Saya menolak kerana saya percaya perkahwinan ni bukannya soal main-main. Hari ni kahwin, esok bercerai-berai. Lusa rujuk balik, kemudian cerai lagi. Talak tiga. Tulat cari ‘cina buta’ (perbuatan ini dilihat sebagai memutarbelit hukum Islam. Jadi jangan buat ye). Keluar masuk mahkamah syariah.

Saya tak mahu jadi begitu. Kalau boleh (saya berdoa kepada Allah taala) supaya mengurniakan saya keluarga yang bahagia sehinggalah ke akhirnya… Saya berdoa supaya melalui ikatan ini, saya dikurniakan zuriat yang soleh dan ikhlas mencari redha-Nya. Saya berdoa supaya zuriat saya akan menjadi para mujahid yang tegas memperjuang deen Allah ini. Juga menjadi ilmuan yang berjaya dalam hidupnya. Semoga Allah memperkenankan doa saya ni. Amin.

Apapun, saya tetap bersyukur ke hadrat Allah atas ujian sebegini… Peristiwa ini benar-benar meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam terhadap hidup saya. Peristiwa ini menyedarkan saya bahawa masih banyak lagi yang perlu saya perbaik dalam hidup saya ini.

Wallahu’alam… Sesiapa yang ada pengalaman sebegini silalah kongsikan ye kalau berkelapangan…

Exam dah dekat.

Kadang-kadang jeles jugak tengok students course lain. Masing-masing dapat cuti panjang. Ada yang sampai sebulan lebih. Ku pulak rasanya lepas-lepas ni dah takda cuti panjang dah… Paling panjang pun rasenye seminggu je kot. Apo nak dikato… Dah ambil course ni, kenalah tahan sikit… Nanti dah kerja lagi lah sibuk…

Exam pun dah dekat. Orang lain dah nak start sem baru, ku exam pun belum lagi… So, kenalah gandakan usaha terutamanya tang aspek praktikal. Bukanlah nak cakap ku ni dah expert kat part teori. Cumanya, dari segi praktikal tu ku agak ketinggalan. Jauh ketinggalan. Nak kata ku tak rajin praktis, takdelah pulak. Selalu je buat. Maybe tak cukup lagi rasanya.

Jadi, apa yang perlu ku buat dengan masa yang masih berbaki lagi ni?

1. Susun semula hidup. Kemas bilik, susun meja, agih-agihkan masa untuk cover semua part. Yang penting, cover posting ni dulu.

2. Sucikan diri. Muhasabah dan perbetul semua kesilapan yang dilakukan. Namun bukan kerana exam dah dekat ye… Niatkan kerana Allah taala.

3. Fokus kepada study. Namun jangan tinggalkan kewajipan lain pula. Cuma lebihkan fokus kepada study. Dalam masa yang sama, buat list mengikut keutamaan. Mungkin buat masa ni ku akan kurangkan fokus kat blog ni. Kiranya cuti sekejap la… hehe. Kalau tulis pun, yang pendek-pendek je kot…

4. Paling penting, lepas usaha kita gantungkanlah pengharapan kepada Allah.

Invitation to Islam – Part 2: Proof of al-Quran and Prophethood of Muhammad pbuh

In the part 1 of this series, I have presented to you the proof of God via rational thinking. One article may not be enough to fully convince a person who, for example, throughout his life never believing in the very existence of the Creator. Thus, I would like to encourage such person to further research and ponder about the arguments that had been brought previously. Apart from that, I would like to suggest you to explore the creation of universe and living things. How can it be possible for such unique and well functioning world came into existence by chance? Let me bring you a simple analogy for all of us to ponder. One day you walk through the beach. Suddenly a huge wave came sweeping to the beach. After it subsided, suddenly a wonderful sand castle is built on the beach. Is it possible?

Now, in the second part of the series, I would like to present arguments to proof the holy Quran as the word of God and also to prove the prophethood of Muhammad pbuh. Again, I would use rational thinking process in order to achieve the truth.

As for proving that the Quran is revealed by Allah, it is well known that the Quran is an Arabic book conveyed by Muhammad pbuh. Thus, there can only be three possible sources of al-Quran and it cannot be from any other than these three. It can either from the Arabs, from Muhammad himself, or from Allah.

Al-Quran cannot be from the Arabs, since it had challenged them to bring forth something like it, and they failed to do so. Hence, this book is not their speech because they were unable to bring the like, though it challenged them, and they tried to do so.

“Say, bring ten surahs like unto it.” [11:13]

“Say, bring one surah like unto it.” [10:38]

It is also false to say that it is from Muhammad, since Muhammad is one of the Arabs, and no matter how genius a person, he was still a human being and a part of his community and nation. Since the Arab themselves had failed to bring the like, this also applies to Muhammad, the Arab, that he could not bring the like of it. Moreover, Muhammad pbuh has left hadis (traditions) sahih and mutawatir, whose authenticity is beyond refute. If any of his words to be compared with any verse of the Quran, there would be no similarity between them in style, even though he (pbuh) used to utter the revealed verse and say the hadis at the same time. No matter how a man tried to disguise his words, he will remain similar in style, because his words are a part of him. Since there is no similarity between the hadis and the verse in style, the Quran is absolutely not Muhammad’s words.

Even the Arabs Musyrikeen who opposed Islam never accused him for creating the Quran. Even the ones, who were the most acquainted with the style of the Arabic speech, had never alleged that al-Quran is Muhammad’s word. The only thing that they claimed was that Muhammad brought it from a Christian youth named Jabbir. Allah swt refuted what they’d said and responded;

“We know indeed that they say it is a man that taught him. The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.” [16:103]

There are some Western orientalists who used Mohammedan interchangeably with Islam, which is meant to show that Islam is created by Muhammad pbuh himself. This is absolutely wrong, because he is the prophet who conveyed what has been revealed to him.

Since it has been proven that the Quran is neither the words of the Arabs nor the words of Muhammad, then it is definitely the words of Allah, and consequently it is a miracle for the one who brought it. And because Muhammad is the one who conveyed the Quran, and the Quran is the word of God; and no one brings Allah’s divine law except the prophets and the messengers, then accordingly Muhammad must definitely be a prophet and messenger, by intellectual proof.

After coming to such conclusion, it has become clear for us to have total faith to whatever that has been revealed in the Holy Quran and also from the prophet’s traditions (hadis). Thus, being a Muslim, there would never be a problem for us to believe in Day of Judgment, the angels (malaikat), the jins (genie), and also syaitan (devils). We would also never doubted the mizan (the scale used to measure human deeds and sins), and many other ghaib things (that can’t be detected by human’s five senses) that has been revealed in the Quran and also hadis. We will also not have any problems in obeying the shariah law that has been built from these two sources. Our one and only concern is on how to interpret from these sources. Should there be any discrepancies, we ought to compare between those opinions and interpretations. Then we will choose one of them which have stronger argument (hujah) and proof (dalil). Unfortunately, not all of us are knowledgeable and also able to derive the rules from the Islamic source. Thus, it is permissible for us to become muqallid (followers) of the mazhabs (school of thoughts) regarding the law (i.e. shariah). However, please don’t misunderstand my statement. This doesn’t mean that we should forever follow blindly. We are also encouraged to study and understand the methods that have been used to ‘pluck’ the hukum (rulings) from the Islamic sources. The method (of arriving to the ruling) is known as Usul Fiqh. It is in fact compulsory (fardhu ain) for us to understand the rulings regarding whatever in relation with what we do in our daily life. For example, a doctor must know and obey the rulings regarding his/her practice, such as cloning, euthanasia, stem cell research, abortion etc. Same goes to the farmers, the clerk, professors and even the leader of the country.

Even though it is permissible in becoming followers regarding shariah, but it is not acceptable for us to follow blindly regarding aqidah (i.e. the creed). Faith must be obtained by each individual, not blindly accepting whatever that had been taught to us.

In the subsequent parts, I will share with you what Islam is all about – from the basics up to the practicality of its practices in our daily life. I would also include some confusion that had been aroused by some of my non-Muslim friends, for example regarding the presence of different schools of thoughts. Insya Allah.

For the time being, I would like to invite any of the readers who are now convinced about the truth of Islam, to confess and become a Muslim. Please read the following;

“I believe that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His messenger.”

After confessing your faith, please visit the nearest masjid or Islamic center and meet with the members of committee in that masjid or Islamic center to inform your conversion to Islam.

For those who are still not convinced yet, you are welcomed to raise any doubts that held you from doing so. There will be no compulsion in calling you to convert into a Muslim. Anyway, thank you for reading my articles. I pray to Allah that each and every one of us will achieve hidayah (guidance) from Him. Amin.

P/s: For the fellow Muslims, it is about time for us to renew our iman. And also to ponder whether all this time are we practicing the true Islamic teaching? Or we just simply take whatever that pleased us and leaving behind those rules that we don’t like?

Wallahu’alam…

Takut hantu – khurafat digapai, akidah tergadai

Mungkin ada yang menganggap bahawa isu ini bukanlah suatu yang relevan, apatah lagi di zaman yang serba moden ini. Namun, sebelum kita beranggapan sedemikian, cuba kita renungkan semula tentang isu ini. Kemudian kita teliti semula keadaan di sekeliling kita. Percaya atau tidak, isu ‘takut hantu’ ini masih lagi menghantui masyarakat Islam khususnya yang berbangsa Melayu.

Saya tidak menafikan kewujudan makhluk ghaib di dunia ini. Malaikat, Iblis, Syaitan, dan Jin. Semua makhluk ini ada diceritakan dalam al-Quran. Atas sebab itulah saya meyakini kewujudannya. Namun tidak pernah pula saya ketemui perkataan ‘hantu’ dalam al-Quran mahupun al-Hadis. Dari mana datangnya perkataan hantu ini ye? Saya pernah mendengar “teori” daripada seorang kenalan saya sewaktu kecil-kecil dulu. Katanya perkataan ‘hantu’ ini datang daripada perkataan ‘tuhan’. Diceritakan kepada saya bahawa suatu hari ni, ada seorang insan yang mengalami gangguan. Disebabkan ketakutan yang amat sangat, dia pun menyebut “Tuhan” berulang-ulang kali. “Tuhan tuhan tuhan tuhantu hantu hantu…” Maka lahirlah perkataan ‘hantu’. Sejauh mana kebenaran teori ni, wallahu’alam tiada pula diketahui. Tapi harus diingat bahawa teori ni datang daripada budak-budak. Jadi, faham-faham je lah ye…

Memang bangsa Melayu ni boleh dikatakan agak obses dengan hantu dan perkara-perkara mistik. Tengok sajalah rancangan-rancangan ataupun filem yang menjadi top most viewers di kalangan orang-orang Melayu. Bahkan fenomena sebegini telah mendapat teguran daripada Sahibus Samahah Mufti Perlis Dr. Asri yang menyelar trend pengeluar filem yang banyak mengeluarkan filem-filem genre seram dan mistik. Ada sesetengah tu pula takda kerja pergi cari kerja. Sanggup belanja wang untuk mencari hantu. Maaf kalau menyinggung perasaan mana-mana pihak. Ada kalanya kita perlu berterus terang dan tegas. Ubat, walaupun pahit boleh menyembuhkan dengan izin Allah.
Secara peribadinya, terdapat beberapa orang kenalan saya yang begitu takut akan hantu, sehinggakan nak tidur malam pun tak berani nak padamkan lampu. Bahkan ada yang membiarkan televisyen terpasang sehingga ke pagi hari demi menghilangkan rasa takut. Tidak kurang juga yang menyimpan surah Yasin di bawah bantal sebagai “pelindung” daripada gangguan hantu. Sedangkan sepatutnya surah Yasin itu dihidupkan (dibaca dan dihayati) dalam kehidupan seharian. Bukannya dijadikan azimat mahupun tangkal. Ada juga yang membaca ayat Qursi semata-mata kerana takut diganggu ‘hantu’, dan bukannya dengan niat nak beramal dengannya. Saya akui, tidak lama dahulu saya pun mengamalkan amalan-amalan sebegini (namun taklah sampai ke tahap simpan tangkal dan perkara khurafat lain). Alhamdulillah akhirnya saya telah menyedari hakikat ini. Dan saya harap agar para pembaca juga turut menginsafi diri.

Bukanlah saya ni nak berlagak dan tunjuk berani, mencabar-cabar supaya diganggu hantu. Apa yang ingin saya sampaikan di sini ialah, janganlah ditakutkan dek hantu. Memang benar, makhluk ghaib itu wujud. Cuma jangan sampai kita berjaya diselewengkan oleh syaitan yang sememangnya berhasrat untuk menyesatkan umat manusia. Jangan disebabkan takutnya kita kepada hantu, sampai ke tahap kita minta azimat pelindung, mengamalkan khurafat, mensyirikkan Allah SWT pula… Wa iyazubillah!!

Yakinlah kepada Allah swt. Tiada suatu pun yang dapat mengapa-apakan kita tanpa izin-Nya. Perbanyakkan amalan-amalan, tapi bukan dengan niat kerana takut kepada hantu, sebaliknya niatkan ikhlas demi mencapai keredhaan-Nya.

Sudah tiba masanya kita meninggalkan kepercayaan-kepercayaan karut yang masih menebal dalam masyarakat kita kerana ini jelas bertentangan dengan syariat Islam…

Wallahu’alam…

P/s: Penulisan post ini tiada kaitan dengan Friday 13th. Bahkan saya tak merancang untuk menulis post ini pada tarikh ini. Saya tak percaya kepada perkara tahyul sebegitu.

Oil price hike – the causes and the solution

As I wrote this post, most people from all walks of life are heavily trapped in the middle of the oil price hike issue. Some were trying so hard to back the government’s move, and most of them oppose such move; while the rest (minority, perhaps) are simply being apathetic towards the issue. As the debate progresses, the intensity and degree of the heat are arising. Demonstrations were also held in certain part of the country, and many more to come in the near future.

Many have come with various possible options on how to survive the price hike. Some of the suggestions were rather very crude and simple such as spending wisely, while at the other end of the spectrum demands total change of the system. Somewhere in the middle, there are people who blame the government of the day for being unwise in facing such issue. Thus, they call for the change of the federal and state governments alike.

The oil price hike is not an isolated issue. In contrary, it is related to the broader aspect of the global economy, of which the main role is being played by United States of America (US). It is not simply a local issue, but this doesn’t mean that the local government is totally innocent. They also must be held responsible for adapting and embracing (read: submitting) to the western Capitalist system (which is based mainly on usury and speculations). I am very sure that some of you will not agree with my statement. I may not have a formal education on economy, but I do have some bits of knowledge that I learned from my friends and fellow teachers in economics. I may be wrong though, hence if I do, please correct me…

By the way, what is the Capitalist system is all about? As the name suggests, Capitalism was derived from its most prominent aspect – Capital, i.e. the accumulation of capital and making money out of money. Most of the wealth generated in Capitalist nations is from the financial sector that doesn’t actually produce anything but provide a service where one can bet on the future price of items. The highest aim of the capitalism is to obtain happiness, by gaining material benefits as much as possible. In this endeavour, Capitalism promotes securitization (trading) of any commodity whether it is real or imagined. Originally the stock market was created to bet on the future movement of the share prices as well as the performance of a company. Thereafter the derivatives market was created which is a ‘casino’ where betting takes place on the movement of the stock market and in the last two decades all commodities can be speculated upon.

The causes

All the price hike of the crude oil, food stock, and other commodities is due to the dependency on US dollars in the fiat monetary system (which forms the backbone of the Capitalist system). Most of the global trades were using US dollars as the currency. By doing this, US will not suffer the economic downturn alone. Instead, she will drag the global economy along the drain. While in fiat system, the value of the money is made out of the thin air. The role that is played by the central bank has caused inflation, or simply said – the money is made out of debt.

But how does the price hikes related to the system?

The unstable value of the dollar has caused panic among the speculators, leading them to put their funds into safe havens such as gold and oil, thus spiking up their prices. Since oil is very important in modern economy, slight changes in the price can adversely affecting the economies. Today oil is used for numerous everyday products across the world, most commonly for powering combustion engines such as fuel oil, diesel, and petrol. Oil is also used as fuel for heating and lighting (e.g. kerosene lamp). The petrochemicals industry produces many by-products such as plastics and lubricants. Solvents (alcohols) are also manufactured through oil, without which there would be no chemicals industry. The free flowing hydrocarbons allow many farming techniques and fertilizations. Hence small shifts in the price of oil have far reaching consequences. It is no wonder when the oil price increased, other commodities and food prices would follow.

Now we can conclude that the sudden oil price hike is not entirely blamed on increased appetite towards oil as some might suggest. (There is one opinion that totally blamed the economic progress China and India for this). Instead, it is mainly due to the market speculation. This is supported by a June 2006 US Senate Permanent Sub committee on Investigations report on “The Role of Market Speculation in rising oil and gas prices”. The report noted, “… there is substantial evidence supporting the conclusion that the large amount of speculation in the current market has significantly increased prices”.

One geo-political expert confirmed ‘Today 60% of crude oil price is pure speculation driven by large trader banks and hedge funds and with the development of unregulated international derivatives trading in oil futures over the past decade, the way has opened for the present speculative bubble in oil prices’.

[W Engdahl, ‘Speculators knock OPEC of oil-price perch,’ Asia Times Online, May 6^th 2008.]

Conclusion

I have brought my arguments to prove that recent oil price hike and also increase in price of food and other commodities are not isolated issues. I also have provided the true cause of these problems. All these problems (among others) are caused by the adoption of the corrupt and vicious system, namely the Capitalism. Thus, the only solution is by totally rejecting the system and applying the alternative system which – for this instance – can ensure that there will be no central bank that operates based on usury and also denies the role of market speculation; the system that also put the intrinsic value into our money, based on stable, bimetallic system. The system that I meant is the one that had existed in the history of human civilizations for more than 1300 years – i.e. the Islamic system or, also known as the Caliphate.

Insya Allah, I will share with you on how Islam views and tackles these issues in the series of “Invitation to Islam” in my blog. I do not want to jump straight into discussing the system that is derived from Islamic creed before I completely shared about the creed itself. Because application of the system without proper understanding of its principle or creed that it is derived from is hollow and meaningless. But for the time being, I would like to suggest you to read more on this issue in the e-book “The Global Credit Crunch and The Crisis of Capitalism” written by Adnan Khan. The e-book is downloadable at www.khilafah.com. I referred mainly to this book for writing this post.

P/s: please excuse my terrible English…

Ade ke orang yang baca blog ku ni??

Blogmania memang dah menjadi-jadi sejak dua menjak ni. Lebih-lebih lagi sejak kempen pilihanraya ke-12 ni. Tapi ade ke orang yang baca betul-betul ape yang ade dalam blogku ni..? Kalau semua dok rancak buat blog masing-masing, ade ke kita luangkan mase untuk baca blog orang lain? Honestly speaking, ku sendiri pun (setakat 6 Jun 2008) baru bace tiga, empat blog orang lain (dalam wordpress ni). Adesss…

Sejauh mane lah agaknye mesej yang cuba kite bawak melalui medium blog ni boleh sampai kat orang ramai, ye? Oklah, jom kite renung same-same… Dalam dunia ni berapa percent je manusia yang ade access internet. Dalam banyak-banyak orang tu, berapa ramai pulak yang tahu pasal blog-blog ni? Sebab tak semua orang gunakan internet untuk luangkan mase bace blog macam korang (ye, korang yang tengah bace post ku ni…). Ade jugak orang yang tak bermoral, pergi bukak website yang bukan-bukan. Kemudian dalam ramai-ramai bloggers dan juga pengunjung blog ni, berape ramai yang betul-betul concern dengan isu semasa, tsaqafah Islam, dan jugak topik-topik yang memerlukan kita berfikir? Berape ramai yang baca sampai habis, kemudian hayati apa yang tersurat dan yang tersirat..? Berape ramai pulak yang faham bahasa yang ku gunakan (i.e. English yang bersepah-sepah dan jugak Bahasa Melayu yang kelam-kabut)?

Bile kita amik kire semua faktor kat atas ni, akhirnya berape keratlah sangat yang akan baca post ku? Hm, berkesan ke medium blog ni?? Ataupun ku sekadar buang masa je buat blog ni..?

Persoalan untuk direnungkan, dan dijawab kalau korang ada kelapangan…

P/s: ku buat blog ni bukanlah kerna nama, juga bukan sebab nakkan keuntungan… Harap tak disalah anggap. Tapi jauh di sudut hati, terase jugak la. Takpela, nampaknye ku kena perbetulkan balik niat, lepas tu terus istiqamah.

Kepada yang senasib denganku… takpe-takpe, kite sampaikan je. Terima atau tak, itu terserah kepada-Nya. Yang penting, dah usahakan setakat yang termampu. Dalam mase yang same, gunakan pendekatan lain jugak ye. Dalam nak menyampaikan mesej ni kita kena kreatif, betul tak? Jangan kau bawak ajaran sesat & bukan-bukan sudah le… Kat Internet ni dah terlalu banyak pembohongan, penyelewengan, fitnah, umpatan… Jadi kepada bloggers sekalian, janganlah menambahkan lagi statistik perkara-perkara tersebut ye…

[post ni merupakan luahan perasaan, jadi kalau buat formal (guna gaya bahasa dan tatabahasa yang tepat) nanti skema pulak jadinye... ho ho]

Invitation to Islam – Part 1: Proof of God

Towards understanding Islam, it is very important (and logical, too) for us to understand its creed first. Instead of jumping straight to discuss about the misconception of Islam, I would like to share with you the basis of Islam. Otherwise, the discussion about Islam and its rulings would be pointless and will continue endlessly.

First, I would like to start on with proving the existence of God, the one and only God. Different religion might use different names; and also held different rituals. But the truth is God is God. It is very unfortunate that some people deny the very existence of God; be it out of knowledge and understanding or simply due to ignorance.

As a Muslim, we cannot accept the religion blindly. In fact, we must achieve the faith in Islam by rational thinking. But we cannot use our limited mind to reach for the Essence of God, since it is far beyond our perception (this will be explained later in this article). Instead, we must prove His existence by observing and pondering about His creations. This is where our journey begins…

Some might say that Muslims are not open towards criticism especially when it comes to the matters of religion; and that we are against any skeptics who questions about the truth of Islam. These are all untrue. I dare you (the skeptics) to bring upon your arguments against the existence of God and against Islam. It may take some times for me to answer, but I promise to provide them; taking into consideration of my ability and the time constraints.

The article below was taken and modified from a slide presentation “Proof of the Existence of a Creator” by www.caliphate.co.uk. May Allah bless them for their contributions towards understanding Islam.

The Argument

Today if you mention God then you’ll probably get a negative reaction. It has become the trend to get on with life and not bother to ask the question whether there is a God or not. In fact this question was not even asked much in the days of old, when you simply had to believe in God or be persecuted.

Therefore, it is not suprising that people find it easy to believe that the existence of God is a myth, simply because they have never thought deeply about the idea. It is because people continued to believe in God blindly, i.e. Blind Faith, rather than use ration, that science and its attempted explanations of universal phenomena was hailed as the ‘new god’. But let us deal with both arguments – for and against the existence of Creator – from a rational perspective.

Argument for God

A common argument by many Christians and some other religions is that God is God of many abstract attributes such as Love, Peace, and Mercy which indeed are admirable qualities for human beings to aspire to. This characterization of God is based upon an implicit assumption that God can be likened to human beings thus the attempt to understand God in a human framework. Accordingly, we find in some societies such as early Greek that individual gods are used to represent single human attributes, and other cultures’ gods have quality to reproduce.

The question this begs is whether the essence of an unlimited Creator is understandable through a limited, imperfect human mind when God lies beyond our perception? Rational thought would dictate that if God exists then knowledge of God’s attributes can only come from Himself. Therefore, famine in the world lading to deaths of millions would not deny the justice, mercy or love of a supposed God, but would only of one attribute the human essence to God. Similarly, if one understands God as the Governor and controller of the universe then the notion of God dying is nonsensical. This is the failure of Christianity and indeed all religions, as their belief becomes a matter of ‘Blind Faith’. Consequently, they allow themselves to be plagued by rational contradictions that inevitably lead to intellectual refutation.

Argument against God

With regard to opposing view proposed by scientific theories to disprove the existence of God. Are these arguments valid? To understand the validity of any proposed argument the premise should be examined. Science is concerned with the methodology of processes in the physical world, i.e. it deals with ‘how’ and not ‘why’. Thus scientists are not concerned with why gravity exists but how gravity influences bodies to shape this universe. The scientific method is limited in that it can only deduce rules by repeated observations of physical phenomena. Thus the question of the existence of God does not and cannot fall into the realm of scientific thought because science deals with the mechanisms of events and phenomena within the universe i.e. the tangible and not intangible. To test the hypothesis to apply scientific proof for or against God, one would effectively have said that God is ‘testable’.

Therefore, logically one would conclude God to be within the universe since God must be physically tangible in order to test. Since God is tangible and contained within the universe (assumption that is made if scientific method is to be used – writer’s addition), God must be limited and therefore cannot be God. Thus scientists are falling into the same trap as the blind followers of religion, which is they are implicitly defining a role to God as the ‘one who makes things work’. Since scientists have explained how things work the question of God does not arise. Those who argue from this angle have falsely assumed an attribute/essence of God in the same way Christians say God has a son or is love. To prove or disprove the existence of a creator we need to go beyond the limitations of the scientific method and proceed rationally for it is only rational thought which has the ability to deal with an issue like this.

Use of Rational Thinking

Man progresses as a result of his thoughts concerning everything around him. Thoughts are what distinguish man from other animals and without them man would be lost. Thought occurs when man receives information about something through his five senses. He then distinguishes it by linking it to previous information and experiences he has encountered. For example, a person comes across a plant. He knows that it is a plant due to previous knowledge of what a plant looks like. But only when he links it with previous information on the various types of plants will he be able to tell if it is edible or poisonous. Hence, just receiving information is not enough. It will remain only as information that we cannot appreciate or understand. However the process of linking it to previous information and distinguishing the information is the process of thought and is the key of understanding and progressing.

Consequently, when man becomes convinced of the correctness of thought, it becomes a concept that he carries, thus, affecting his behaviour. For example, if we carry a concept of dislike of someone, it will affect our behaviour towards that person. So we see that carrying false ideas has serious implications for society. Thus the idea and question of God has serious implications because the answer obtained becomes the very basis by which we understand the creation and purpose of man, life, and the universe. Therefore, the method used should not merely be the rational thought but comprehensive and agree with reality. Anything hypothetical or emotional should be rejected since their basis disagrees with ration and reality.

The Rational Proof

When we look around at everything we can sense, these things share one factor, and that is that they are all limited. By limited we mean that they have restrictions, a starting point and an ending point, and they all have definable attributes, i.e. they are finite. Man is born and he dies. There is no one alive who will not die. During his life span, he will grow to a certain shape, height, and volume. The universe is defined as all the celestial bodies and plants. All these objects have a certain mass, shape, volume, and so on. The life span of a star may be very long, but a point in time it will come when it will cease to exist. The universe is large, but is still a ‘finite’ space. No scientist could ever prove using hard facts that the universe has no bounds. In fact when they say the universe arose from a Big Bang and is expanding they inherently admit it is finite in size, otherwise it could not expand! There is nothing in reality that is unlimited. No matter how hard we try, man is unable to find anything unlimited around him. All he can perceive is the finite and limited.

A further attribute of everything around us is that they are all needy and dependent in order to continue existing. They are not self-sustaining or independent. Man has needs. He has to satisfy in order to survive. He has organic needs. Man must eat and drink if he is to survive. If he does not he will die. We see need and dependency in plants and animals. They depend on other parts of the food chain for existence. The water cycle is dependent on the sun, which is dependent on the laws of the galaxies and burning mass, and so on… Nothing man can perceive is self-subsistent. So things exist, but do not have the power of existence. They cannot control when they die or when other bodies die.

There is one fact that emerges from all this. If something is limited and finite, and does not have the power to be self-subsistent then it must have been created. Applying this to everything we see will bring us to a conclusion. If everything in the universe is created because it has not the power of being in existence on its own, and is finite and limited, then there must be a creator. This creator by contrast has to be unlimited and not needy and dependent on anything to bring it into, or sustain its existence. The universe; the sum of all finite and dependent objects is finite and dependent – but dependent on what? Dependent on something to start and sustain life, and something to plan and develop life. The only rational and intellectual solution to the question of creation is that there is a creator who has accounted for all that we see and perceive. Ration tells us that nothing can be created without a creator. Ultimately there must be a creator who is unlimited every aspect.

Some scientists challenge this with a theory that everything depends on something for existence, which in turn depends upon something for existence, and so on ad infinitum. This theory is irrational, as it does not explain how anything came into existence in the first place. It uses an idea of ‘infinity’ that we know does not exist in reality. It does not even make attempt, to explain the very first step in the sequence. It is illogical and incomplete in its theory, and far from being scientific. If at its basis the theory is weak, how possible to trust the proceeding theoretical argument for creation of the universe?

Conclusion

Hence, looking at any planet in the universe, contemplating on any phase of life, or comprehending any aspect of man provides a conclusive evidence for a Creator, what Muslims call Allah swt. This intellectual proof of the existence of Allah swt is an understanding open for everyone and obligatory for all Muslims to be convinced of. Each person must explore to the limit of his understanding. Blind belief has no place in Islam. Believing through instinctive emotions is unreliable and dangerous as emotions can change and error to ones belief and actions. And if the basis of belief is irrational and weak, how can a system of life be built upon it.