HAJJ – THE GREATEST SYMBOL OF POLITICAL UNITY
EDITOR
http://www.khilafah.eu/kmag/article/hajj...ical-unity
As we find ourselves entering the Hajj season, the discussions fall upon the story of Hajj and its origins. The familiarity of the story of Ibrahim, Hajar and Isma’il (AS) seems to be in contrast to the lack of general awareness of the Seerah of the Prophet (SAW) and the context and realities of the single Hajj he (SAW) lead. Only by studying deeply, the political context in which the Prophet (SAW) embarked upon the farewell pilgrimage, can one understand the significance of the farewell sermon (Khutbatul-Wada).
In the 10th year of Hijra, the Prophet (SAW) announced his intention to make Hajj. With this news, people from all over Arabia started to gather for the opportunity to perform Hajj with the Prophet (SAW). Over a hundred thousand Arabs from every deep and distant valley of Arabia convened in the valley of Makkah. Only four years earlier, the Prophet (SAW) and his Sahaba (RA) were turned back from Hudaibiyah not being able to enter the sacred precincts of the Ancient House. However, that was, in the course of events, the great turning point upon which Allah (SWT) transformed the fortunes and fate of the nascent faith and the power of the new Islamic State.
A brief look at some key events that took place after Hudaibiyah gives us a picture of the fierce military and diplomatic struggle that the Prophet (SAW) was conducting across Arabia and far beyond. Late in the sixth year Hijri, on his return from Hudaibiyah, he (SAW) decided to send messages to the kings beyond Arabia. That included messages to the Ceasar, Chosroes, Negus, and Muqawqis to name a few. In Dhul Qa’da of 7 Hijri, he (SAW) set off with 2,000 men to perform the ‘Umra which had been left off the previous year. In Jumada al-Ula of 8 Hijri, the battle of Mu’tah took place, marking the beginning of the conquests of the land of the Christians. Later that year, in the blessed month of Ramadan, with a force of 10,000 strong, Allah (SWT) completed the great opening and conquest of Makkah. No sooner than 19 days after the conquest, the Muslims where again on the march for the battle of Hunain with a force of 12,000 men. In Rajab of 9 Hijri, the Prophet (SAW) assembled his greatest fighting force of 30,000 men to invade the Roman province at the battle of Tabuk. This also would be known as the Year of Delegations (Aam al-Wufud) in which perhaps 70 or more delegations came to embrace Islam or enter under the authority of the Islamic State. The Prophet (SAW) was so busy meeting the delegations, that he (SAW) appointed Abu Bakr (RA) to lead the first Hajj in Islam.
This very cursory look at some of the events that preceded the Farewell Hajj draws a picture of the pace and progress of the political and military struggle of the Prophet (SAW) to consolidate and complete the power and authority of the Islamic State over Arabia. It puts into context the Farewell Sermon (Khutbatul Wada).
The correct way to view the Khutbatul-Wada is to see it as an address of Allah (SWT)’s last Messenger (SAW) and the commander of the Islamic State and Ummah. The Ummah that has been tasked to complete the mission of the Prophet (SAW), by inviting all nations to enter the fold of Islam and unify the whole world under the dominion, peace and justice of Allah (SWT)’s Deen. “Indeed it is He, Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Deen of Truth, that He may cause it to dominate over all others” [TMQ Surah At-Tawba:33]
With the above mentioned thoughts in mind we should look now at the details of the Farewell Khutba, its profound and far reaching message:
“Oh People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today”
“Oh People, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your lord, and that he will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’ al-Muttalib (Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived…”
“Oh People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.”
“Oh People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.”
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim that belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.”
“Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.”
“Oh People! No Prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore Oh People! And understand words that I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and the Hadith and if you follow these you will never go astray.” “All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Oh Allah, be my witness, that I have conveyed your message to your people.”
All these noble precepts mentioned in the Khutbatul Wada were not abstract notions or spiritual ideals for the Prophet (SAW) or the Qur’anic generation. He (SAW) established them in reality and put the seeds of a civilization that would embody, establish and convey those precepts for more than 12 centuries.
Following are some of the words from Seyidina ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA) in a khutba he gave on his last Hajj: “Nothing is dearer to Allah Almighty and of greater benefit to mankind than a ruler’s kindness based on true knowledge and insight. Nothing is more hateful to Allah than a ruler’s ignorance and stupidity.
By Allah, I do not appoint governors and officials in your provinces so that they will beat you up or take away your money. I send them to you to instruct you in your faith and teach you the way the Prophet (SAW) has shown us.
Whoever is treated differently should put their complaints to me. By Allah who holds my soul in His hand, I will ensure that justice is done to them. If I fail to do so, I become a partner in such injustice.
It is much better for me to remove a governor every day than to leave a despot in his position for an hour longer. To replace governors is much easier than to change the people. If setting things right for a community requires replacing their governor, then it is certainly easy.
Therefore, whoever is in a position of authority in any area of the Muslims affairs must fear Allah in the way he treats his people. To all these I say, do not beat people up to humiliate them. Do not deny them their rights, showing them little care, and do not place them in hardships making them feel lost.
My people, when you have completed your Hajj rituals, let the people of different regions meet me together with their governors and officials so that I can look into their situations. I will consider their disputes and give my judgment, making sure that the weak are given their rights and justice is done to all.”
From these speeches, we can clearly see that whilst performing Hajj and fulfilling all of its rites, venerating the House of Allah (SWT) hoping for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, the hajj is a time to think of the situation of the Ummah and a time to think whether we have fulfilled our mission as an Ummah in conveying the message to mankind. “And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj).” [TMQ Surah Al-Hajj 22:27]
A UNIQUE TIME OF YEAR
Muslims from every near and far flung corner of the world, of every race and language, rich and poor, young and old, journey and converge to perform a unique event. Almost every Muslim in every part of the world knows someone who will be amongst the hujjaj – in this way the whole Ummah is connected to this one event in this one place. This makes Hajj a natural time to discuss the vital issues of this Ummah, its need for unity, liberation and leadership – and the resumption of the message and da’wa to mankind.
Allah (SWT) blessed this Ummah with the greatest symbol of unity to mankind. Anyone, Muslim or Non-Muslim who has watched the hujjaj perform the hajj and the salah at the Ka’ba in their millions, can’t help but be impressed and moved at the sense of complete unison, harmony, brotherhood and energy that radiates from such sights. The Hajj proves the power of Islam to transcend all the false barriers created to divide this Ummah. It gives proof to that fundamental concept we are indeed ‘One Ummah’
THE SAD REALITY OF THE HAJJ IN OUR TIME
The Jama’ah
The Hajj is an action of collective Ibadah and expression of the Jama’ah, but today it has been atomized and stripped to a purely individual dimension.
Brotherhood
Hujjaj feel very strongly the bonds and emotions of brotherhood and the uniting power of the Deen yet no avenue is allowed for the expression of these sentiments today.
Leadership of the Hajj
The very first Hajj of Islam was not led by the Messenger of Allah (SAW), but was delegated to Abu Bakr (RA) since it was the year of delegations. The affairs of state, the foreign policy of Islam, the meeting of the foreign ambassadors and spreading Islam beyond the frontiers of Arabia was too important to be delayed or neglected even for the first Hajj in Islam. This fact of the Seerah of the Messenger of Allah (SWT) is totally neglected today.
The Lessons of Sacrifice, Sabr and Tawakkal The story of Ibrahim, Isma’il & Hajjar (AS) is not just a story, it needs to be connected to our lives and the situation of the Ummah today. The whole message of the story is about making Allah (SWT) and the Deen of Islam the centre and pivot of our lives as individuals and as an Ummah. If the millions who visit the Ancient House year upon year actually took that message and idea onboard when they returned home, the situation of the Ummah and indeed the world could be transformed very swiftly. Yet most of the Hujjaj have been trained to have only the thought of forgiveness as a goal and not much more.
One Cause
Hajj is a symbol of our Unity as an Ummah. Less than 100 years ago, pilgrims were united under one leader – the Ameer ul-Mumineen (the leader of the Believers) – the Khaleefah of the Muslims – and not divided by artificial nationalities, passports and flags.
Yet still today, millions of men and women – young and old, of different colours, languages and means – still face the same Qibla in orderly lines, wearing the same ihram, all of which symbolises the way that only Islam can unite and bring order in the Muslim world.
Indeed, it was at the time of Hajj, Allah (SWT) told us that this Deen -combining beliefs, worships and values, as well as political, economic, social and judicial systems for society – was the perfect way for humanity to live together in order and harmony, when He (SWT) said: “Today the Unbelievers have despaired of overcoming your Deen. So do not fear them, fear Me. This day, I have perfected your Deen for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your Deen” [TMQ Surah Maida 5:3]
Let us reflect on the situation of the Ummah this Hajj. Where is the Amir ul Mu’mineeen of the Hajj today? Where is the leader of the Ummah today who would give the annual Khutbah of the Hajj addressing the various problems we are facing as an Ummah?
Surely it is time for us to change our whole perception of the Hajj to not only a time for individual forgiveness but a time to address the vital issues of the Ummah.
BLUEPRINT OF THE UMMAH IN THE 21ST CENTURY
DECEMBER 16-17, 2006
The focus of the conference will be on designing a blueprint of change towards realizing the Islamic world-system (Ummah) in the twenty-first century. The blueprint would provide a well thought out, coherent and pragmatic way of galvanizing the collective will of intellectuals, communities and practitioners across all Muslim regions, including those in non-Muslim countries, in respect to globalization. The goal and end-result of the world-system of Islam or the Ummah is collective thinking. This must be intellectualized and implemented by the common and concerted will for acquiring knowledge and organization for Islamic transformation in the global order.
Besides, topics on developmental issues of the Ummah in the blueprint will discuss methodological issues in world-system and policy-making perspectives from diverse ideological viewpoints. The assumption made is that human co-existence can be discovered by inter-cultural and inter-ideological discourse and understanding.
Highly academic, applied and practical oriented papers in the mentioned topics or other areas on the theme of the conference are invited.
CONTACT: Professor Dr. Masudul Alam Choudhury, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 6L2, CANADA masud_choudhury@capebretonu.ca; Fax. 902-562-0119; Tel: 902-563-1236; 902-567-2173. See http://ummah.f2g.net
DEADLINES: Abstracts – March 31, 2006; Final Papers for review and acceptance – September 30, 2006. Submit abstracts and papers by e-mail attachment to masud_choudhury@capebretonu.ca; masud_choudhury@hotmail.com
FINANCING
Participants finance their travel and accommodation costs. Trisakti University will cover other local hospitality. Papers presented will be reviewed for publication either in the international refereed journal, Humanomics, An International Journal of Systems and Ethics (HIJSE) or the Indonesian Management and Accounting Review (IMAR). HIJSE is catalogued in the Journal of Economic Literature and Cabell.
Coverage and topics:
Political Philosophy and Institutional Issues of the Ummah vis-à-vis the Global Order
The Political Process of Islam and Liberal Democracy
Policy and Institutional Harmonization in the Muslim World: Standardizing Shari’ah Rules for the Ummah
The Embedded World-System of Islam: Interrelating Economy, Society, Institutions and Political Philosophy
Values and Relations between Islam and the Global Order in the Context of Social Justice, Participatory Development and Wellbeing
Social Blueprint of the Islamic World-System: Human Resource. Development and Socio-Economic Issues
The Role of Education, Health, Skill Formation and other Human Resource Development in Islamic Transformation
Priority Areas for Research, Development and Their Implementation
Towards a Participatory World-System: Microenterprise and Corporate Culture, Alleviating Poverty by Empowerment, Economic Cooperation
Economic Blueprint of the Ummah: Economics, Finance and Banking
Islamic Money and the Gold Dinar: Monetary, Fiscal Policies and International Trade to Realize Socio-Economic Development
Role of Economic Institutions such as, Islamic Banks, Insurance, Commerce, Governments and Supra-National Organizations in Ummah Blueprint
Resources of the Muslim World (Natural, Human, Intellectual and Technological) – How can these enable Economic Integration in
Realizing Wellbeing of the Ummah?
Economic Blueprint of the Ummah in the Midst of Globalization
Evolution towards an Islamic Economic Union
Problems of Socio-Economic Development in the Ummah
Issues and Prospects of Islamic Economic Co-operation (Economic, Financial and Monetary Integration) vis-à-vis Globalization and International Development Organizations
THE UMMAH AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES :
RE-ORGANISING THE OIC
Dr Muhammad Ahsan
The ‘change’ in global affairs is a continuous phenomenon. Thus, it is not new that centres of power have been changing from country to country and region to region. However, what is new is the velocity of this change. After the fall of the Soviet Union in general and the events of 9/11 in particular, the world has witnessed major changes within a short span of time. While on the one hand these changes have made the Untied States the sole super power of the world, on the other they have seriously affected the image, solidarity and integrity of the Muslim World. Therefore, in one way or another and directly or indirectly, this situation has adversely affected nearly five dozen Muslim countries and 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world. It is widely argued that the two major internal factors responsible for the sorry state of Ummatic affairs are underdevelopment and a lack of unity. Although, in this context, a lot has been written in the recent past, no comprehensive document has been produced so far covering all major challenges faced by the Ummah as well as their possible solutions. Thus, in this context, the present study is a unique effort.
By covering various aspects of the issues of Ummatic underdevelopment, globalisation, the geo-political and religio-cultural situation, Islamophobia, human insecurity and Ummatic defence, the report presents a comprehensive analysis of the situation. Apart from this, there are at least five major points which make this document a unique effort in this field. Firstly, the report is based on in-depth statistical and factual analysis. Secondly, data is acquired from a large number of authentic sources. Thirdly, it is designed in such a way that the spectrum of its audience is broad. Fourthly, it discusses the re-organisation of the OIC – an extremely important issue which has never been tackled in such a way as is discussed in this study. The last chapter presents a model and a long-term strategy to strengthen the OIC. Last, but not least, it must be mentioned that the analysis is based on the pre-situation of the recent economic blockade of
the Palestinian government, devastating attacks on the Lebanon as well as a sea-blockade of this country - all committed by Israel. In this context, Muslim countries see themselves paralysed and the role of the OIC as shameful. In these circumstances, the conclusion of the present study suggests the pooling of Ummatic financial resources and the establishment of a joint security system for all Muslim countries. See the following site:- http://www.ipripak.org/papers/theummah.shtml
KNOWLEDGE , UNITY URGED IN MUSLIM FORUM
Muslim leaders called Monday, May 28, on Muslim countries to keep pace with the developed world through knowledge, innovation and unity, while urged more collective efforts to heal the Islam-West rift.
"The loss of knowledge and innovation within the Muslim ummah eventually led to the loss of sovereignty and empire," Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) that opened in Kuala Lumpur, reported Agence France Presse (AFP).
"We must rediscover our ability and passion for knowledge and innovation.... We must reclaim this legacy."
Abdullah affirmed that in a world that is more globalized and knowledge-based every day, Muslims have no other option but to be creative or left behind.
"Over the years, the Muslim Ummah has deteriorated and declined. While the nations of the West basked in the glory of their global ascendancy, Muslim nations were largely consigned to what people term the 'Third World'," he said.
He noted that the 57 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) accounted for only five percent of world's gross domestic product in 2005 despite comprising 21 percent of the global population.
Abdullah, the current chairman of the OIC, added that Muslim nations must take bold measures such as investing heavily in education and human development.
"Clearly, much more effort and resources need to be put into education," Abdullah told the forum.
Many oil-rich OIC nations spend less on education than developed ones, he said.
Viewed as the Muslim world's version of the World Economic Forum, the WIEF is held this year under the theme "Global Challenges: Innovative Partnerships".
The two-day event attracted about 900 participants, with representatives from the OIC countries, India, China, the US and Europe.
"Collective Force"
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the forum that firstly Muslims need to build up their unity as a basic step towards development.
"We in the Islamic ummah can achieve true solidarity among ourselves ... and reclaim the eminence that (we) enjoyed in the Golden Age of Islam," he urged.
Yudhoyono, who leads the world's most populous Muslim country, said that Islamic nations need to believe they are not helpless and work "as a collective force" for their own development.
"We are not weak. We appear weak because we do not act in concert," he said.
The Indonesian leader said Muslim nations should use as leverage their position as suppliers for 70 percent of the world's energy requirements and 40 percent of raw material exports globally.
"If the nations of the rest of the world want our energy and our commodities, we must also obtain from them, in fair exchange, knowledge and technology," he noted.
Islam-West Divide
Yudhoyono also called Muslim nations to work together to heal the widening chasm with the West.
Muslims must change the Western view of Islam "from something negative or indifferent if not hostile to something positive and enthusiastic," he said.
This year's forum focuses on Muslims-West relations.
Participants of the annual event tackle promoting understanding and dialogue between Muslim and non-Muslim societies.
Tensions between the Islamic world and the West have deepened following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.
Media campaigns driven by right-wingers have left the gap yawning.
In September 2005, Danish Jyallands Posten newspaper drew Muslim diatribe after publishing a set of provocative cartoons that lampooned Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Pope Benedict XVI added insult to injury in a 2006 lecture in his native Germany in which he linked Islam with violence.
Last year, a survey by the American Pew Global Attitudes Project concluded that Westerners and Muslims share negative views
While many in the West see Muslims as fanatical, violent and intolerant, Muslims view Westerners as selfish, immoral and greedy, according to the global poll.
WE ARABS MUST WAGE A NEW FORM OF JIHAD
Ahmed Zewail
http://comment.independent.co.uk/comment...221287.ece
The cataclysmic wars in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq have uncovered the reality of Arab unity and plight, and the collective conscience of international society. It is abundantly clear that the Arab people must themselves build a new system for a new future. The current state, as judged by a low GDP, high level of illiteracy, and deteriorating performance in education and science, is neither in consonance with their hearts and minds nor does it provide for their political, economic, and educational aspirations.
Yet this is the same Arab world that produced leading civilisations, world-class universities, and renowned scholars and scientists. Clearly, something has gone seriously astray.
As someone from, and directly involved with, this part of the world, I am convinced Arabs are qualified to regain their glorious past. Arabs have two-thirds of "proved oil reserves", and copious sunlight for possible alternative energy. They have their own market, the potential for an Arab Union, and many Arab countries are strategically positioned, geographically and politically. The people have a unique culture of community and family values, and their faith is inclusive and pluralistic. Above all, the Arab world has people with talent and creativity, with nearly half of the population in its youth. These are forces for progress, but without nurturing intrinsic talent and establishing a cogent system of governance the status quo will prevail.
In my view, there are four "pillars of change" that would support an imperative historic renaissance for transforming the current state of affairs. First, a new political system must be established with, at its core, a constitution defining the democratic principles of human rights, freedom of speech, and governance through contested elections. A select delegation of honorable intellectuals, respected political personalities, and thoughtful religious scholars, perhaps under the patronage of supreme-court judges, should form a council to debate and chart a new constitution for a final referendum involving the people. The co-existence of religious values in the lives of individuals and secular rules in the governance of the state should be clearly defined. There is no need to fear conflict, as reason and faith are driving forces in western democratic societies and in some Muslim countries such as Turkey and Malaysia.
Second, the rule of law must in practice be applied to every individual, independent of caste, faith, or background. Currently, some rules of law are either unenforced or selectively enforced, resulting in demoralising practices. Besides being a prime cause of poor economic growth, poor governance breeds corruption which cripples investment, wastes resources, and diminishes confidence. If rules are applied fairly, people acquire security and faith in their system.
Third, the methods used in education, cultural practices, and scientific research must be revisited, reviewed, and revitalised. The goal should be to promote critical thinking and a value system of reasoning, discipline, and teamwork. The government should remain responsible for the primary education of all. Higher education should be based on quality not quantity, receive merit-based funding, and be free of unnecessary bureaucracy. Not the least of the benefits of educational reform is to foster the pride of achievement at national and international levels.
Fourth, an overhauling of the Arab media is necessary. Currently, there are numerous satellite TV channels and several so-called media cities generously financed, perhaps much more than research institutions. Yet people are inundated with mind-numbing and propaganda programmes. The conceptually new al-Jazeera has become a very effective news media among millions of Arabs; similar media outlets concerned with cultural, social, and educational events should be established.
The primary objective is to stimulate minds and encourage critical thinking for civilised debates and dialogues. Governments should control neither the news nor appointment of editors; quality and appropriateness should be controlled by the judgement of professionals and the wisdom of society in accordance with the rule of law.
We Arabs can accomplish the transition to the world of the 21st century, but the people and leaders must embark on a new course. Incremental changes - so-called gradual reforms - are inappropriate for a system that has been ineffective for decades. We should have confidence in ourselves and in global participation, and not blame others for current calamities or use religion for political gains. The responsibility of the individual for self and societal improvement is clearly stated in The Koran: "Indeed! God will not change the good condition of the people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves."
I appeal to the Arab people to participate in this process of historic change and not to be distracted by the ideologies of the past and conspiracy theories of the future. Being passive creates a state of apathy and legitimises the status quo. I call on intellectuals to focus on the greater good, not just for personal gain. Conscience and integrity are national responsibilities in this critical period of history. I urge the leaders of the Arab world to implement these historical changes and, in so doing, become makers of history. A genuine and peaceful transition to democracy is both legitimate and timely.
Before too long the oil will run out and human talent will migrate, but if we commit to "pillars of change", with jihad for modernity and enlightenment, we will realise our rightful place in the future.
The writer is the only Arab to receive the Nobel Prize in Science, 1999
MAKKAH LIVE
http://makkahlive.net/makkahlive.aspx
HAJJ 1435 LIVE
http://wwitv.com/tv_channels/b4374.htm
HAJJ – THE GREATEST SYMBOL OF POLITICAL UNITY
EDITOR
As we find ourselves entering the Hajj season, the discussions fall upon the story of Hajj and its origins. The familiarity of the story of Ibrahim, Hajar and Isma’il (AS) seems to be in contrast to the lack of general awareness of the Seerah of the Prophet (SAW) and the context and realities of the single Hajj he (SAW) lead. Only by studying deeply, the political context in which the Prophet (SAW) embarked upon the farewell pilgrimage, can one understand the significance of the farewell sermon (Khutbatul-Wada).
In the 10th year of Hijra, the Prophet (SAW) announced his intention to make Hajj. With this news, people from all over Arabia started to gather for the opportunity to perform Hajj with the Prophet (SAW). Over a hundred thousand Arabs from every deep and distant valley of Arabia convened in the valley of Makkah. Only four years earlier, the Prophet (SAW) and his Sahaba (RA) were turned back from Hudaibiyah not being able to enter the sacred precincts of the Ancient House. However, that was, in the course of events, the great turning point upon which Allah (SWT) transformed the fortunes and fate of the nascent faith and the power of the new Islamic State.
A brief look at some key events that took place after Hudaibiyah gives us a picture of the fierce military and diplomatic struggle that the Prophet (SAW) was conducting across Arabia and far beyond. Late in the sixth year Hijri, on his return from Hudaibiyah, he (SAW) decided to send messages to the kings beyond Arabia. That included messages to the Ceasar, Chosroes, Negus, and Muqawqis to name a few. In Dhul Qa’da of 7 Hijri, he (SAW) set off with 2,000 men to perform the ‘Umra which had been left off the previous year. In Jumada al-Ula of 8 Hijri, the battle of Mu’tah took place, marking the beginning of the conquests of the land of the Christians. Later that year, in the blessed month of Ramadan, with a force of 10,000 strong, Allah (SWT) completed the great opening and conquest of Makkah. No sooner than 19 days after the conquest, the Muslims where again on the march for the battle of Hunain with a force of 12,000 men. In Rajab of 9 Hijri, the Prophet (SAW) assembled his greatest fighting force of 30,000 men to invade the Roman province at the battle of Tabuk. This also would be known as the Year of Delegations (Aam al-Wufud) in which perhaps 70 or more delegations came to embrace Islam or enter under the authority of the Islamic State. The Prophet (SAW) was so busy meeting the delegations, that he (SAW) appointed Abu Bakr (RA) to lead the first Hajj in Islam.
This very cursory look at some of the events that preceded the Farewell Hajj draws a picture of the pace and progress of the political and military struggle of the Prophet (SAW) to consolidate and complete the power and authority of the Islamic State over Arabia. It puts into context the Farewell Sermon (Khutbatul Wada).
The correct way to view the Khutbatul-Wada is to see it as an address of Allah (SWT)’s last Messenger (SAW) and the commander of the Islamic State and Ummah. The Ummah that has been tasked to complete the mission of the Prophet (SAW), by inviting all nations to enter the fold of Islam and unify the whole world under the dominion, peace and justice of Allah (SWT)’s Deen. “Indeed it is He, Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Deen of Truth, that He may cause it to dominate over all others” [TMQ Surah At-Tawba:33]
With the above mentioned thoughts in mind we should look now at the details of the Farewell Khutba, its profound and far reaching message:
“Oh People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today”
“Oh People, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your lord, and that he will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’ al-Muttalib (Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived…”
“Oh People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.”
“Oh People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.”
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim that belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.”
“Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.”
“Oh People! No Prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore Oh People! And understand words that I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and the Hadith and if you follow these you will never go astray.” “All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Oh Allah, be my witness, that I have conveyed your message to your people.”
All these noble precepts mentioned in the Khutbatul Wada were not abstract notions or spiritual ideals for the Prophet (SAW) or the Qur’anic generation. He (SAW) established them in reality and put the seeds of a civilization that would embody, establish and convey those precepts for more than 12 centuries.
Following are some of the words from Seyidina ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA) in a khutba he gave on his last Hajj: “Nothing is dearer to Allah Almighty and of greater benefit to mankind than a ruler’s kindness based on true knowledge and insight. Nothing is more hateful to Allah than a ruler’s ignorance and stupidity.
By Allah, I do not appoint governors and officials in your provinces so that they will beat you up or take away your money. I send them to you to instruct you in your faith and teach you the way the Prophet (SAW) has shown us.
Whoever is treated differently should put their complaints to me. By Allah who holds my soul in His hand, I will ensure that justice is done to them. If I fail to do so, I become a partner in such injustice.
It is much better for me to remove a governor every day than to leave a despot in his position for an hour longer. To replace governors is much easier than to change the people. If setting things right for a community requires replacing their governor, then it is certainly easy.
Therefore, whoever is in a position of authority in any area of the Muslims affairs must fear Allah in the way he treats his people. To all these I say, do not beat people up to humiliate them. Do not deny them their rights, showing them little care, and do not place them in hardships making them feel lost.
My people, when you have completed your Hajj rituals, let the people of different regions meet me together with their governors and officials so that I can look into their situations. I will consider their disputes and give my judgment, making sure that the weak are given their rights and justice is done to all.”
From these speeches, we can clearly see that whilst performing Hajj and fulfilling all of its rites, venerating the House of Allah (SWT) hoping for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, the hajj is a time to think of the situation of the Ummah and a time to think whether we have fulfilled our mission as an Ummah in conveying the message to mankind. “And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj).” [TMQ Surah Al-Hajj 22:27]
A UNIQUE TIME OF YEAR
Muslims from every near and far flung corner of the world, of every race and language, rich and poor, young and old, journey and converge to perform a unique event. Almost every Muslim in every part of the world knows someone who will be amongst the hujjaj – in this way the whole Ummah is connected to this one event in this one place. This makes Hajj a natural time to discuss the vital issues of this Ummah, its need for unity, liberation and leadership – and the resumption of the message and da’wa to mankind.
Allah (SWT) blessed this Ummah with the greatest symbol of unity to mankind. Anyone, Muslim or Non-Muslim who has watched the hujjaj perform the hajj and the salah at the Ka’ba in their millions, can’t help but be impressed and moved at the sense of complete unison, harmony, brotherhood and energy that radiates from such sights. The Hajj proves the power of Islam to transcend all the false barriers created to divide this Ummah. It gives proof to that fundamental concept we are indeed ‘One Ummah’
THE RAHBAR’s HAJJ MESSAGE 1435 AH/2014 CE
http://www.crescent-online.net/2014/10/t...icles.html
Every year the Rahbar, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as leader of the Islamic Ummah, delivers his message to those assembled in Arafat for Hajj. In following the Sunnah of the noble Messenger (pbuh), his message also touches on the burning issues facing the Ummah. Here is the full text of this year's message. Tehran
“In the Name of Allah, the Mercy-giving, the Merciful
“Allah praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and sincere greetings and salutations upon Mohammad (pbuh) and His holy Progeny
“A salutation and greeting arising from enthusiasm and reverence to you, the fortunate people who have accepted the call of the Qur’an and have hastened to be the guests at the House of Allah.
“The first word of advice is to know the value of this great blessing and endeavor to get close to its goals by reflecting on personal, social and spiritual and international dimensions of this unique obligation and ask the Merciful and Powerful Lord to help you do this.
“I, accompanying you both with my heart and my words, ask the forgiving and gracious Lord to complete His blessings on you and since He has bestowed upon you the honor of undertaking this journey, [He will] also help you to fulfill the Hajj rituals in their entirety and then through His generous acceptance, return you safe to your destinations with full hands and complete health.
“In the good opportunity that has been provided by this rich and unparalleled ritual, apart from spiritual purification and rehabilitation, which is the most sublime and the most basic achievement of Hajj, due attention to various issues of the Islamic world as well as a comprehensive and broad-based approach to the most important and highest-priority issues related to the Islamic Ummah, should top the list of duties and rites of the Hajj pilgrims.
“The issue of unity among Muslims and cutting the knots that have created distance among various parts of the Islamic Ummah is among these important issues, which are of high priority today.
“Hajj is the manifestation of unity and integrity and the bedrock of brotherhood and cooperation. In Hajj, everybody should learn a lesson about focusing on commonalities and doing away with differences. Sowing discord to meet their nefarious desires has been high on the agenda of the colonialist powers for a long time.
“However, now in the light of the Islamic Awakening, Muslims worldwide have correctly found out about the animosity of the imperialist and Zionist front and have taken a firm stand against it, policies that aim to divide Muslims are being pursued with even greater vigor.
“The deceitful enemy is bent on fanning the flames of civil war among Muslims in order to undermine the determination and motivation for resistance and struggle. This is aimed at protecting the Zionist regime and other agents of imperialism that are the real enemies of Islam and committed Muslims. Launching Takfiri terrorist groups and their ilk in countries of the West Asia region is a consequence of this treacherous policy.
“This is a warning for all of us to put the issue of unity among Muslims on top of our national and international duties.
“Another important topic is the issue of Palestine. For 69 years from the creation of the usurping Zionist regime and through ups and down of this important and sensitive issue, and especially as a result of the bloody developments of recent years, two realities have been revealed to all people. Firstly, the Zionist regime and its criminal backers know no boundary and limit for cruelty and brutality and trampling upon all human and ethical norms.
“They consider themselves free to commit any crime, genocide, destruction, massacre of children and women and defenseless people, and any other act of aggression and oppression that they can perpetrate, and they do so with pride. Woeful scenes of the recent 50-day war on Gaza were the latest example of such horrible crimes, which have of course been repeated frequently during the past half a century.
“The second fact is that all these brutalities and catastrophes have not been able to help the leaders and supporters of the Zionist regime to achieve their goal. On the contrary, the foolish reliance on brute force and power, which evil politicians wished for the Zionist regime in their minds, this regime is getting closer to collapse and annihilation with every passing day.
“The 50-day resistance of the besieged and defenseless people of Gaza against all the power that the Zionist regime could muster, and finally, the failure and retreat of this regime and its submission to conditions set by the Resistance, were clear manifestations of its weakness, inability and impotence.
“This means that the Palestinian people should be more hopeful than ever. The fighters of [Islamic] Jihad and Hamas should reinvigorate their endeavor, determination and resolve; and the West Bank should continue on its regular proud path with more vigor and strength. The Muslim masses must pressure their governments to lend genuine and tangible support to Palestine, and Muslim governments should embark on this path with honesty.
“The third important and high-priority issue is the intelligent and sophisticated approach that sympathetic activists in the Muslim world should adopt to the discrepancy between pure Mohammedan Islam and the American Islam. While avoiding confusing and mixing these two, they should also prevent others from doing so. Our late great Imam was the first person to try to differentiate between these two categories and entered [that difference] into the political lexicon of the Muslim world. The purified Islam is the Islam of serenity and spirituality, of piety and freedom, and Islam that is tough on the deniers of Allah’s Power-presence but lenient and compassionate towards the faithful.
“The American Islam is the result of putting on the garb of Islam on subservience to foreign powers and enemies of the Islamic Ummah. An Islam that fans the flames of division among Muslims instead of trusting in the Divine Promise, puts its trust in the enemies of Allah; instead of fighting Zionism and imperialism, it fights its Muslim brethren [and] becomes united with American imperialism against its own people as well as other people is not [true] Islam. It is rather a dangerous and pernicious hypocrisy against which every true Muslim should fight.
“An approach combined with insight and deep thinking will clearly reveal these important facts and issues in the reality of the Islamic world for any person who seeks truth and also determines the duty and obligation of the day without any ambiguity.
“Hajj and its rituals and rites provide a golden opportunity to acquire such insight and I hope you, the fortunate Hajj pilgrims, would be able to take full advantage of this divine blessing.
“I leave all of you under the protection of Almighty Allah and ask the Merciful Lord to accept your endeavor.
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah
Seyyed Ali Khamenei
Dhul Hijjah 1435 AH/October 2014 CE”
THE SAD REALITY OF THE HAJJ IN OUR TIME
The Jama’ah
The Hajj is an action of collective Ibadah and expression of the Jama’ah, but today it has been atomized and stripped to a purely individual dimension.
Brotherhood
Hujjaj feel very strongly the bonds and emotions of brotherhood and the uniting power of the Deen yet no avenue is allowed for the expression of these sentiments today.
Leadership of the Hajj
The very first Hajj of Islam was not led by the Messenger of Allah (SAW), but was delegated to Abu Bakr (RA) since it was the year of delegations. The affairs of state, the foreign policy of Islam, the meeting of the foreign ambassadors and spreading Islam beyond the frontiers of Arabia was too important to be delayed or neglected even for the first Hajj in Islam. This fact of the Seerah of the Messenger of Allah (SWT) is totally neglected today.
The Lessons of Sacrifice, Sabr and Tawakkal The story of Ibrahim, Isma’il & Hajjar (AS) is not just a story, it needs to be connected to our lives and the situation of the Ummah today. The whole message of the story is about making Allah (SWT) and the Deen of Islam the centre and pivot of our lives as individuals and as an Ummah. If the millions who visit the Ancient House year upon year actually took that message and idea onboard when they returned home, the situation of the Ummah and indeed the world could be transformed very swiftly. Yet most of the Hujjaj have been trained to have only the thought of forgiveness as a goal and not much more.
One Cause
Hajj is a symbol of our Unity as an Ummah. Less than 100 years ago, pilgrims were united under one leader – the Ameer ul-Mumineen (the leader of the Believers) – the Khaleefah of the Muslims – and not divided by artificial nationalities, passports and flags.
Yet still today, millions of men and women – young and old, of different colours, languages and means – still face the same Qibla in orderly lines, wearing the same ihram, all of which symbolises the way that only Islam can unite and bring order in the Muslim world.
Indeed, it was at the time of Hajj, Allah (SWT) told us that this Deen -combining beliefs, worships and values, as well as political, economic, social and judicial systems for society – was the perfect way for humanity to live together in order and harmony, when He (SWT) said: “Today the Unbelievers have despaired of overcoming your Deen. So do not fear them, fear Me. This day, I have perfected your Deen for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your Deen” [TMQ Surah Maida 5:3]
Let us reflect on the situation of the Ummah this Hajj. Where is the Amir ul Mu’mineeen of the Hajj today? Where is the leader of the Ummah today who would give the annual Khutbah of the Hajj addressing the various problems we are facing as an Ummah?
Surely it is time for us to change our whole perception of the Hajj to not only a time for individual forgiveness but a time to address the vital issues of the Ummah.
A JAHILI HAJJ
Abu Dharr
October, 2014
http://www.crescent-online.net/2014/10/a...icles.html
“FIVE STAR HAJJ ”
Zafar Bangash
October, 2014
http://www.crescent-online.net/2014/10/f...icles.html
BANU SAUD IMPEDE MUSLIMS’ ACCESS TO HAJJ
A ritual devoid of meaning courtesy of the royals of Arabia
https://crescent.icit-digital.org/authors/zafar-bangash
The ministry of Hajj and ‘Umrah will impose on pilgrims the wearing of e-bracelets that store personal information like nationality, port of entry, visa and passport number, address, phone number, etc. In order to forge an affinity for the device, Saudi PR personnel (that is, propagandists) have been extolling its indispensable qualities such as emergency medical responsiveness, translation assistance, location recognition, etc. What their PR campaign is keeping close to the vest is the true utility of the device for the Saudi/Israeli “security” apparatus: that it is a surveillance device to keep tabs on exactly what the bearer is doing and where he is going.
For the two billion Muslims, it is becoming increasingly difficult to perform Hajj, one of the fundamental pillars of Islam. This is due to both exorbitant prices the Najdi Bedouins charge pilgrims to perform Hajj when it should be completely free, and the arbitrary quota system they have imposed. The occupiers of the Haramayn (the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah) have imposed an arbitrary quota of 1% on each country. Given that there are approximately two billion Muslims, this means a person must live to an age of 1,000 years to get a chance to perform Hajj!
Let us consider the Qur’anic basis of Hajj. Allah (swt) says in the noble Qur’an that “…pilgrimage to the Bayt [al-Haram] is a duty owed to Allah by all people” (3:97).There is also a condition stipulated in this ayah: a Muslim must have the “means” to perform Hajj (3:97). In another ayah, the Qur’an clarifies that mushriks are prohibited from coming close to the Haram — the sacred House — because they are najis (impure) and the avowed enemies of Allah (9:17).
The “means” relate to financial as well as physical. The performance of this ‘ibadah requires undertaking a long journey away from one’s home, and spending several weeks or even months in the process. If a Muslim does not have the financial wherewithal to perform Hajj, he or she is exempt from it. Obviously, there are expenses along the way. In today’s terms, it would be the cost of airfare (or cost of land transportation including accommodation and food during the journey for those traveling by road). In the early days of Islam including during the period of al-khilafah al-rashidah, Makkah’s residents provided food, water, and accommodation to pilgrims. The latter were not required to pay for anything since they were the guests of Allah (swt). Unfortunately, Bani Saud have turned Hajj into a money-making racket, despite the billions they have appropriated in stolen oil revenue.
Price gouging is the norm. Further, the Najdi Bedouins have created different classes of Hajj: five or even seven-star Hajj. Those with money can have the most luxurious accommodation in hotels and even pray there. Sound from the Haram is piped into the hotel where they can join in the five daily prayers without mixing with the masses on the Haram floor. Saudi court preachers have issued fatwas declaring such hotels as part of the Haram!
This defeats the very purpose of Hajj where Muslims from all over the world congregate in one of the biggest gatherings of humanity to get to know each other. Hajj is also a great leveler obliterating distinctions of class, wealth, or position. Ihram, the two pieces of unstitched cloth that pilgrims don is designed to eliminate distinction between the rich and poor.
While the Saudis and their court preachers have not been able to issue a fatwa to discard ihram for Hajj, they have introduced other deviations such as high-priced hotels and lavish meals. People with money would hardly feel the difference between performing Hajj and going on a holiday in Las Vegas or the French Riviera (nastaghfir-allah). Is this what the purpose of Hajj is or is this how the noble Messenger (pbuh) performed Hajj?
The Saudis have introduced other innovations (bid‘ahs) as well. Hajj is now restricted to 10–15 days and then the pilgrims are told to leave. The Qur’an declares, “Hajj is in the well-known months” (2:197). Bani Saud have not only restricted Hajj to a few days, contrary to the teachings of the noble Qur’an, they have also reduced it to a set of rituals prohibiting Muslims from realizing or fulfilling the higher purpose of Hajj. The gathering of Muslims from all over the world is meant to enable them to discuss the serious issues confronting the Ummah and find solutions to these problems. Instead, pilgrims are prohibited from getting to know their brethren from other parts of the world.
They are parcelled out according to nationality. Interaction is restricted lest Muslims become aware of the plight of fellow Muslims and start to think of solutions for their problems.
Discussion of such burning issues as the occupation of Muslims lands by the imperialists and Zionists, for instance, is expressly forbidden. Bringing up the continued occupation of Palestine, Kashmir, and Afghanistan or the Saudi war on Yemen are forbidden topics. Perish the thought if anyone were to dare raise the issue of the Najdi Bedouins’ illegal occupation of the Haramayn or their opulent lifestyle.
They would soon find themselves at the chopping bloc and without a head. So how did Muslims arrive at this sorry state and what can be done to rectify this intolerable situation? To understand the problem we must go to its root. Bani Saud were installed by British colonialists nearly 100 years ago; they had their own agenda. Today, the Americans and Zionists have supplanted the British. Their agenda remains the same: to divest Hajj of its Qur’anic content. Bani Saud are happy to oblige, for their own survival as well as to serve their foreign masters’ designs to be allowed to stay in power! In his crude way, Donald Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron, “They [Saudi rulers] wouldn’t be there except for the United States. They wouldn’t last a week. We are protecting them…” Can it get any more blatant than that?
What does the noble Qur’an say about Hajj? “Hence, [O Prophet,] proclaim to all the people the [duty of] pilgrimage: they will come to you on foot and on every [kind of] fast mount, coming from every faraway point [on earth], so that they might experience much that shall be of benefit to them, and that they might extol the name of Allah on the days appointed [for sacrifice]…” (22:27).
Allah (swt) has extended an open invitation to all mankind to come to the House of Allah for Hajj. There is no requirement of visa or other man-made impediments. How can there be when the issue is the performance of one’s obligations required by Islam?
Yet surrendering to this un-Islamic practice of obtaining a visa to perform Hajj, Muslims have accepted the supremacy of the nation-state structure and occupation of the Arabian Peninsula by Bani Saud, and set aside the commands of Allah, even if inadvertently. This is not only a mega-bid‘ah that amounts to shirk — associating partners with Allah in power and authority — it is also the gravest of sins a person can commit (31:13).
Little or no attention is paid to the fact that the holy land and in particular the Hijaz, is not the private property of a family or clan. The Haramayn are the common heritage of the entire Muslim Ummah, hence the responsibility to protect them (Makkah and Madinah) also falls on the Muslims. This includes administration of the two holy cities that cannot be left in the hands of an incompetent, extremely arrogant, and morally bankrupt family that has illegally occupied the holy land. Saudi occupation of the Haramayn actually means its annexation by the imperialists and Zionists. After all, Bani Saud are their agents. They no longer even try to hide this fact. This explains why there is little peace or security in a place that Allah (swt) has designated as a sanctuary (2:125–126).
Muslims must seriously consider how they can rectify this situation by bringing the Hajj back to its original divine purpose that is open to all people as commanded by Allah (swt). Muslims, especially those endowed with knowledge and understanding, must seriously reflect on how Islamic practices have been emptied out of their true meaning and turned into meaningless rituals. If the Muslim world is suffering so much today, it is primarily because Muslims have abandoned their responsibility toward Allah (swt) and His Messenger (pbuh) and have neglected the true spirit of Hajj. It is time the committed Muslims take this responsibility seriously and bring an end to Bani Saud’s illegal occupation of the Haramayn and the Arabian Peninsula. So long as this immoral, greedy, and cruel family is in control of the most sacred places of Islam, Muslims are unlikely to see an end to their misery and suffering.
THE DAY OF ARAFAT: FORGIVENESS AND LEADERSHIP
http://www.hizb.org.uk/islamic-culture/t...leadership
When we imagine the millions of white specks scattered around the vast mountainous landscapes of Arafat we seek Allah’s (?) forgiveness thinking of the renewal of ourselves as Muslims and the pledges we make to Allah (?) to not harm ourselves with disobedience to Him (?) again. Indeed this is symbolic of what was narrated about Adam (as) and the souls of every Ummah when Allah took our covenant to worship Allah as our Lord and Sustainer.
And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed and made them testify as to themselves (saying): “Am I not your Lord” They said: “Yes! We testify,“(Surah A’raf:172)
Similarly mankind will again be brought back together on the Last Day reminiscent to the scenes we witness in Arafat. However on the Last Day there will be no opportunity for seeking forgiveness rather mankind will be accounted for all their deeds. Hence what is better than to stand in this world on the day of Arafat in order to gain forgiveness before death approaches us?
And even for those who cannot witness Hajj this year the day of Arafat still has great blessings, the Prophet (saw) said on the authority of Abu Saa’eed al-Khudri (radiallaahu ‘anhu), “Whoever fasts the day of ‘Arafat, he is forgiven for the following year and the previous year. And whoever fasts ‘Ashoorah, then he is forgiven the year.” (Tabaranee)
This year the blessed day of Arafat also falls upon the blessed day of Jumm’ah. Aws ibn Aws reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, the best of your days is Friday. Adam was created on it, and on it he died, and on it the trumpet will be blown and the shout will be made, so send blessings upon me for your blessings are presented to me.”
The day of Arafat is also marked by the completion of the revelation of Allah (swt).
“Today, I have completed your Deen, and have completed my favour upon you and accepted for you Islam as your Deen.”
Ibn Kathir in his tafsir narrates a tradition recorded by Al-Bukhari from Tariq ibn Shihab who said: A Jew said to Umar ibn Al-Khattab, “O leader of the believers, there is a verse in your book that you recite and had it been revealed to us we would have taken that day as a day of celebration.” Umar said, “Which verse is it?” The Jew said:
“This day I have completed your religion for you, perfect my favor upon you, and have chosen Islam has your religion.”
Umar said, “I know the day and place in which this verse was revealed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It was while he was standing on the day of Arafat on Friday.”
Indeed if Lailatul Qadr marked the beginning of the revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (?) to demonstrate the solutions from the Deen of Allah (?) to different realities and therefore to deal with all of life’s affairs. Then what was revealed on the Day of Arafat signifies the completion of that Deen and that no other source should be or is required to be used as a reference point that resolves issues in all aspects of our lives. If we were to ask ourselves why does Allah say in Surah Baqarah verse 208:
“Oh you who believe enter into Islam completely. ”
So what is Deen and what is Islam? Are they not the same thing? Allah (swt) also says in Surah Ale-Imran,
“Whosoever seeks a Deen, other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and he, in the Hereafter, is among the losers.”
This means that the ‘way of life’ Allah (swt) has chosen for us to live by is comprehensive and the source for all actions in life i.e. the Qur’an and Sunnah addresses from Salah and Hajj to social system, economics and ruling in fact they have always been intertwined. This is the meaning of Deen and the meaning of entering into it completely. Thus we take the ahkam of salah like we take the ahkam of trade or politics, that is to say we take them and implement them completely following no other legislation for any of our actions. Indeed we will find in any classical Fiqh book on Hajj the inextricable link with the Khilafah and Salah, Zakah or Hajj. In the case of Hajj it is expected that the Khalifah or his delegate will give four Khutba’s to address the Hujjaj that are an integral part of our Hajj mentioned in classical works such as Imam Nawawi’s book Manasik Al-Hajj wal Umrah. It is therefore a remarkable feat of Islamic political and historical amnesia that the West has implanted within us, that we can have a luxury ‘all inclusive’ Hajj package that does not include the Khalifah and it is not at all strange to us!
The Prophet said: The best dua is dua on the day of Arafat. Let us make sincere dua not only for ourselves but for the ties that bind us to this noble Ummah that weigh heavily on each and every one of our scales. Let us all ask Allah (?) to give us a renewed resolve to work to establish Islam completely, to unite this Ummah, to grant this Ummah the victory soon so we can in our lives witness the completeness and perfection of Islam when it is implemented in life’s affairs.
THE SUBLIME DAY OF ARAFAT AND ITS MERITS
http://www.hizb.org.uk/islamic-culture/t...its-merits
On the 2nd day of Hajj, the 9th Dhul Hijjah, The Day of Arafat, millions of pilgrims set out for the plains of Arafat after sunrise to attend the Khutba of Arafat and prayer their Zuhr & Asr salat combined as was the Sunnah of Rasool Allah (saw). Thereafter they engage in supplication to Allah (swt) from Zuhr to Magrib, seeking forgiveness of their Lord before setting off for Muzdhalifah
And what is the day of Arafat?
The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah have been classified as the best 10 days of the year, and the Day of `Arafat, on which Allah perfected His religion has been classified as the best day of the year according to some scholars
Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H) said: “The most excellent day of the week is the day of Jumuah (Friday), by the agreement of the Scholars. And the most excellent day of the year is the day of an-Nahr. Some of them said that it is the day of Arafat. However, the first opinion is the correct one, since it is related in the Sunan collections that the Prophet (saw) said: “The most excellent days with Allah is the day of an-Nahr, then the day of al-Qarr (the day that the Muslims reside in Mina).” [(Saheeh) by Shaikh al-Albanee in Irwa al-Ghaleel (no: 2018). Related by Abu Dawood no: 1765].” [Majmoo al-Fatawa vol: 25, pp. 288]
Nevertheless, the month of Dhul-Hijjah is a season of worship, and seasons of worship bring along blessings, benefits and opportunities to correct one’s faith and make up for shortcoming. Every one of these special opportunities involves some kind of worship, which brings the slave closer to his Lord. And Allah bestows His blessings and Favours on whom He wills. The fortunate person is he who makes good use of these special months, days, and hours, while worshiping Allah. He is most likely to be touched by the blessings of Allah. Rewards of good deeds are multiplied in these days [Ibn Rajab, al-Lataa'if pp. 8]
Supplication to Allah (swt) & Forgiveness of Sins
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said, “The greatest sin of a person who goes to Arafat and then leaves is to think that he has not been forgiven of his sins.“
Arafat is a day of Forgiveness from sins, freedom from the Hell-Fire for the people who are present in the plain of Arafat. Aa’ishah (ra) narrated the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying: “There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the day of Arafat. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels saying, ‘What do these people (the Hajis) want?’” [Saheeh Muslim]
Not only should you fast this day, but make sure to ask Allah for all of your prayers. The Prophet said: “The best dua is the dua of Arafat.” (Tirmidhi)
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “The best invocation on the day of Arafat, and the best of all the invocations I ever offered or other holy Prophets before me ever offered is: “There is no god but Allah: He is Unique ; He hath no partner, the whole universe is for Him and for Him is the praise, and He hath power over all things.“
It is a brief invocation, but powerful and the Sunnah of all the Prophets. It should be repeated again and again.Fasting on Day of Arafat
“Fasting the day of `Arafat expiates the sins of two years: a past one and a coming one. And, fasting the day of `Aashura’ (the tenth of the lunar month of Muharram) expiates the sins of the past year.” (Reported by Muslim.)
This fasting is Mustahabb only for the non-pilgrims and not for the Hajis (the pilgrims) because it was not the practice of Allah’s Messenger (saw) to fast on the day of Arafat during pilgrimage and in a narration he also forbade doing so. Imaam at-Tirmidhee (ra) (d. 275H) said: “The People of Knowledge consider it recommended (Mustahabb) to fast on the day of Arafat, except for those at Arafat.” [Jaami’ut-Tirmidhee (3/377)
Perfection of Islam
The day of Arafat holds great importance in Islam since this is the Day when Allah completed his revelation on His Messenger (saw). It is reported in the Saheehayn (i.e. Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim), from Umar Ibn al-Khattab (ra) that a Jewish man said to him: “O Ameer al-Mumineen (O head of the Muslims)! There is a verse in the Qur’aan, which if it was revealed on us, the Jews, we would have taken that day as an Eid (festival).” Umar asked: “Which verse?” He said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [Soorah al-Maidah (5): 3] Umar (ra) said: “We know on which day and in which place was this verse revealed to Allah’s Messenger (saw). It was when he was standing in Arafat on a Friday.”
This is the day on which Allah completed His Religion and perfected His Favour. It was on this very day that the Prophet (saw) performed his pilgrimage and while he (saw) was standing on Arafat Mountain, Allah (swt) revealed to Him the verse:
“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (5:3)
The Covenant
Arafat is the day on which Allah (swt) took the covenant from the progeny of Adam (as), it was reported that Ibn Abbas (ra) narrated: The Messenger of Allâh (saw) related: “When Allah (swt) created Adam (as) Allah (swt) took covenant from him in a place Naman on the day of Arafat, then He extracted from him all the descendants who would be born until the end of the world, generation after generation, and spread them out in front of Him in order to take a covenant from them also. He spoke to them face to face saying:
“Am I not your Lord?”
and they all replied: ‘Yes, we testify to it’. Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He was their Creator and only true God worthy of worship. He said:
“That was in case you (mankind) should say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘Surely, we were unaware of this. We had no idea that You, Allah, were our Lord. No one told us that we were only supposed to worship You.” (Sahîh by Shaikh al-Albanî in Silsilah al-Ahâdîth as-Sahîhah vol: 4, no: 1623]
Indeed, the day of Arafat is a blessed day and there is no other covenant greater than this covenant!
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1914: THE SHAPING OF THE MODERN MUSLIM WORLD
Part 1 Dr. Yasir Qadhi
1914: THE SHAPING OF THE MODERN MUSLIM WORLD
Part 2 Dr.Yasir Qadhi & Nabil Bayakli
THE ROTHSCHILDS & THE OVERTHROW OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - THE SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (T. E. Lawrence) AND HIS LEGACY
HOW JORDAN BECAME SO STABLE
WWI ARAB REVOLT
10th June 1916: Battle of Mecca starts the full Arab Revolt
ATATURK- FATHER OF THE TURKS
WW1 FROM ARAB EYES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WvNAH1YA-g
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Islamic_Congress
THE RETURN OF THE ISLAMIC KHILAFAT
http://www.imranhosein.org/articles/unde...lafat.html
A strange ‘obsession’ with Islam explains the Euro-world order’s relentless war on Islam and the ‘biting’ questions that continue to be posed concerning the continuing failure to establish constitutional democracy in the Muslim world. We believe that an explanation of that strange ‘obsession’ is located in Islam’s view of the End of History, and, in particular, in the prophecies in both the Bible and the Qur’an concerning Gog and Magog. We respond to the questions, however, by reminding critics that modern political democracy originated in modern secular western civilization, and required the adoption of political secularism as the basis for the establishment of polity and State.
Political secularism, however, like all other applications of secularism, denied religion any significant role in the public order. This, in turn, facilitated the decline of religion and of absolute moral values, and, around the world, has led to the emergence of ever-changing secular values and, eventually, to an essentially godless way of life.
Let us recall that when the British colonized countries such as India they found Muslims with a political culture derived basically from Islam. British colonial rule imposed European political secularism ‘at the point of the sword’ as the alternative to Islam. Both Hindus and Muslims eventually challenged the new European religion of ‘secularism’, and sought to restore and to preserve their own indigenous political culture.
This led eventually, and alarmingly so for the British, to an ominous political alliance of Muslims and Hindus in what was called the Khilafat Movement – a struggle to preserve the institution of the Islamic Caliphate located at the very heart of Muslim political culture. Gandhi himself forged the alliance with the Muslim Khilafat Movement since he, also, wanted to restore (for Hindus) indigenous Hindu political culture and a Hindu model of a State.
The Khilafat Movement threatened to topple the entire system of European political secularism and constitutional democracy that the colonial West was forcing upon the non-White world. And so a British strategy was devised, in collaboration with Mustafa Kamal's newly emerging secular Republic of Turkey, to abolish the Turkish Caliphate and, in so doing, to sabotage and to bring about the collapse of the Khilafat Movement with its alarming Hindu-Muslim alliance. The strategy succeeded. The Caliphate was abolished in Turkey in March 1924. By the end of that same year the old Indian Muslim leadership, comprised of men who knew and lived Islam, went into irreversible decline. They were replaced by the secularly inclined ‘All India Muslim League’, led by men who neither knew nor lived Islam. They presided over the cleverly disguised passage from Islam as the basis of political culture, to the new European political secularism.
It was deceptively spirited in by way of religious nationalism, and emerged as a curious creature named ‘Muslim nationalism’. The passage from the one to the other was so cleverly disguised that it is still not discernible to many Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The turbulent history of secular European constitutional democracy in the Muslim world cannot be understood without recognition of that effort at fundamental change in political culture from Islam to the European model of political secularism. Indeed the passage from the one to the other has not as yet been accomplished in any final way even in Pakistan or Turkey. Time and again the religious beliefs of the Muslim peoples in Africa, the Arab world, South and South-East Asia, etc., have impacted on politics in such wise that the West has been forced to continuously resort to devious means, including brute force and barbarism in present-day Iraq and Afghanistan, to thwart the effort to restore Islam as the basis of polity.
Will Muslim society be secularized and constitutional democracy finally established in the Muslim world? Or, will destiny witness the restoration of the Islamic Khilafat?
Before we attempt to answer that absolutely fascinating question which will eventually emerge at the very heart of political discourse in contemporary international affairs, let us briefly describe the Khilafat or the (Sunni) Islamic model of polity and State.
It would surely surprise some of our readers to learn that Islam has never claimed to be a new religion. Rather it has consistently proclaimed that it is the original religion of Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all).
It was therefore natural that Prophet Muhammad (s) should have preserved in the Islamic State of Madina the essential model of a polity and State that was established by the Prophet-Kings, David (s) and Solomon (s) in the Holy State of Israel. What was that model?
Firstly, political culture in Holy Israel tolerated no secular separation of politics from religion. In both David (s) and Solomon (s), the religious/spiritual head of the community (i.e., the Prophet), was also, himself, King or Head of State.
Secondly, the polity and State recognized God as Sovereign (al-Malik), and to Him belonged the Kingdom (al-Mulk), and hence Israel was the Kingdom of God on earth.
Thirdly, God’s authority and law were both supreme in this model of a State. In the secular European model, on the other hand, sovereignty was taken away from God and vested in the polity and State. That was blasphemy (Shirk). God was further stripped of supreme authority and law and these, also, were vested in the people and the State, and were institutionalized in secular government (administration, judiciary and legislature). That, also, was blasphemy (Shirk). The people not only assumed supreme authority and installed their own man-made law as supreme law, they even went on, and recklessly so, to make legally permissible that which God had Himself prohibited.
Such was the case, for example, with the Divine prohibition of ‘lending money on interest’, gambling and lottery, etc. The Qur’an has described all these efforts to ‘play God’ as blasphemy (Shirk), which is the one sin that Allah Most High has warned that He would never forgive. I guess that someone would respond by accusing God of being fundamentalist.
When a people turn away from God, as they most certainly do in political secularism and the secular State, the Qur’an has warned that they would eventually forget Him and would pay the price of forgetting themselves (i.e., their human status). Their conduct would eventually become worse than that of wild beasts. Prophet Muhammad prophesied that they would eventually engage in sexual intercourse in public like donkeys. There is an abundance of evidence that mainstream society in this “progressive” modern age is heading down that road and is already approaching the fulfillment of the prophecy of roadside sex.
The Islamic Khilafat differs in no way whatsoever from the model of the Holy State of Israel except that Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet/Head of State, was recognized as Servant of Allah rather than King! Prophet Muhammad (s) has prophesied that the Islamic Khilafat would be restored at that time when Jesus (s) returns. I believe that we may have to wait for less than 50 years to witness the return of Jesus (s) and the restoration of the Islamic model of a State (Khilafat).
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HAJJ MESSAGE OF THE RAHBAR
Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei
https://crescent.icit-digital.org/articl...i-khamenei
A Monthly Newsmagazine from Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT)
Dhu al-Hijjah 09, 1438
In keeping with past tradition and as leader of the Ummah, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei issued his message to the hujjaj assembled in Makkah for the performance of their pilgrimage.
In the Name of Allah, Merciful, the Mercy-giving
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad (pbuh) - the Final Prophet - and upon his immaculate household and his chosen companions.
I thank Allah, Almighty for bestowing, this year too, the blessing of performing Hajj on an abundant number of committed Muslims from all over the world. They can benefit from this refreshing and blessed spring and can be in the vicinity of Baytullah (the House of Allah) engaging in sincere worship, supplication, dhikr(remembrance of Allah) and taqarrub (closeness to Allah) on the days and nights whose precious and auspicious hours can touch hearts and purify and adorn souls like a miraculous elixir.
Hajj is a mystifying act of worship, and the Noble House (Masjid al-Haram) is a place full of divine blessings and an embodiment of Allah, the Exalted’s signs and symbols. Hajj can help the pious, humble and wise servants of Allah achieve spiritual elevation. It can make them become lofty and enlightened individuals. It can make them become insightful and courageous elements that are prepared to take action and engage in jihad (utmost struggle for the sake of Allah).
Spiritual and political, as well as individual and social aspects stand out and are visible in this unique obligation of Hajj.
Today, the Muslim Ummah is in dire need of both.
On the one hand, the lure of materialism is busy beguiling and annihilating [humanity] by using advanced instruments of propaganda, and on the other, the policies of the system of domination are instigating sedition and fueling the fire of discord among Muslims, turning Islamic countries into an inferno of insecurity and disagreement.
Hajj can be a cure for both of these grave maladies that the Islamic Ummah is suffering from. It can purge hearts of impurities and enlighten them with the light of piety and understanding. It can open eyes to the bitter realities of the world of Islam; it can strengthen one’s determination in order to confront those realities. It can make one’s steps firm and prepare hands and minds to take action.
Today, the world of Islam is suffering from insecurity: moral, spiritual and political insecurity. This is mainly due to our negligence and the brutal invasion of the enemies. We as Muslims did not carry out our religious and rational duties in the face of the invasion of the vicious enemy. We forgot to be both “strong against the deniers of Allah’s power” and “compassionate with one another” (The noble Quran, 48:29).
This has [consequently] led the Zionist enemy to provoke sedition in the heart of the Muslim world, while we as Muslims - by ignoring the important duty of saving Palestine - are busy with domestic wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Bahrain, and with confronting terrorism in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the like.
The heads of Muslim countries and political, religious and cultural figures in the world of Islam have heavy responsibilities on their shoulders:
the responsibility of creating unity and preventing people from [engaging in] ethnic and religious militancy;
the responsibility of informing nations of the enemy’s methods and the treachery of arrogance and Zionism;
the responsibility of equipping everyone for the purpose of confronting the enemy in the various arenas of hard and soft wars;
the responsibility of urgently preventing catastrophic incidents in Islamic countries – the bitter examples of which such as the incidents in Yemen are today a source of sorrow and protest throughout the world;
the responsibility of supporting firmly the oppressed Muslim minorities such as those in Myanmar and elsewhere;
and most importantly, the responsibility of defending Palestine and offering unconditional cooperation and assistance to a people who have been fighting for their usurped land for 70 years.
These are important responsibilities that fall on our shoulders. Nations should demand them from their governments and leading figures should try to achieve them with firm determination and pure intentions. These tasks are the definite embodiment of helping Allah’s deen that will definitely be followed by divine help that He has promised.
These are parts of the lessons of Hajj and I hope that we can understand and act upon them. I pray to Allah to accept your Hajj. I would like to commemorate the martyrs of Mina and Masjid al-Haram [in 2015] and beseech Allah, the Merciful and the Benevolent, to elevate their rank [in Heaven].
Greetings be upon you all and Allah’s mercy
Seyyed Ali Khamenei
Dhu al-Hijjah 7, 1438/ August 29, 2017
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3RD MARCH 1924 – WHY DOES IT MATTER?
The date 3rd of March 1924 matters because it was when the Khilafah State was abolished officially. It matters because by the abolishment of the Khilafah State the laws of Islam were no longer comprehensively applied. Consequently, Islam as a complete way of life was reduced to a set of spiritual rituals and morals.
The Messenger said:
“Verily, the knots of Islam will be undone one by one. Whenever one knot is lost, then the people grabbed onto the one which came after it. The first of these knots will be the ruling (al-hukm) and the last will be the salah.” (Hakim/ Ahmed)
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah described Islam as series of knots, denoting commands, prohibitions and limits of Islam. We will mention five critical knots of Islam which have been untied since the destruction of the Khilafah on 3rd of March 1924.
The Knot of Ruling
As per the hadith, the first knot to be undone is the knot of ruling. The knot of ruling being untied first is significant because the ruling system is the method by which all the laws of Islam are implemented in society. The ruling system has been defined by the Sunnah of the Messenger ? which the Khulafah Rashidun and those who succeeded them continued to implement throughout the history of Islam with its ups and downs.
It has been narrated by Abu Huraira that the Prophet said:
“Banu Isra’il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no prophet and there will be caliphs and they will be quite large in number. His companions said: what do you order us to do (in case we come to have more than one Caliph)? He said: the one to whom allegiance is sworn first has a supremacy over the others. Concede to them their due rights (i. e. obey them). God (Himself) will question them about the subjects whom He had entrusted to them.” (Sahih Muslim)
The knot of ruling is none other than the Khilafah ruling system which rules by what Allah has revealed. Allah ? says:
“But no! by your Lord! they do not believe (in reality) until they make you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and then do not find any straitness in their hearts as to what you have decided and submit with entire submission.” [An-Nisa:65]
“And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it, therefore judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their low desires (to turn away) from the truth that has come to you; for every one of you did We appoint a law and a way…” [AL-Ma’idah: 48]
Throughout the Islamic history, the Muslim scholars recognised the importance and obligation of appointing the Khalifah of the Muslims. Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (in Fath Al-Bari) states:
“Al-Nawawi and others said: they (the scholars) agreed unanimously that the Khalifah should be appointed one after another and his selection should be done by those charged with authority and there must be only one Khalifah, who should be selected with mutual consultation whether this consultation is done between a limited or unlimited number of people. They also agreed that the selection of a Khalifah is an obligation imposed by the Shari’ah and is not something produced by the mind”.
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami explained the Ijmaa’ of the Sahabah (in Al-Sawa’iq Al-Muhriqah):
“It is known that the Sahabah (RAA) unanimously agreed that the selection of Imam after the end of the era of Prophethood was an obligation (Wajib). Indeed they made it more important than the other obligations whilst they were busy with it over the burial of the Prophet ?”.
The Knot of Unity
The colonialist disbelievers worked day and night to destroy the political unity of the Muslims by creating impotent nation states controlled by client regimes, numbering more than 50 today. It is due to this political disunity the Muslims lack strength and remain weak and dependent on the colonialist powers.
The political unity of the Muslims is manifested by having one leader who rules according to Islam, and it is forbidden for the Muslims to have more than one leader. Abu Said Al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,
“When oath of allegiance has been taken for two caliphs, kill the one for whom the oath was taken later.” (Muslim)
Arfajah bin Shuraih (RA) narrated, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah ? say:
“He who comes to you when you are united and wants to disunite your community, kill him.” (Muslim)
Abu Bakr (RA) went on to say on the day of Thaqifa:
“It is forbidden for Muslims to have two Amirs for this would cause differences in their affairs and concepts, their unity would be divided, and disputes would break out amongst them. The Sunnah would then be abandoned, the bida’a (innovations) would spread and Fitna would grow, and that is in no-one’s interest.” (As-Sunan Al-Kubra of Bayhaqi)
The Knot of Protection
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet of Allah ? said:
“A commander (of the Muslims) is a shield for them. They fight behind him, and they are protected by (him from tyrants and aggressors). If he enjoins fear of God, the Exalted and Glorious, and dispenses justice, there will be a (great) reward for him; and if he enjoins otherwise, it redounds on him.” (Muslim)
The Imam mentioned in the hadith is the Khalifah of the Muslims who is the shield that protects the Muslims from the aggressors. Today, it is painfully apparent that in the absence of this shield the Muslims have no protection in Palestine, Syria, Kashmir and many other places. Despite having substantial Muslim armies and weapons, we are still not protected. The reason is that the current ‘rulers’ in the Muslims lands don’t have the will to act for the protection of the Muslims, they only use the armies to fight on behalf of the colonialist kuffar and to protect their thrones.
The Knot of Welfare
Narrated Ibn `Umar: I heard Allah’s Messenger saying,
“The Ruler (i.e. Imam) is a guardian and responsible for his subjects..” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Today, the Muslim world is plagued with poverty, illiteracy, lack of development in industry and science, even though, the Muslim world is rich in resources, population and talent. It was the Khilafah state that historically led humanity in science, technology and human welfare.
The Knot of Da’wa (Conveying Islam) to the World
With the destruction of the Khilafah, humanity has been in darkness and misguidance under the kufr ideologies of capitalism and socialism. Today, the world is in dire need of the guidance of Islam in all aspects of life. The Khilafah must bring humanity out of darkness and into the light of Islam.
Allah says:
“Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Book which We have revealed to you that you may bring forth men, by their Lord’s permission from utter darkness into light– to the way of the Mighty, the Praised One…” [TMQ 14:1]
Al-Tabari narrated that Rabi` ibn `Amir entered the court of Rustum, the Persian leader, who asked him: “What brought you here?” Rabi` said:
“God sent us, and He brought us here to lead whom He wills from the worship of man to the worship of God alone; from the narrowness and oppression of this world to the space and abundance of the hereafter; and from the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam.”
POSTSCRIPT
The implication here is that all the treaties like Versailles, Sevres and Lausanne need review in preparation for their "updating".
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8th WORLD ISLAMIC FORUM
STRATEGIC VISION DOCUMENT 8TH WORLD ISLAMIC FORUM “Spiritual Authority and Integration in Theory and Practice” ( 01-03 March 2018, Istanbul )
Every belief system has its own ontology, epistemology, moral (akhlak), law, politics, economy and imagination. In the pre-modern era, the concept of existence to the concept of knowledge, the concept of knowledge to the morality, moral approach to the understanding of the law, legal infrastructure to the politics, and at the same way political understanding constituted to the economic understanding. Which means, the economy in the modern era; the determinants of the other factors we have listed above are still present; the structure that emerged during this period solved traditional structures all over the world and naturally, the field of politics was reshaped all over the world in this frame.
In the Western society, the birth of Protestantism and Political confinement of the Catholic Church reveals the style of secular politics. Europe, an irresistible political, military, economic and intellectual power in this period, has reached in a position to influence and transform the rest of the world. In this context, the "Western political perception" has been tried to be transferred to any adaptation, from the top down to the different belief geographies, without being subject to transformation. The nature of Christianity, more exactly Catholicism’s concept of existence and information with the nature of sacred texts, more particularly from the Islamic viewpoint of existence and information, and beliefs as it is totally different, the transfer of the "Western-style Politics" without any limitations have caused some serious problems.
As a result, some Islamic countries have completely rejected this new system of politics, revealing different "Islamic" structures that are not seen in their historical past in the modern era, others are not questioning modern politics. They have turned into deeply disorganized political structures in their own way. Despite the secularism in the West, the Catholic Church's existence was completely ended. Although the church was constantly subjected to reforms, it continued to exist as the most important representative of the Christian identity in modern times, with struggling against communism, leading Christian public on important social issues, supporting the legitimacy grounds of political structures, and so on. Today, the Church continues to exist as an indispensable institution in the Vatican pioneer. There are some similarities of perspective between Islam and Christianity in the sense of being in existence, but there are serious differences as well. Structural differences exist between the two religions in terms of knowledge, morality, law, politics and economic interests.
Therefore, it is not possible to talk about a structure that has religious, sociological and political functions similar to the Church for the Muslim world. The emergence of Islam and the growth of peculiar political structures to the Islamic world in the form of sacred texts as it is in the Catholic Church, emerged not as a political reflection of the hierarchy of religions, but rather as a result of the sociological and economic constraints of time. Religious identity is the constituent of this structure. Until the 20th century, Islamic worlds had one way or another, political leadership that represented its identity. Understanding of Secular Politics started to have influence all over the World and the Caliphate being submitted to the Grand National Assembly, this institution has become dysfunctional and Islamic identity is deprived of leadership or structures representing it. Nature does not accept empty spaces. An identity without leadership structure cannot be envisaged. As a result of the disappearance of the leadership structure, the identity will either be lifted or divided into sub-identities under a number of leadership structures.
As in the 20th century all over the world, the Islamic world has also been the scene of efforts to create a modern political unit based on nation-state identity. On the other hand, it maintains the Islamic identity based on a strong belief system. The efforts to create "national Islamic perception" in some countries have remained inconclusive for reasons such as the specific belief system of Islam and the qualities of religious texts. Numerous attempts have been made in the form of legal or underground activities at the state or community level to fill this void in the field of identity, including the whole Islamic world. At the state level, Saudi Arabia and later Iran were found to be leaders of the Islamic world. However, the misalliance between vision, means and targets has led to the initiatives in this regard of being futile or transforming into highly functional tools used by the great powers in modern international relations.
The "underground" initiatives that emerged with the vision or ambition to fill up this void are at least as effective as the efforts at the state level, but transformed into constructs that can have extremely dangerous consequences not only for the Islamic world but for the whole world. Al Qaeda, ISIL and the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey, and those that reached unprecedented levels of activity, have emerged in such a gap. Such structures may be interpreted by the logic of "representation struggle" or they are extremely suitable to be used for "intelligence operations". It is inevitable that similar problems are constantly on the agenda unless a legitimate leadership structure is created to represent Islamic identity.
Throughout the history, the Islamic world has not had political structures based on a religious hierarchy similar to the Church - unless it’s exceptional and temporary situation. In the world of Islam, administrators have the opportunity to create politics, social, political and economic regulations in the field that’s opened for them with the name of law. On the other hand, the structure of the religious texts is in Catholicism, and in the principles of faith or practice, it is a matter for the clergy to change as they wish. Conducting political discussions without taking this structure exclusively into the domain of Islamic identity will not give healthy results. For this reason, the studies to be carried out in the field will be based on "the original belief and practice of Islam” as well as "Modern political, sociological and the fact that the economic conditions imperative for the nation-state" needs to be considered. On the other hand, in terms of history and current conditions, it is seen that the lack of leadership in the Islamic world has the potential to the serious problems not only for Muslims but also for the whole world. In this respect, it is inevitable of the central religious authority. Considering today's conditions, this authority should be appropriate to the nature of Islam, but at the same time contemporary internationalism must be taken into account. Leadership structure to be formed; possessing high representation ability, must be participatory and encompassing. Otherwise, there is no way to prevent structures such as ISIL. Because the actual source that feeds these structures is ideological. It is unthinkable to end similar problems as far as ideology is concerned, unless reasonable and legitimate alternatives are created. The discussion of “Clerical Authority” problem from religion, politics and sociological perspectives is inevitable obligatory under current conditions.
Islamic world is obliged to discuss the subject by considering its own needs and requirements of international conjuncture. It is necessary that providing unify by protecting multicultural structure, block terror attacks and preventing Muslims from illegal movements in order to satisfy interests of Islamic world. One of main problems in Islamic world is challenges in creating ideas intellectually. The problems generate dilemmas about how Islam can be interpreted and implemented. The intellectual weakness makes the reflection of Islamic core values impossible in modern world. In some situations, groups which defend same opinions may face to conflicts since different concepts are used for same facts. Islam civilization has interactive relations with neighbor civilizations because of its central location. In modern times, especially within the globalization term, the relation is turned to atmosphere where Islamic world has become passive. The passiveness, not only for Muslims but also for all around the world, caused arising of significant issues. Therefore, leadership problem in Islamic world should be tackled under requirements of zeitgeist by considering unique values.
In this forum; leadership problems of Islamic identity within modern time is projected to contribute to Islamic countries and world by considering historical roots of accumulation of civilization. 8 th World Islam Forum which will be held under “Spiritual Authority and Integration in Theory and Practice” main theme aims to contribute to discourse union of Islam world, to accelerate creation of thoughts, to improve the image of Islamic countries, and to bring Islamic accumulation to the service of all humanity.
Main Theme Spiritual Authority and Integration in Theory and Practice
Sub-Themes Islamic Political Accumulation and Clerical Authority Common Values and Differences:
Union within Multiculturalism The Possibilities of Clerical and Political Leadership in the Face of Contemporary Social, Political and Economic Conditions
Politic/Religious Leadership in the Context of Relations among Civilizations:
Possibilities and Threats Threats which is Originated From lack of Religious/Political Leadership in Counter Terrorism.
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LEADER CALLS ON MUSLIM WORLD TO FOCUS ON UNITY, SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has underlined the need for "unity and integrity" among Muslim nations amid the enemies' attempts to sow discord in their ranks. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with participants at an international summit on the Shia role in the emergence and development of Islamic sciences, in Tehran on Saturday.
Though denied by the West, the current "awakening" in the Muslim world paves the ground for greater tendency towards Islam and heralds a better future, the Leader said. Referring to the enemies' efforts to pit Muslims against each other, the Leader said, "In such circumstances, any action, which causes Muslims to have better understanding of their merits and sets the stage for their convergence, will help Muslim unity and integrity."
The Leader also stressed that scientific advancement is one of the most important and much-needed issues in the Muslim world, adding that the main reason behind the Muslim world's subordination is its scientific backwardness. "After consecutive centuries of scientific backwardness, the Western world was able to use scientific advancements of the Muslim world and increase its wealth and scientific, military, political and propaganda power and ultimately bring Muslim countries to the current state through colonialism," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader further touched on Western powers' bullying and Muslim states' submission. "These circumstances should change through the scientific advancement of the Muslim countries and the Muslim world could once again be at the peak of human civilization." The Leader described the Islamic Republic as a successful example in scientific advancement. "According to reports by global scientific centers, the pace of Iran's scientific advancement has been 13 times more than the global average rate," he said. Contrary to the West, Ayatollah Khamenei said, Iran is ready to provide other Muslim countries with its scientific achievements.
IRANS's ROUHANI CALLS FOR UNITY AMONG MUSLIMS AGAINST 'GREAT PLOT'
The 30th edition of the Islamic Unity Conference is underway in the Iranian capital Tehran. The event is held annually on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad’s birth anniversary and brings together Muslim scholars and intellectuals from around the world for discussions over ways of maintaining peace and unity in the Muslim world.
UNITY CAN EXTRICATE MUSLIMS FROM US, ZIONIST EVIL : LEADER
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, and Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani were also present in the Saturday meeting with the Leader. The Leader’s speech was preceded by an address by President Rouhani, who also said that divergence among Muslim countries stops them from progressing. “The Islamic Republic has invariably stood by the aggrieved nations of the region in the face of terrorism and will continue to do so,” he said.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says unity is the only solution to extricate Muslims from their sufferings which are being caused by the US and the Zionists. “Should we unite and proceed toward Islamic goals in a united manner, then the US and the malignant, nefarious Zionist nexus can no longer hold nations in their clutches,” he said on Saturday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.
The Leader was addressing a number of state officials and diplomatic representatives of Muslim countries as well as participants at an international unity conference in Tehran. “Today, the Muslim world is facing great tribulations, the way out of which is Islamic unity,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. “Today, Muslim killings are taking place from Myanmar to Africa; some are being killed at the hands of Boko Haram, others by Buddhists.”
“Today, there are two volitions at contrast with each other in the region: The will for unity and the will for schism. Should unity transpire, the situation will not be as it is today and Muslims will earn esteem.”
Ayatollah Khamenei said the British version of Shia Islam and the American version of Sunni Islam, which pit Muslims against one another, are “two blades of the same pair of scissors.” The British policy of “divide and rule” is seriously being pursued by the enemies of Islam, the Leader said. Ayatollah Khamenei said worldwide Muslim unity, the most important type of readiness needed by the Muslim world, would abort the conspiracy to consign the issue of Palestine to oblivion.
The Leader also referred to recent anti-Iran remarks by British Prime Minister Theresa May and said that, for over two centuries, the United Kingdom has served as a source of “evil and squalor” for nations in our region. Ayatollah Khemenei pointed to the British government’s divisive bids in India, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq, and noted, “Now, that British official shamelessly claims that Iran is a threat to the region.” May recently said in the Bahraini capital of Manama that Britain would help “push back” against what she claimed was Iran’s “aggressive regional actions.”
The Leader also said that the arrogance increased its anti-Islam efforts after the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution because it is afraid of the establishment and continued existence of a powerful and model Islamic establishment.
The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) was born on the 17th day of the lunar calendar month of Rabi-ul-Awwal in 570 CE. “Our advice is that all should check out the Qur’anic verses about the Prophet (PBUH). This is a comprehensive collection. What is wrong with our attitude is us neglecting the assortment of divine teachings. The correct path emerges when we pay attention to this inclusive collection,” the Leader asserted.
According to the Sunni narrative, the birth date of the Prophet (PBUH) falls on Rabi-ul-Awwal 12. As per a call made by the late Founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini, the week in between the two dates is marked each year as “the Islamic Unity Week” to promote convergence among Muslims. The Islamic Republic holds an International Islamic Unity Conference on an annual basis. This year witnessed the colloquium’s 30th edition, with senior officials from Muslim countries and Shia and Sunni scholars in attendance.
Unfortunately, Rouhani said, some Muslim governments are concerned about the fate of terrorists in Syria and seek to ensure their safe exit from the Syrian city of Aleppo instead of worrying about the down-trodden Syrian people.
ISLAM, MUSLIMS AND UNITY WEEK
Unity Week, designated by Imam Khomeini, is commemorated among Muslims every year as a time of unity between the world’s Shias and Sunnis. Sunni and Shia Muslims have lived peacefully together for centuries and the minor differences between them have never been a cause of conflict. Shias believe in Imam Ali (PBUH) as their first Imam after Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and his 11 descendant, and Sunnis believe in the four main caliphs after the prophet.
Western politicians and media, however, have exploited the minor differences in the religious beliefs of the two sects and fan the flames of conflicts among Muslims. At such times, the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, set precedence for the commemoration of Unity Week in a bid to solidify unity among Muslims.
According to the Sunni narrative, the birth date of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) falls on 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal while the Shias consider 17 Rabi-ul-Awwal as the exact birth date. The week in between is commemorated among Muslims as the “Unity Week.”
During this week, the followers of the two main branches of Islam, Shias and Sunnis, gather to honor Islam’s message of peace and humanity and express their love and affection for their Prophet (PBUH).
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