Oleh: Nuim Khaiyath
Delivered at Monash Uni. 14-08-09
Melbourne Uni 21-08-09
Bros. in Islam - May Allah (swt) be Pleased with us on this auspicious day and forgive us all our sins.
Like it or not, Islam has twice in the history of mankind come to the rescue of humanity from what we can rightly call as The Dark Ages.
Thus far when we talk about the The Dark Ages, many people’s mind would be cast back to the period of cultural decline or societal collapse that took place in Western Europe between the fall of Rome or The Decline of The Roman Empire and the eventual recovery of learning.
However, there was another Dark Ages preceding the one in the 14th century.
This one was the seventh century - said by many historians as “a time of worldwide moral confusion and decay.”
It was a period when Christianity itself had started to be fragmented.
As Brother Javeed Akhter, Executive Director of the Chicago based International and Policy Institute, says in a recent article:
“Christianity had divided into various factions and controversies surrounding the personalities of Jesus and his mother, Mary. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches exhibited deep prejudice and intolerance against each other.
In Persia, absolutism of the monarchical system influenced and controlled most aspects of the society. Zoroastrianism was also unravelling. In addition to the internal turmoil, Christianity and Zoroastrianism were in a constant state of friction.
India and China were similarly morally adrift. India had thrown out Buddhism out of its birth land, and the old polytheistic practices were resurgent. The oppressive caste system, which Buddhism had revolted against, was as entrenched as ever. In China, at the same time as a great flowering of the arts, music and dance was occurring, there was a general sense of moral confusion.
Many Chinese individuals claimed to be the followers of all of the three prevailing traditions: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Buddha had been turned into an object of worship and huge statues depicting his likeness were commonplace. This was a surprising turn of events for a non-theistic religion whose founder had never claimed divinity, or prescribed idol worship.
The Arabian Peninsula, with the exception of Yemen, which was on the caravan route, was in darkness; little was known about it to the outside world. Polytheism and idol worship were rampant in Arabia, as was tribalism and unrestrained pursuit of wealth and power.
Most Arabs were nomads, who felt assured by tribal security. This stability was based largely on the tradition of “blood vengeance,” which invariably resulted in an endless cycle of revenge.
Society seemed even harsher in the cities. At the time, there were only a few cities like Makkah and Ta’if. A small number of rich people controlled the economy. Many of the poor were entangled in a web of usury: riba. This system of riba turned them into virtual slaves, Slavery itself was commonplace.
Women’s status was also extremely deplorable and they were treated largely as chattel, which was essentially another form of slavery.
Marriage, inheritance, and divorce laws reflected the chauvinistic attitudes prevalent in the society. For example, unlimited polygamy was widespread; primogeniture was the rule and Sons often inherited their fathers’ wives. A husband could stop conjugal relations with his wife and abdicate all responsibilities toward her without divorcing her and letting her go free. This cruel treatment of wives called zihar (turning your back on something) was widely practiced.
Although females were oppressed and abused routinely (female infanticide was commonplace, and male progeny was a source of pride and status in society), the majority of deities were female.
The three major deities, al-Lat, al-’Uzza, and alÂManat were considered the daughters of Allah.
Although females were oppressed and abused routinely, the majority of deities were female. The three major deities, al-Lat, al-’Uzza, and alÂManat were considered the daughters of Allah.
*Afa ra-aitumul laata wal ‘uzzaa
Wa manaatats tsalitsatal ukhra
A lakmudz dzakaru wa luhul untsaa.*
(Have you seen al-Lat and al-Uzza and the third Manat?
What! for you the male gender and for Him the female!)
(Qur’an 53:19-21)
The Qur’an refers to the practice of burying alive infant girls by posing this poignant question:
*Wa idzal mau-uudatu su-ilat
Bi ayyi dzambin qutilat.*
(When the female infant buried alive
will ask for what crime was she killed?)
(Qur’an 81:8-9,)
These injustices, inequities, and cruelties weighed heavily on the shoulders of at least some of the individuals living in Arabia. In spite of rampant polytheism and idol worship, some did have a concept of a transcendent God whom they called Allah.” Unquote.
Brothers in Islam:
Perhaps even now we are still in The Dark Ages. Well humanity might like to consider itself enlightened, progressive, educated, modern. But in certain places, especially the two most populated countries in the world, there seems to be still some lingering legacy of the Seventh Century Dark Ages, if you would like to call it thus.
These two most populous countries in the world are proud to call themselves progressive - one, India, prides itself as the biggest democracy in the world, while China, with the most people, boasts of an unprecedented economic development.
Yet, in Hindu India and atheistic China, the practices of infanticide are still happening, if not exactly widespread.
In the Seventh century Dark Ages, it was Islam that came to the rescue to raise humanity to a new level of excellence in every way of life and it is acknowledged, albeit grudgingly by many, that the European Dark Ages would have lasted much longer had it not been for the presence of Islam in Andalucia.
Why?
Because Islam, as has been said before, commenced with a fantastic revelation - Iqra! Read.
And Islam encourages Muslim to keep on seeking knowledge, to be enlightened, to be useful to and for others. The Prophet of Islam himself said that the best human is he or she who is beneficial to others.
That is why the Qur’an poses this rhetorical question:
*Qul hal yastawil ladzina ya’lamuuna
Wal ladziinaa laa ya’lamuuna
Innamaa yatadzakkaru ulul albaab.*
(Azzumar - 39:9)
In the meaning:
(Are those who have knowledge and those who have no knowledge alike? Only the men of understanding are mindful.)
See how Islam challenges humans to acquire knowledge, not to conceal it, not to accumulate wealth and power, but knowledge - ilm.
Also in the same chapter, verse 33, Allah (swt) says:
*Wal ladzii jaa-a bish shidqi wa shaddaqa
Bihii ulaa-ika humul muttaquun.*
In the meaning:
(And whoso brings the truth and believes therein, such are the dutiful.)
Every Muslim’s prayer, man and woman, should be:
*Rabbi zidnii ‘ilmaa*
(Surah Thaahaa 20:114).
In the meaning:
(My Lord! Enrich me with knowledge.)
The following traditions of the Prophet supplement the foregoing teachings of the Qur’an in the following way:
“Seek knowledge “even though it be in China.”
“The acquisition of knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim, whether male or female.”
“The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr.”
“Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”
“God has revealed to me, ‘Whoever walks in the pursuit of knowledge I facilitate for him the way to heaven.’
“The best form of worship is the pursuit of knowledge.”
“Scholars should endeavour to spread knowledge and provide education to people who have been deprived of it. For, where knowledge is hidden it disappears.”
Someone asked the Prophet : “Who is the biggest scholar?” He replied: “He who is constantly trying to learn from others, for a scholar is ever hungry for more knowledge.”
“Seek knowledge and wisdom, or whatever the vessel from which it flows, you will never be the loser.”
“Contemplating deeply for one hour (with sincerity) is better than 70 years of (mechanical) worship.”
“To listen to the words of the learned and to instil unto others the lessons of science is better than religious exercises.”
“Acquire knowledge: it enables its possessor to distinguish right from the wrong, it lights the way to heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless - it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is an ornament among friends and an armour against enemies.”
According to brother Javed Akhter:
“The Islamic Empire for hundreds of years remained the most advanced civilization in the world. The main reasons for this was that Islam stressed the importance and respect of learning, forbade destruction, cultivated a respect for authority, discipline, and tolerance for other religions. The teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah inspired many Muslims to their accomplishments in science and medicine.
By the tenth century their zeal and enthusiasms for learning resulted in all essential Greek medical and scientific writings being translated into Arabic in Damascus, Cairo, and Baghdad.
Arabic became the international language of learning and diplomacy. The centre of scientific knowledge and activity shifted eastward, and Baghdad emerged as the capitol of the scientific world. The Muslims became scientific innovators with originality and productivity.
For example Islamic medicine is one of the most famous and best known facets of Islamic civilization in which the Muslims excelled. The Muslims were the great torchbearers of international scientific research.
Some of the best and most eloquent praises of science came from the pens of Muslim scientists who considered their work to be acts of worship. The same motives led to the establishment of Al-Azhar (800 AD) the first university in the world. They hit the “source ball of knowledge” over the fence to Europe. In the words of Campbell, “The European medical system is Arabian not only in origin but also in its structure. The Arabs are the intellectual forbearers of the Europeans.” Unquote.
Jonathan Lyons, the author, most recently of “The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization” in an article “How Islam’s understanding of divinity and science effected Western Civilization?”, says:
By one scholar’s account, the Arabic (thus Quranic) word for knowledge (’ilm) and related terms comprise almost 1 percent of the Qur’an’s 78,000 words and are among its most frequently used terms, a feature that highlights just how important the concept was for the first Muslims.
At the same time, many of Islam’s rituals demand a sophisticated understanding of the natural world. Believers could not simply follow the example of St. Augustine and close their eyes “to the course of the stars.” Rather, Muslims are required to know proper times of the five daily prayers, the precise direction of Mecca - that is the qiblah - and the start of the lunar fasting month of Ramadhan, if you follow the school of Hisab.
Islamic teachings also went hand in hand with other disciplines.
Injunctions in the Qur’an to heal the sick provided great impetus to the study of medicine.
The religious ritual of the hajj created a need for cartography and navigation.
Even many of the foods we eat, artichokes, oranges, apricots, and our technical vocabulary, words like algebra, azimuth, zenith and zero - all come from the Arabs.
Most important, there evolved the very idea that man was capable of understanding God’s universe and of interpreting it for his benefit.
And according to John Lyons, it was only with the later rise of the Renaissance that the West - HAVING FEASTED ON ARAB LEARNING FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES - set about to erase the Arab contribution from historical record.
If we look into the relationship of science and religion, we will come across what is called “sacred” and “profane” knowledge.
The Church as we know was very averse to what the Greeks had called “the nature of things.” For the Church, the most important thing was what was found in the Bible. It was this unstinting adherence to the scientific verses in the Bible that led the Church to put Galileo under house arrest, until his death.
So, using their holy scripture as guidance, the Church in effect was being misled by certain verses which they believed to be true as those verses were believed to be from God. Such verses pertaining to the relationship between the sun and the earth, which got Galileo into deep trouble.
For example, Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96-10 and 1 Chronicles 16:30, include text stating that the world, quote, “is firmly established, it cannot be moved.” Unquote.
Further, in Psalm 104:5, the Bible says, quote “The Lord set the earth on its foundations; in can never be moved, while the sun rises and sets and returns to its place.” Unquote.
Jonathon Lyons says, things looked quite different to Muslims.
“Arab, meaning Muslim, scholars found divine support for science in the Qur’an, the revealed Word of God (Allah). A number of verses refer to the order inherent to God’s universe and to man’s capacity to exploit this order for his own needs, such as keeping time.
Elsewhere, the Qur’an advocates the use of God’s creation for orientation amid the featureless deserts and navigation across oceans.”
To conclude: The Muslim holy scripture, Al Qur’an, contains verses pertaining to science which have been proven to be correct. Some of the verses are so clear that you do not have to “interpret” or “construe” as to their true meanings. Their meanings are there for all to see and understand.
Let me on this occasion quote just one verse from the Qur’an:
*Wa huwal ladzii marajal bahraini
Haadzaa ‘adzbun furaatun
Wa haadzaa milhun ujaajun
Wa ja’ala bainahumaa
Barzakhan wa hijram mahjuuraa*
In the meaning:
(25:53 It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed.
Bros. In Islam:
Here is an entry in a book titled: “World Famous Weird News Stories” by Colin, Damon and Rowan Wilson, published by Magpie Books, 162 Fulham Palace Road, London W6 9ER in 2005:
“It is possible to sail 200 miles – some 320 kilometres –into the Atlantic and still remain in fresh water, by sailing out from the mouth of the Amazon, which disgorges over a million cubic feet of water a second into the sea. Ships far out at sea used to stock up with fresh water from this current – sometimes 200 miles from land.” Unquote
That is the amazing Al Qur’an. They call it “weird, we Muslims say it is a miracle from Allah (swt). No doubt about it. That is our holy scripture, that really contains the word of Allah.#
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