In his annual Hajj message, delivered on his behalf by Crown Prince Salman at the annual reception for leaders of Islamic countries, dignitaries, guest pilgrims of the king and heads of Hajj missions at Mina Palace, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, urged Muslims to stand together and be tolerant with each other and the rest of the world. At the same time, he warned that the Ummah would not allow others to interfere in their affairs, undermine their security and disrespect Islam.
The message has come at the most critical juncture in the history of Muslims who, despite being over one and half billion strong, and having around fifty Muslim-majority states plus substantial presence in India and considerable population in all countries of the world, carry no influence at international level.
I think one reason for the plight of Muslims is that during the last few centuries when the free world experienced fast-paced development in nearly all fields of human endeavour, most of the Muslim states happened to be under colonial rule, and therefore not a participant in the process. However, the fact that Muslims became subjugated itself means that the rot had set in much earlier, culminating eventually in their slavery. And the effect has been so overwhelming that despite gaining our independence, we fully retain the characteristics acquired during the period of slavery.
A simple and more direct way of putting it would be that during the last many centuries, our contribution to humanity at large or even to our own communities has been virtually nil: our rulers and other influential people in the society had been concentrating mainly on building palaces, beautiful gardens and forts, instead of spreading knowledge, establishing colleges and universities. …..
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Middle East
The above post is quite true. Even when the Muslim countries gained freedom (and Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan sahib Rz.a. did much for their freedom), the people of the Muslim countries did not do well. They did not progress in the intellectual and technical and spiritual field. Even now they need spiritual guidance.
Mullas, who were responsible for the ills of the last few centuries, again came into the field with their misconcieved theory of political Islam.
Tu Kaaray Zameen raa niko saakhti,
Kih ba aasmaan neez pardaakhti. (Persian)
Trans:
You (addressing the Mullas) did not do any good for the matters of the earth,
How come you started correcting the matters of the sky!
If any one (Muslim) is trying to make peace and work for progress in any country, these religious bigots try to bring chaos and fanatic Islam into the world. Astaghfirullah !!
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, Saudi king and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, also made some of the following and additional statements in his annual Hajj message and I am glad to add some further comments with due respect to him :
1- “Our goals are for the interests of Muslims and because of the fear of division among Muslims. Dialogue between Islamic sects is the best way to unite and understand each other. Our differences should not affect the unity of the Islamic ummah.”
2- He called on Muslims to put aside their differences and rivalries, hailing the establishment of a Center for Dialogue between Islamic Sects in the city of Medina. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation had reportedly adopted this plan earlier this year.
3- He affirmed that Muslims across the world, “share the same worries and hopes,” adding that success can only be secured if the Islamic ummah holds tight to its own beliefs.
4- He warned that the Islamic ummah would not allow others to interfere in its affairs, undermine its security, or disrespect Islam.
5- He further stated, “From the land of the Prophet’s message, we are telling the world that we are a nation that will never compromise its religious and moral values and we will never allow anyone to offend the sovereignty of our nation or interfere in its internal or foreign affairs,” the statement read.
6- He called on Muslims to stand together and deal with others “with a forgiving humanity that does not reject others just because they believe in different religions.”
7- He also expressed his hopes for mutual respect and friendship between different countries of the world, regardless of conflicting interests.
8- “In this era of rivalries, we must reject authoritarianism and arrogance and if we realize this, then our hearts will have the values of friendship and whoever disagrees is on his own, as we have the pride and dignity of our people.”
The first and foremost goal of our fragmented Muslim community (or ummah) over the centuries and including recent decades has been to restore desperately needed unity. The Prophetic mission began with compact of Medina (as Umma of democracy including Muslims and non-Muslims as equal citizens and signatories to the constitution of Medina or the Meesaq-e-Medina). Ummah of democracy for the goals of ‘ummah Islamiyya’ and above all for ‘ummah Insaniya’ since the prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) mission was meant for the entire human family (un-nas). Muslims have been well beyond the fear of division since divisions have been there and are still there but have been ignored for centuries and upto the present.
Dialogue, in my view falls under the tawhidic Islamic world-view, and is not only a requirement between Muslim sects but also as a true jihad through which we are to achieve individual and collective Tazkiya-un-nafs for true Islamic virtues of tolerance, empathy, and reconciliation and mutual forgiveness. For example, reconciling sectarian differences with each other, have been at the pinnacle of this jihad. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said,” Reconciliation of your differences is more worthy than all prayers and all fasting.” And even if certain interpretational differences amongst sects can not be reconciled, harmony and peace can still be achieved most certainly by setting aside some of those irreconcilable differences.
For centuries Muslims have failed to set aside their ever increasing internecine sectarian, ethnic, racial and cultural differences and rivalries that go on fraying the moral and socio-political fabric of Muslim peoples world-wide. The organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) was established in Rabat, Morocco in the year1969 and in the past 44 years has accomplished very little. Let us hope and pray that this year’s plan adopted by the Organization of Islamic Conference (through a Center for Dialogue between Islamic Sects in the city of Medina) starts to accomplish true Islamic goals.
Turkish President Abdullah Gül had referred to his landmark speech at the ministers of foreign affairs meeting of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 2003, a decade ahead of the movements of masses that had begun and were ignited in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) spring very recently in early 2011. He had called on the Arab and Muslim world, a decade ago, to put their own house in order. Thus directing attention to the desperate need for an urgent and immediate dialogue for a real change in the Muslim world and the region in his 2003 speech. Still nothing had happened.
In his recent keynote speech at the fourth İstanbul Forum organized by the Center for Strategic Communication (STRATİM), president Abdullah Gul stated that no nation, society or sect will ever benefit from such a dark era in the Muslim World, and he correctly called it the intra-civilizational clash- a “disaster scenario” within the Muslim world that is worse than clash of civilizations and end of history scenarios proclaimed by Huntington and Fukuyama respectively.
President Gul further stated that there is no contradiction between Islam, democracy and a pluralistic rule, in which all faiths and cultures can find space for themselves, appealing to everyone. Prophet’s compact of Medina was indeed to begin with a model and practice of pluralistic democracy of ummah. However, as president Gul said, “In no country was there a transition to a pluralistic democracy overnight,” while the establishment of democracy in any given society is a must and without mixing religion with the state.
True Muslims worldwide certainly have the same worries and hopes but the Muslim Ummah does not exist in one peace, since it remains fragmented and 57 Muslim governments have been of no help in ummah’s reunification process. There are indeed non-governmental faith-based global social movements like Hizmet (Gulen) and Ahmadiyya that have been doing their admirable best of activist works through education, peace-building and human development already for several decades .It will be most interesting see if OIC wakes up and net-works with these global social movements to further contribute to their works already being done for Umma of Islamiyya and ummah of Insaniyyah.
Why warn when Islamic ummah has been fragmented for so long and as such a Muslim ummah does not even exist. Once Muslim ummah is truly put together again, its loftier and eventual goal would be unity of ‘umma Insaniyya ‘ and the rest of humanity will naturally join the Muslim ummah Insh-Allah.
The fragmented Muslim ummah distanced itself from the true prophetic (pbuh) message and his mission. Prophet’s message was never exclusive and began for all of humanity through ummah Islamiyya connected with ummah Insaniyya. With revival of Muslim ummah after centuries, prophet’s true message of universal moral values and ethics will be welcomed by all of humanity in the globalizing age of dialogue, tolerance and reconciliation where no one will offend each other’s national sovereignty or interfere in the internal affairs of others.
Certainly Muslims must stand together as a unified ummah and there will be no difficulties with the rest of the humanity, our brotherhood and solidarity with it despite different religions when Islamic teaching in Quran (2:256) is: “there is no compulsion in religion”. There are two things the Saudi King should be asking for instead. One is the right of everyone to make a free choice in the matter of religion, and the other is the right of Muslims in non-Muslim countries to be treated exactly like every other religious group.
Once Muslim umma has overcome its transgression and fragmentation, we will need to resolve our spiritual dilemma not just with ethical principles and moral guidelines, but also with the will to change. The change requires us to set aside our sectarian prejudices and hatred to have our insurgence turned into love and compassion, to transform our inner self to what is ethically and morally in line with Allah’s Commands, and to make the reality of brotherhood and solidarity with all a workable fact of life. These are not only rhetorical expressions; they do indeed refer to realities of our predicament. Nothing less than this is required if we are to truly achieve unity and the ultimate fulfillment of the signicance of our existence. Unity is the only way to bring us closer to Allah and His creation .As there is One Allah that is the source of all conscious beings, whether on earth or elsewhere in the cosmos. We must strive towards a change in our lives in order to truly love one another.
We have the means and strength by which to achieve this unity, that is, the Rope of Allah (SWT). Attainment of unity is not realized by just reading the Quran and the Hadiths of prophet Muhammad. It is realized when we truly live by Allah’s Commandments and emulate the lifestyle of our beloved prophet (pbuh). To hold fast to the Rope of Allah takes a great deal of concentration and concerted effort as well as pure heart. Those who are sanctimonious and pretentious have a superfluous complacency, and it is difficult for them to see and think straight. We must overcome our inner desires; seek Allah’s forgiveness, and exercise humility and empathy.
Unity is the key to better understanding of our rules as Muslims. Unity shapes and molds the way we behave and act. Our very lifestyles must depend on unity if we are to truly cling to the Rope of Allah and achieve His Compassion and Mercy. We must tie down our uncontrolled fears, prejudice, egos, weaknesses and ignorance. We need unity to bear the assaults of evil and to persevere in our faith. Unity turns hostility into kindness .The power of unity is more than just a miracle. Unity brings about pleasure of Allah.
Allah wishes that we developed this power of unity in order to defeat both internal and external forces hostile to us. It is with quality of unity that Muslims declare themselves satisfied with Allah’s pleasure. Unity is the armor by which one defends his soul. With unity we strive towards becoming closer to Allah. In unity, we seek out the pious and join with them in pleasing Allah. Diversity, distinction and differences must be met with mutual respect; acceptance and even celebration, while the deeper foundations of unity are held steadily in view.
The Rope of Allah establishes a strong connectivity between Man and Allah and unites all believers together as one. Our deepest point of unity transcends sects, race culture, gender, and profession, even the level of intelligence or emotional make up, since all these attributes vary widely among people .To take a strong and secure hold onto the Rope of Allah signifies that believers should seek knowledge and ascribe intense importance to their way of life. Only in this way can the believers hope to attain ultimate happiness and solidarity. With this frame of mind, the believers are in reach of paradise, as they hold firm to the Rope of Allah. The Rope of Allah loops through time. With intensity and enlightenment, it demands from us endurance, submission, certainty, believing, acceptance adherence, action and patience as well as sense of obedience and gratitude. The Rope of Allah straightforward and made up of tightly curled strands. We cannot separate them .We can only strengthen them .We are what we are as we cling steadfastly to each strand. We are what we have—the Quran and the Sunnah of prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
How nice it would be if His Majesty, the King of Saudi Arabia, would ‘practice what he preaches’. (for instance he could start with NOT financing a civil war in Syria).
They are all hypocrites and hypocrisy is destroying beautiful teachings of Islam. I am sure many Muslims present there and listening to him would have been laughing at these jokers. Islam will not progress until these hypocrites go away and all come under the umbrella of KHILAFAT.