Story of Luqman

Allah the Almighty says:

And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman AIHikmah (wisdom and religious understanding) saying: "Give thanks to Allah."And whoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good of) his own self. And whoever is ungrateful, then verily, Allah is All-Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise. And (remember) when Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: "O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed. And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years -give thanks to Me and to our parents. Unto Me is the final destination. But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience.Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do. "O my son! If it be (anything) equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Verily, Allah is Subtle (in bringing out that grain), Well-Aware (of its place). "O my son! Aqim-As-Salat (perform As-Salat), enjoin (on people) Al-Ma'ruf (Islamic Monotheism and all that is good), and forbid (people) from Al- Munkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allah, polytheists of all kinds and all that is evil and bad), and bear with patience whatever befalls

you. Verily, these are some of the important commandments (ordered by Allah with no exemption). "And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes

not any arrogant boaster." "And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the braying of the ass"}. (Luqman, 12-19)

He is Luqman Ibn 'Anqa' Ibn Sadun. Or, as stated by As-Suhaili from Ibn Jarir and Al-Qutaibi that he is Luqman Ibn Tharan who was from among the people of Aylah (Jerusalem). 

He was a pious man who exerted himself in worship and who was blessed with wisdom. Also, it is said that he was a judge during the lifetime of Prophet Dawud (Peace be upon him). And, Allah knows best.

Narrated Sufyan Ath- Thawri from Al-Ash'ath after 'Ikrimah on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) as saying: He was an Ethiopian slave who worked as a carpenter. Qatadah narrated from' Abdullah Ibn Az-Zubair as saying: I asked Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah about Luqman. He said: "He was short with a flat nose. He was from Nubia"

Narrated Yahia Ibn Sa' id Al-Ansari after Sa' id Ibn Al-Musayib his saying: Luqman belonged to the black men of Egypt. He had thick lips and Allah the Almighty granted him wisdom but not Prophethood. Al-Awza'i said: I was told by 'Abdur Rahman Ibn Harmalah: that a black man came to Sa' id Ibn AIMusayib asking him for charity. Sa' id said: do not feel distressed for your black color because there were from among the best of all people three blackmen: Bilal Ibn Rabah, Mahja' (the freed-slave of 'Umar Ibn Al-Khattab), and Luqman, the wise who was black, from Nubia and whose lips were thick.

Narrated Al-A'mash after Mujahid: Luqman was a black huge slave, thicklipped, and crackedfooted. 'Umar Ibn Qais said: "Luqman was a black slave, thick-lipped and cracked-footed. It happened while he was preaching some people, a man came to him and said: aren't you the one who used to look after the sheep with me at such and such place? Luqman said: yes, I am! The man said: then, what made you of that position? Luqman said: telling the truth and keeping silent regarding what does not concern me." 

(This Hadith was narrated by Ibn J arir after lbn Hamid after Al-Hakam)

Ibn Abu Hatim said: I was told by Abu Zar' ah that he was told by Safwan after Al- W alid after 'Abdur Rahman Ibn Abu Yazid Ibn Jabir who said: "Allah the Almighty raised Luqman's status for his wisdom. A man used to know him saw him and said: Aren't you the slave of so and so who used to look after my sheep not so long in the past? Luqman said: yes! The man said: What raised you to this high state I see? Luqman said: the Divine Decree, repaying the trust, telling the truth and discarding what does not concern me. "

Narrated Ibn Wahb: I was told by 'Abdullah Ibn 'Ayyash Al-Fityani after' Umar, the freed slave of 'Afrah as saying: "A man came to Luqman, the wise and asked: Are you Luqman? Are you the slave of so and so? He said: "Yes!" The man said: You are the black shepherd! Luqman said: As for my black color, it is obviously apparent, so what makes you so astonished? The man said: You became frequently visited by the people who pleasingly accept your judgments! Luqman said: 0 cousin! If you do what I am telling you, you will be like this. The man said: What is it? Luqman said: Lowering my gaze, watching my tongue, eating what is lawful, keeping my chastity, undertaking my promises, fulfilling my commitments, being hospitable to guests, respecting my neighbors, and discarding what does not concern me. All these made me the one you are looking at."

One day Abu Ad-Darda' mentioned Luqman the wise and said: He was not granted wisdom because of wealth, children, lineage, or given habits, but he was self-restrained, taciturn, deep-thinking, and he never slept during the day. In addition, no one has ever seen him spitting, clearing his throat, squeezing the lemon, answering the call of nature, bathing, observing trivialities, or foolishly laughing. He was very eloquent and well-versed. He did not weep or cry when all his children died. Finally, he used to frequent the princes and men of authority to mediate and think thoroughly and find admonition. So, because of all these he was granted that great wisdom.

Some people claimed that he was offered Prophethood, and that he feared not to be able to carry out its requirements and obligations. Thus, he chose to have wisdom for it is easier -this cannot be totally true -and Allah knows best! 'Ikrimah also narrated that: Luqman was a Prophet.

This narration is very weak for the sub-narrator, Al-Ja' fi is mentioned by Imams Al-Bukhari and An-Nasa'i among the Weak Narrators.

However, the majority of scholars are of the view that he was a wise man and not a Prophet. Moreover, he was mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an and was highly praised by Allah the Almighty Who narrates his advice to his own son in which he says:

O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed}, so he forbade his son and warned him against joining others in worship with Allah.

Imam Al-Bukhari said: I was told by Qutaibah after Jarir after Al-A'mash after Ibrahim after 'Alqamah after 'Abdullah as saying: "When the Verse:

It is those who believe and do not confuse their belief with wrong (i.e. joining others in worship with Allah} (Al-An' am, 82)

was revealed, we said: "O Allah's Messenger! Who is there amongst us who has not done wrong to himself?" He (Peace be upon him) replied: "It is not as you say, for 'wrong' in the Verse and' do not confuse their belief with wrong' means 'SHIRK' (i.e. joining others in worship with Allah). Haven't you heard Luqman's saying to his son,

O my son! Join not others in worship with Allah, verily joining others in worship with Allah is a great wrong indeed." (Luqman, 13)

Then, Allah informs us of His advice to mankind to take care of parents. He states their rights on the children and orders us to be kind with them even if they were polytheists. But, one should not obey them if they invite him to join others in worship with Allah. Then Allah resumes Luqman's advice to his son saying:

O my son! If it be (anything) equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Verily, Allah is Subtle (in bringing out that grain), Well-Aware (of its place), 

i.e. he forbids him to do wrong to the people even in the slightest way, for Allah will bring it forth and bring him to account on the Day of Resurrection. Allah Almighty says:

Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a small ant)} (An-Nisa',40) 

and, And We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if  there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account (Al-Anbiya', 47)

and, he told him if that wrong deed was equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed, or if it was in a solid rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth for He knows its exact place,

Verily, Allah is Subtle (in bringing out that grain), Well-Aware (of its place).

Allah Almighty also says:

And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows

whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything  fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record (Al-An'am, 59) 

And there is nothing hidden in the heaven and the earth but it is in a Clear Book (i.e. Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz)} (An-Naml, 75) 

the All-Knower of the Unseen, it will come to you; not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant) or less than that or greater escapes His Knowledge in .the heavens or in the earth but it is in a Clear Book (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz)} (Saba', 3).

As-Sadiy claimed that the rock mentioned in the Verse is that which lies beneath the seventh earth. But, this claim is totally rejected for the word "rock" is indefinite and if his claim were true, it would be "the rock". So, "rock" here means any rock whatever and not a particular one. Narrated Abu Sa'id Al- Khudri after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as saying:

"If any of you performs deeds in a solid rock that has no door or hole, his deeds, whatever they are, will come out (to the public)." Then, Luqman said: {O my son! Aqim-As- Sa.lah (perform As-Salah)}, i.e. perform it properly and in due time. Then, he said: {enjoin (on people) Al-Ma'ruf (Islamic Monotheism and all that is good), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allah, polytheists of all kinds and all that is evil and bad)

 i.e. with your full power, with your hand, tongue and if you could not, let it bewith your heart (i.e. reject and resent it). Then, he advised him to observe patience saying: {and bear with patience whatever befalls you}, for if one enjoins what is good and forbids the evil, he will probably regarded as enemy to certain people (but, the final reward would surely be his). For this, he commanded him to observe patience.

Verily, these are some of the important commandments (ordered by Allah with no exemption) that are inevitable and cannot be neglected. Allah the Almighty says: And turn not your face away from men with pride, narrated Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id Ibn Jubair, Ad-Dahhak, Yazid Ibn Al-Asam, Abu Al-Jawza' and others: This means one shouldn't be showy or arrogant.

Allah the Almighty says: nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster, here, Luqman forbids his son to strut in his walk. Allah the Almighty says: And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance. Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like the mountains in height. (Al-Isra', 37)

i.e. you will neither be able to tread the whole earth, nor penetrate itwith your fast walking or strong footsteps, nor will you be as high as mountains with your showing-off or arrogance. So, know yourself well, for you are only a human being (created to worship Allah Alone). 

The Prophetic Hadith states: "While a man was walking, dragging his dress with pride, he was caused to be swallowed by the earth and will go on sinking in it till the Day of Resurrection."

(Transmitted by Imam Al-Bukhari in his Sahih)

Another Prophetic Hadith states that: "Beware dragging your dress with pride, for this is boastfulness which is

not loved (liked) by Allah " Allah the Almighty says:

Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster.

After Luqman forbids his son to walk boastfully, he orders him to be moderate in his walking, saying: And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, i.e. do not walk fast or too slow, rather take a course in between, And the (faithful) slaves of the Most Gracious (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness. (Al-Furqan, 63) Then, Luqman says: {and lower your voice}, i.e. if you talk, do not raise your voice very loudly because the braying of the ass is the harshest of all voices.

Narrated Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "When you hear the crowing of cocks, ask for Allah's Blessings for (their crowing indicates that) they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a Satan." (Transmitted by Imam Al-Bukhari in his Sahih). For this, it is forbidden to raise one's voice needlessly. But, raising the voice with the Adhan (the Call to Prayer) and in the battlefield is permitted.

These are the pieces of advice given by Luqman to his son that are mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an. Many others have been mentioned in a book titled Hikmat Luqman (Luqman's Wisdom). From this valuable book, we cite the following:

"This narration has a weak sub-narrator in its chain, i.e. Qaz'ah Ibn Suwaid Ibn Hujair AI-Bahili (as mentioned in An-Nasa'i's Weak and Rejected Narrators)

Narrated Imam Ahmed that Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with both of them) said: We were told by Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) that: "Luqman, the wise used to say: If anything was entrusted to Allah, He would preserve it.”

Narrated Ibn Hatim that Al-Qasim Ibn Mukhaimirah reported that Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: "Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: "0 my son! Beware of masking for it is treason by night and dispraise during the day. "

Narrated Damurah after As-Sariy Ibn Yahia as saying: Luqman said to his son: "On my son! Verily, wisdom has brought the indigent to the courts of kings.

I was told by my father after 'Abdah lbn Sulaiman after Ibn Al-Mubarak after 'Abdur Rahman Al-Mas' udi after 'Aun Ibn 'Abdullah as saying: Luqman said to his son: "0 my son! If you come to a people's setting, start them with salutation  (Saying As-Salamu 'Alaikum (Peace be with you)), then, take a side and do not utter a word till they speak. If you find them observing the Remembrance of Allah, join them. But, if they observe anything else, turn away from them and  seek others (who remember Allah Almighty). 

"I was told by my father after 'Amr Ibn 'Uthman after Damurah Ibn Hafs Ibn 'Umar as saying: "Luqman placed a bag of mustards beside him and started to advise his son, giving him with every piece of advice a mustard till it all ran out. He said: 0 my son! I gave you advice that if a mountain was given, it would split. He said: then, his son was as if struck. "

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "Take care of the black men for three from among them are of the people of Paradise: Luqman the wise, Negus and Bilal (the Caller to Prayer)." (However, this Hadith is odd and rejected).

Imam Ahmed, in his book Az-Zuhd (Asceticism), mentioned Luqman' s biography and many other valuable things. He said: I was told by Waki' after Sufyan after an unidentified man after Mujahid as saying: Allah's Statement: {And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman Al-Hikmah}, i.e. wisdom and religious understanding. He added: he was not a Prophet. The same was narrated by Wahb Ibn Munabih.

Waki' told us after Sufyan after Ash'ath after 'Ikrimah after Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Luqman was an Ethiopian slave.

Aswad told us after Hammad after 'Ali Ibn Yazid after Sa'id Ibn Al-Musaiyb as saying: Luqman was a tailor.

Saiyar told us after Ja'far after Malik Ibn Dinar as saying: Luqman said to his son: "0 my son! Take Allah's Obedience as your trade, and you will gain profits without having any merchandises."

Yazid told us after Abul Ashhab after Muhammad Ibn Wasi' as saying: Luqman said to his son: "0 my son! Fear Allah and do not let the people notice that you fear Him to gain honor (from them) while your heart is sinful."

Y azid Ibn Hamn and Waki' told us after Abul AShhab after Khalid Ar-Rab'i as saying: "Luqman was an Ethiopian slave who worked as a carpenter. One day, his master ordered him to slaughter a goat and bring him the most pleasant and delicious two parts thereof. Luqman did so and brought him the tongue and heart. The master asked: Did not you find anything more pleasant than these? Luqman said: No! After a while, the master ordered him to slaughter a goat and to throw the most malignant two parts thereof. Luqman slaughtered the goat and threw the tongue and heart. The master exclaimed and said: I ordered you to bring me the most delicious parts thereof and you brought me the tongue and heart, and I ordered you to throwaway the most malignant parts thereof and you threw the tongue and heart, how can this be? Luqman said: Nothing can be more pleasing than these if they were good, and nothing can be more malicious than these if they were malignant."

Dawud Ibn Rashid told us after Ibn Al-Mubarak after Mu'amir after Abu 'Uthman, a man from Basrah, as saying: Luqman said to his son: "0 my son! Do not wish for befriending a fool that he may think you approve his foolishness. And, do not take the wise man's rage easily that he may abstain from you."

Dawud Ibn Usaid told us after Isma'il Ibn 'Ayyash after Damdam Ibn Zar'ah after Shuraih Ibn 'Ubaid Al-Hadrami after 'Abdullah Ibn Zaid as saying: Luqman said: "Verily, Allah's Hand is on the mouths of wise men; none of them speaks but with what Allah assigned for him."

'Abdur Razzaq told us that he heard Ibn Juraij as saying: I used to mask my head at night and `Umar said to me: Did not you hear that Luqman had said: masking during the day is humiliation and at night is dispraise. So, why do you mask yourself at night? He said: "Luqman was not indebted." I was told by Hasan after Al-Junaid after Sufyan as saying: Luqman said to his son: "0 my son! I have never regretted because of keeping silent. If words are silver, silence is golden."

I was told by 'Abdul Samad and Waki' after Abul Ashhab after Qatadah as saying: Luqman said to his son: "O my son! Set apart with evil and it will set apart with you, for evil begets nothing but evil."

Narrated Imam Ahmed: I was told by 'Abdur Rahman Ibn Mahdi after Nafi' Ibn 'Umar after Ibn Abu Malikah after 'Ubaid Ibn 'Umair as saying: Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: "0 my son! Choose between gatherings (of people) precisely! If you find a gathering in which Allah is mentioned, sit yourself with them. Thus, if you are knowledgeable, your knowledge will benefit you; but, if you are ignorant, they will teach you; and if Allah wishes to do them good, you will be benefited therewith. 0 my son! Do not sit in a gathering in which Allah is not mentioned! Because if you are knowledgeable, your knowledge will not benefit you; and if you are ignorant, they will add to your ignorance; and if Allah wishes to afflict them with harm, you will be afflicted with them. 0 my son! Do not rejoice at seeing a strong man who sheds the blood of the faithful, for Allah appoints for him a killer that does not ever die."

Abu Mu'awiyah told us after Hisham Ibn 'Urwah after his father as saying: "Wisdom dictates: O my son: Let your speech be good and your face be smiling, you will be more loved by the people than those who give them provisions." And, he said: "It is stated in the wisdom -or the Torah - : "Kindness is the head of wisdom." And, he said: "It is stated in the Torah: "As you show mercy (to others), mercy will be shown to you." And, he said: "It is stated in the wisdom: "You will gain what you give (or, harvest what you grow)." And, he said: "It is stated in the wisdom: "Love your friend and the friend of your father."

`Abdur Razzaq told us after Mu'amir after Ayyub after Abu Qulabah as saying: Luqman was once asked: Who is the best one in terms of patience? He said: It is the one who practices no harm after observing patience. Those who asked him said: Who is the best one in terms of knowledge? He said: It is he who adds to his own knowledge through the knowledge of others. They asked: Who is the best from among the whole people? He said: It is the wealthy. They said: Is it the one who has properties and riches? He said: No! But, it is the one if whose good was sought, he would not hold it back or prevent it. And, it is the one who does not need anything from others.

Narrated Sufyan Ibn 'Uyaynah: Luqman was asked: Who is the worst of all people? He replied: It is the one who does not feel shame if found committing a sinful deed.

Abu As-Samad told us after Malik Ibn Dianr as saying: I found some pieces of-wisdom as follows: "Allah Almighty scatters and wastes the bones of those who give religious opinions that go with the people's lusts and desires." And, "There is no good for you that you learn something new while you do not practice what you have learnt previously. This is like a man who gathere.d a pile of dry wood, then tried to carry it but couldn't. Thereupon, he collected a second one."

'Abdullah Ibn Ahmed said: I was told by Al-Hakam Ibn Abu Zuhair Ibn Musa after Al-Faraj Ibn Fudalah after Abu Sa'id as saying: Luqman said to his son: "O my son! Let only the pious men eat your food, and consult the scholars over your affairs." These were what Imam Ahmed quoted from the wisdom of Luqman, and I added some that he did not transmit and indeed, he -Imam Ahmed -quoted things that I did not. And, Allah knows best!

Ibn Abu Hatim said: I was told by my father after Al-'Abbas Ibn Al-Walid after Zaid Ibn Yahya Ibn 'Ubaid Al-Khuza'i after Sa'id Ibn Bashir after Qatadah as saying: Allah Almighty enabled Luqman to choose between Prophethood and wisdom and he (Luqman) preferred wisdom to Prophethood. Then, Gabriel came

while he was asleep and poured the wisdom over him. And, he began to pronounce it the next morning.

Sa'id said: I heard Qatadah as saying: It was said to Luqman: How did you prefer wisdom to Prophethood when you were enabled to choose between them? He said: If Allah were to assign me with Prophethood, I would accept it and try hard to win His Pleasure, but He enabled me to choose. I feared of being too weak for Prophethood, so I chose wisdom.

This narration is not perfectly authentic or sound for that sub-narrator, Sa' id Ibn Bashir, is not a trustworthy one. However, many from among our earlier  scholars, foremost among whom were: Mujahid, Sa'id Ibn Al-Musayyb and Ibn  'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) were of the viewpoint that Allah's Statement that reads:

And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman Al-Hikmah (wisdom),

means: discretion and religious understanding. Thereupon, he was not a Prophet and nothing has been revealed to him Al- Wahi (Divine Inspiration).

Lessons From History- Dr. Israr Ahemad, Part 3/10

Common Denominators

The Jews remained the sole custodians of the Divine Message and His Book for almost two millennia — from about 1350 B.C., when Prophet Musa (AS) was given Torah and the Covenant with the Israelites took place at Sinai, to 624 C.E., when the change of qibla from Jerusalem to Makkah symbolically announced the birth of a new Ummah.

The Jews were relegated from their rank because of their transgressions and haughtiness. The Qur’an severely criticizes and upbraids them for their long record of ingratitude and repeated violations of Divine injunctions, and declares them a condemned people. These reprimands were issued by Almighty Allah (SWT) because of the continued failure, on the part of the Jews, to carry out their responsibilities as custodians of the Divine Revelation. From the Second year of Hijrah onwards, the followers of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were appointed as guardians of the Message of God, as well as His representatives among all nations. Thus, this supreme blessing of Almighty Allah (SWT), i.e., His revealed guidance in the form of a Book, is something common to both the Jews and the Muslims, although the Hebrew scriptures are no longer in their pure and unadulterated state. In this context the following verse appears twice in the Qur’an:

Remember, O Children of Israel, the favors I bestowed on you and made you most exalted among the nations of the world. (Al-Baqarah 2:47 & 122)

Another point of convergence between the Jews and the Muslims is the prominent personality of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), the patriarch who is equally revered by the followers of both faiths. The Jews, of course, are the descendants of Prophet Ishaq (AS), younger son of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). Similarly, the earliest Muslims were Arabs — the descendants of Prophet Ibrahim’s elder son Prophet Isma‘el (AS) — and they constitute today the nucleus of the Muslim Ummah. But irrespective of this genealogical relationship, the whole of the Muslim Ummah has an attitude of veneration and high regard for Prophet Ibrahim (AS), as they consider him to be their spiritual father.

The Difference Between Us and Them

There are two important features which not only distinguish the Muslims from the Jews but also prove the former’s clear superiority over the latter. The first is related to the fact that the present Muslim Ummah is collectively responsible to preach and spread the Message of Almighty Allah (SWT), and to try her utmost for establishing the domination of Islam over the entire globe. This stupendous duty is, in fact, a logical corollary of the culmination of Prophethood.

The most outstanding characteristic of the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is that the institution of prophethood has reached its acme of perfection with his advent. Since the ultimate echelon of prophetic evolution has been reached, it follows that there shall be no more prophets. But the world has not yet ended, and the humanity is still thirsty for the knowledge of the Real and still yearning for a just social system. This can only mean one thing: The Muslim Ummah is now responsible, as a whole, to continue the work of the prophets.

The Qur’an proclaims that the purpose behind the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the establishment of the ascendancy and domination of Islam over all aspects of life, all over the world. The following words appear thrice in the Holy Qur’an, defining the manifesto for a global Islamic Revolution:

It is He who sent His Messenger with The Guidance (Al-Qur’an) and the true way of life (Deen-al- Haq), in order to make it prevail over the entire mode of living. (Al-Taubah 9:33; Al-Fath 48:28; & Al- Saff 61:9)

Unlike previous messengers of God, the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was not just for his own nation, the people of Arabia, but it was also directed towards all mankind in general, for all times to come. Again, unlike the Jews, who were asked only to act in accordance with the Mosaic law, the Muslims have a much extensive and arduous responsibility on their shoulders, that is, they are obliged to guide and lead the entire humanity. Muslims are required to obey the commands of God in their own lives, to preach God’s Message worldwide and in every generation till the end of the world, and to struggle tirelessly with the objective of making Islam dominant as a socio-political order. The previous Muslim Ummah, in contrast, was never required to perform all these duties.

The second point of difference between the Jews and the Muslims is that, in contrast to the former who were a uniracial community (being composed of only the “Children of Israel,” i.e., the descendants of Prophet Yaqoob), the present Muslim Ummah is a multiracial and multinational community. The Jews themselves, or any other nation for that matter, can join the Muslim Ummah anytime they want — by accepting Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the final Messenger of God; their race, color, language, or previous creed notwithstanding.

The Muslim Ummah is basically a diverse group of people belonging to all kinds of different national, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. In general, however, the Muslim Ummah can be seen as being composed of two distinct components: the descendants of Prophet Isma‘el (AS), referred to in the Qur’an as ummiyean (the unlettered people), as well as all other peoples and nations, referred to in the Qur’an as aakhereen (those of later time).

In other words, the Muslim Ummah is made up of a nucleus or a core of Arabs, surrounded by non- Arab nations, whether they be Kurds or Turks, Persians or Indian, Afghans or Muhgals, Black of African origin or Whites of European descent. The common element or the binding force that brings all of them together and keeps them united — at least in theory — is obviously their faith and ideology, that is, Islam.

It is rather gratifying to learn that we Muslims enjoy a two-fold superiority over the Jews. But it doesn’t take a genius to realize that being superior also means that we have to fulfill many more responsibilities and obligations. The Jews were repeatedly punished for their collective crimes, but if we were to follow in their footsteps then this would make us liable to a chastisement much more severe than what they received.

Similarly, the most prominent part of the Muslim Ummah — the Arabs — also enjoy a form of superiority vis-à-vis other Muslims; this is because Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was one of them, and because God’s  final Message was revealed in their own language. But, as we have described above, the fact is that the more privileged you are, the greater is your responsibility. The Arab Muslims have, in general, failed to live up to their exceptionally privileged position as the primary custodians of Divine Message, thereby making themselves liable to Divine retribution. It follows that the main impact of any major episode of Divine punishment, that might befall the Muslims, will have to be endured by the Arabs. This was foretold by Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as we shall see later on.

A Backward Glance

We now turn to the history of Jews, in the hope that the Muslims might learn something from their ups and down. 

By the time when the Qur’an was being revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the Jews had already passed through two phases of rise and two phases of decline. In general, they enjoyed material prosperity and political domination as long as they acted righteously, and suffered from misery and slavery and persecution whenever they rebelled against the Divine commands. The Jews were invited, through the Qur’an — and that invitation is still open — to accept Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the last Messenger of God and to repent for their collective sins. They were clearly warned that rejecting Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the Qur’an would mean that their humiliation will continue. The Qur’an proclaims:

We announced to the Children of Israel in the Book: “You will surely create disorder twice in the land, and become exceedingly arrogant.” So, when the time of the first prediction came, We sent against you Our creatures full of martial might, who ransacked your cities; and the prediction was fulfilled. Then We gave you a chance against them, and strengthened you with wealth and children, and increased your numbers (and said): “If you do good, you will do so for your own good; if you do evil, you will do it for your own loss.” So when the time of the second prediction came, (We roused against you another people) to ravage you, and to enter the Temple as they had done the first time, and to destroy utterly what they conquered. Your Lord may haply be merciful to you. But if you repeat (the crime), We shall repeat (the punishment). (Al-Isra 17:4-9)

In order to comprehend these historical events, alluded to in the above verses, and to appreciate their significance with regard to the Muslims of the world, we must go back in time.

As mentioned before, Jews are the descendants of Prophet Yaqoob (AS) — also known as Israel — son of Prophet Ishaq (AS), son of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). Prophet Ibrahim (AS) had migrated, nearly 4000 years ago, from the city of Ur in the Euphrates Valley (now Iraq) to Cannan (now divided between Jordan and Israel), along with his wife Prophet Sarah (SA) and nephew Prophet Lut (AS). Prophet Ibrahim (AS) acquired a second wife, Hajrah (SA), who bore him Isma‘el, when he was 86 years old. Then, at the ripe old age of 100, Sarah (SA) gave birth to his second son, Ishaq. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) established two centers for the spread of God’s word, one in Makkah where he settled Hajirah (SA) and her son Prophet Isma‘el (AS), and the other in Palestine where he settled Sarah (SA) and her son Prophet Ishaq (AS). This gave rise to the birth of two great nations, Banu Isma‘el and Banu Israel, as promised by Almighty Allah (SWT). According to the Old Testament:

God said to Abraham: “Look up at the sky, and count the stars, if you can. So many will your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Early Jewish History

Prophet Yousuf (AS) — the grandson of Prophet Ishaq (AS) — was able to rise to the top in the kingdom of Egypt, after being sold there as a slave because of a malevolent sibling rivalry. Prophet Yousuf  (AS) then invited his father and his eleven brothers and their families — 70 strong — to Egypt, and helped them settle in a hospitable and congenial country. This most probably happened during the period of the Hyksos dynasty.

The Israelites continued to grow during the next 400 year, and developed their famous twelve tribes. Initially they enjoyed a life of prosperity and were respected by the locals. However, after the decline of the Semitic Shepherd kings in about 1550 B.C., they were increasingly seen as aliens, and therefore a security  risk, by the nationalist Pharaohs of the nineteenth dynasty. As a result, the rulers started to abuse and exploit them as slaves, and even adopted a policy of ethnic cleansing towards them.

Their miseries continued until Almighty Allah (SWT) raised Prophet Musa (AS) as His messenger. He rose as a charismatic leader of the Israelites, and, after a long struggle with the Pharaoh, freed them from bondage. The migration of the Israelites from Egypt, called the “Exodus,” most probably took place around 1350 B.C.. The Holy Qur’an reminds the Jews of Allah’s benevolence thus:

Remember, We saved you from the Pharaoh’s people who wronged and oppressed you and slew your sons but spared your women. In this was a great trial from your Lord. Remember, We parted the sea and saved you, and drowned the men of Pharaoh before your very eyes. (Al-Baqarah 2:49,50)

Prophet Musa (AS) led the Israelites into the Sinai peninsula, at the Northern tip of which lays Mount Sinai — or Jebel Musa — the present day site of St. Catherine’s Monastery. It was here that Almighty Allah (SWT) gave him the guidance for his people in the form of Torah. The famous Covenant with Israelites also took place, when they promised to obey Allah’s commands and, in return, they were promised constant care, prosperity, and victory over their enemies.

Prophet Musa (AS) and his people then went about a hundred and fifty miles north of Mount Sinai, into the wilderness of Paran, at the Southern border of what was then called Cannan. According to the Old  Testament, Almighty Allah (SWT) said to Prophet Musa (AS): “Send men out to explore Canaan, the land which I am going to give to the Israelites.” (Numbers 13:2).

Twelve spies were sent, one from each tribe, and they returned after forty days to report that the Promised land was flowing with milk and honey. However, except for two of them — Joshua and Caleb — they weren’t willing to go to war, saying that the towns were fortified, their inhabitants formidable and of gigantic stature. Hearing such discouraging reports, the Israelites simply refused to fight, despite all attempts to persuade and convince them. The Bible vividly portrays the scene of their refusal:

The whole Israelite community cried out in dismay and the people wept all night long. Everyone complained against Moses and Aaron: “If only we had died in Egypt or in the wilderness!” they said, “why should the Lord bring us to this land, to die in battle and leave our wives and our dependents to become the spoils of war? It would be better for us to go back to Egypt.” And they spoke of choosing someone to lead them back there. (Numbers 14:1-4)

As a result of their cowardliness and lack of faith, the Promised Land was withheld from the Israelites for a period of forty years. Almighty Allah (SWT) condemned the Israelites to wander in the wilderness of Sinai for a full generation. The Holy Qur’an narrates this whole incidence as follows:

(Musa said) “Enter, O my people, the Holy Land that God has ordained for you, and do not turn back, or you will suffer.” They said: “O Musa, in that land live a people who are formidable; we shall never go there until they leave. We shall enter when they go away.” Then two of the men who feared (God), and to whom God was gracious [i.e., Joshua and Caleb] said to them: “Charge and rush the gate. If you enter, you will surely be victorious. And place your trust in God if you truly believe.” They said: “O Musa, we shall never, never enter as long as they are there. Go you and your Lord to fight them; we stay here.” (Musa) said, “O Lord, I have control over none but myself and my brother; so draw a dividing line between us and these, the wicked people.” (And God) said: “Then verily this Land is forbidden them for forty years, and they shall wander perplexed over the earth. So do not grieve for these, the wicked people.” (Al-Ma’ida 5:21-26)

Israel’s Golden Age

The men who had set out from Egypt under Prophet Musa (AS) were utterly devoid of any sense of honor or self-respect, and they lacked the necessary courage and fortitude to face their enemies in battle. The reason for their low morale was obviously their centuries long slavery and persecution in Egypt. During their forty years wandering, however, the older generation perished and was replaced by a new generation that grew up in an environment of total freedom. As a result, this fresh generation had a strong enough character to invade the Holy Land under the leadership of Joshua, the successor of Prophet Musa (AS). The Israelites were thus able to conquer most of the cities, despite the fact that their enemies had fortified towns, advanced weapons, and swift chariots.

The conquest of the Promised Land, however, remained incomplete. Instead of destroying the numerous nations inhabiting Palestine, as they were told to do, the Israelites fell victim to tribal parochialism. They failed to establish a single unified kingdom of their own, and divided the Land among themselves. Thus, losing their political and military strength, the Israelites were forced to live side by side with the corrupt and idolatrous communities of their time. This not only resulted very soon in their adopting all the moral evils of Amorites, Jebusites, and Canaanites, etc., but also in their being driven out from a major part of Palestine by the incessant attacks of the unconquered nations, especially the Philistines.

At last the Israelites felt the need to preserve their independence and regain their unity. A delegation of elders from each tribe gathered and requested their prophet — Samuel — to appoint for them a ruler, who chose Saul (or Taloot) as the king of Israelites. This episode of Jewish history is also mentioned in the Holy Qur’an (Al-Baqarah 2:243-248), and took place around 1020 B.C.. Taloot was later succeeded by Prophet Dawood (AS) and Prophet Suleman (AS), and under the rule of these three great kings, the Israelites were able to transform themselves from a small group of quarreling tribes into the most powerful kingdom between the Nile and Euphrates. During the years 1020 B.C. and 922 B.C., Israel reached the zenith of its territorial size and political power, enjoying an era of peace and affluence. Culture, trade, and industry flourished, especially during the reign of Prophet Suleman (AS). The famous Temple was also built for the first time in Jerusalem.

First Period of Decline

The death of Prophet Suleman (AS) — or King Solomon, as he is called in the Bible — marks the beginning of the first period of decline for the Israelites. The united monarchy disappeared, and in its place arose two kingdoms — Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The people of the northern kingdom crowned Jeroboam, an official who had rebelled against King Solomon and taken refuge in Egypt, and he made Shechem his royal city. The southern kingdom continued to be ruled by the Davidic dynasty, its first monarch being Rehoboam, son of Solomon, with its center at Jerusalem.

Although both kingdoms were strife-ridden from the very beginning, Israel was especially turbulent because of its large population which seldom agreed on anything. Politically unstable, the northern kingdom suffered a prolonged period of internal warfare until 876 B.C., when an army officer Omri got hold of the throne and built a new capital at Samaria. He, however, adopted a policy of compromise with paganism, as a result of which the common people began to assimilate various polytheistic practices of the neighboring communities. The rise of paganism became especially serious under Omri’s son Ahab, who married a Phoenician princess, Jezebel. She started a ruthless campaign to wipe out Israel’s traditional monotheism, and to replace it with the Canaanite fertility cult and the worship of Baal. Two prophets, Prophet Elias (AS) or Elijah and Prophet Al-Yasa (AS) or Elisha, rose and tried their best to warn their people, and to check their growing inclination towards paganism, but the cult of Baal and the associated rituals of licentious dances remained irresistibly attractive for the austere Israelites.

At last, Almighty Allah’s anger manifested itself in the form of Assyrians from the north, whose takeover of Israel started gradually but ended with severe subjugation. Initially, the kings of Israel were forced to pay tribute money to Assyria, but in 721 B.C., the Assyrian armies, under king Sargon, attacked and plundered Samaria, killing thousands of her inhabitants. According to an Assyrian inscription, King Sargon carried away 27,290 Israelites into captivity, and scattered them in his eastern provinces, terminating the existence of the northern kingdom as an independent nation.

On the other hand, the history of the southern state of Judah displays a relatively slower degeneration in beliefs and morality. However, they too started to indulge in idol-worship and transgressions of the Divine Law, becoming more and more corrupt with every passing generation. Prophet Isaiah rose and tried to reform his people during the period 740 B.C. to 700 B.C.. His warnings and prophecies — which were collected in the “Book of Isaiah” of the Old Testament — clearly testify to the moral decadence of his times. 

Here are a few statements from his sermons:

You sinful nation, a people weighed down with iniquity,

a race of evildoers, children whose lives are depraved,

who have deserted the Lord, spurned the Holy One of Israel,

and turned your backs on him!

Why do you invite more punishment, why persist in your defection?

Your head is all covered with sores, your whole body is bruised;                                               (Isaiah 1:4,5)

Your rulers are rebels, associates of thieves;

every one of them loves a bribe and chases after gifts;

they deny the fatherless their rights

and the widow’s cause is never heard.                                                                                       (Isaiah 1:23)

Once again the Lord spoke to me; he said:

Because this nation has rejected the waters of Shiloah,

which flow softly and gently,

therefore the Lord will bring up against it

the mighty flood waters of the Euphrates.

The river will rise in its channels and overflow all its banks.

In a raging torrent mounting neck-high it will sweep through Judah.

With his outspread wings

the whole expanse of the land will be filled

 for God is with us.

Take note, you nations; you will be shattered.

Listen, all you distant parts of the earth:

arm yourselves, and be shattered;

arm yourselves, and be shattered.

Devise your plans, but they will be foiled;

propose what you will, but it will not be carried out;

for God is with us.                                                                                                                 (Isaiah 8:5-10)

Then came Prophet Jeremiah, who tried to shake his people out of their perverted ways, idolatry, and apostasy, during the period 627 B.C. to 587 B.C.. His sermons, however, met with an intense opposition from a corrupt society that was addicted to idol-worship to the point of fanaticism. His teachings were later collected as the “Book of Jeremiah” in the Old Testament, from which the following excerpts are taken:

Listen to the words of the Lord, people of Jacob, all you families of Israel.

These are the words of the Lord:

What fault did your forefathers find in me,

that they went so far astray from me,

pursuing worthless idols

and becoming worthless like them;

that they did not ask, “Where is the Lord,

who brought us up from Egypt

and led us through the wilderness,

through a barren and broken country,

a country parched and forbidding,

where no one ever traveled,

where no one made his home?

I brought you into a fertile land to enjoy its fruit

and every good thing in it,

but when you entered my land you defiled it

and made loathsome the home I gave you.

The priests no longer asked, ‘Where is the Lord?’

Those who handled the law had no real knowledge of me,

the shepherds of the people rebelled against me;

the prophets prophesied in the name of Baal

and followed gods who were powerless to help.                                                                  (Jeremiah 2:4-8)

Stop before your feet are bare and your throat is parched.

But you said, ‘No, I am desperate.

I love foreign gods and I must go after them.

As a thief is ashamed when he is found out

so the people of Israel feel ashamed,

they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets,

who say to a block of wood, ‘You are our father’

and cry ‘Mother’ to a stone.

On me they have turned their backs

and averted their faces from me.

Yet in their time of trouble they say,

‘Rise up and save us!’

Where are the gods you made for yourselves?

In your time of trouble let them arise and save you.

For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns.                                                   (Jeremiah 2:25-28)

Israel, I am bringing against you a distant nation,

an ancient people established long ago, says the Lord,

a people whose language you do not know,

whose speech you will not understand;

they are all mighty warriors,

their jaws are a grave, wide open,

to devour your harvest and your food,

to devour your sons and your daughters,

to devour your flocks and your herds,

to devour your vines and your fig trees

They will beat down with the sword

the walled cities in which you trust.                                                                                  (Jeremiah 5:15-17)

Despite all these explicit and unambiguous warnings — delivered to the inhabitants of Judah by two of their great prophets — there was no sign of any remorse or repentance whatsoever. Instead, the Israelites stubbornly continued in their pagan practices and disobedience of Divine injunction, thereby inviting the wrath of Almighty Allah (SWT).

Divine punishment first appeared in the form of Babylonian forces marching into Judah in 604 B.C., when King Jehoiakim acquiesced without any struggle and agreed to pay heavy tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He, however, rebelled against his Babylonian overlords in 601 B.C., resulting in the first siege of Jerusalem that lasted three months. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar entered the Holy City on March 15, 597 B.C., and plundered the Temple of Solomon. They decimated the society by deporting the new King Jehoiachin (Jehoiakim’s son), his family, noblemen, and thousands of influential citizens, soldiers, and skilled craftsmen as captives to Babylonia. Nebuchadnezzar then placed the king’s uncle Zedekiah on the throne of Judah. Soon Zedekiah also became involved in a conspiracy against Babylonia, resulting in the second siege of Jerusalem. This time the city remained under siege for 18 months, and the conditions deteriorated to such an extent that some of the inhabitants were forced to eat human flesh.

Finally, the wall of Jerusalem was breached on July 9, 587 B.C.. The rebellious vassal king was captured and was forced to watch as his sons were slaughtered. Then he was blinded and taken in chains to Babylonia, where he later died in prison.

Nebuchadnezzar decided to make an example of the city, and his orders were carried out with cruel thoroughness. The city walls were demolished. The Temple and the palace were stripped of all valuables and burned to the ground. Thousands were killed, and a large part of the population was taken as captives to Babylonia, more than 500 miles away. The kingdom of Judah itself became a Babylonian province, which presented at that time a deeply scarred look. Everywhere, towns were ransacked and burned, crops destroyed, and villages deserted.

Part 4 of 10 will be posted shortly:

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“The Character of the Prophet”

Behavior toward Oneself

The Prophet (saws) said, “All people go out early in the morning selling themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves.” (Muslim)

Allah says, “And whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah, while he is a doer of good, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold.” (31:22)

Allah says, “And turn you all together towards Allah in repentance, O believers, thaqt you may be successful.” (24:31)

Etiquette towards Parents

The Prophet (saws) said, “Shall I not inform you of the greatest of the great sins? They the companions said, “Certainly O Messenger of Allah.” He (saws) said, “To ascribe partners to Allah and disobeying ones parents.” (Shaykhaan)

Etiquette Between Spouses

The Messenger of Allah said, “The one who is not merciful will not be shown mercy.” (Tabarani with a Sahih Chain)

Allah says, “And live with them honorably.” (4:19)

The Prophet (saws) said, “I advise you to treat women well, for they are like captives under your control.” (Shaykhaan)

The prophet (saws) said, “The wife is the guardian over the house of her husband and his children.” (Shaykhaan)

Allah’s Messenger (saws) said, “The best Woman is the one who when you look at her, your pleased; when you order her, she obeys; if you are absent from her; she gaurds herself and your property.” (Tabarani with Saheeh Chain)

Etiquette with Respect to One’s Neighbor

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last day should be generous to his neighbor.” (Shaykhaan)

Etiquette with our Muslim Brothers & Sisters (and Rights of)

The prophet (saws) said, “One should greet (give salams) to those people that he knows as well as those people that he does not know.” (Shaykhaan)

The prophet (saws) said, There are no two Muslims who meet and shake each other’s hand except that they are forgiven before they separate from each other.” (Shaykhaan)

Al Bara’ ibn Azib said, “Allah’s Messenger (saws) ordered us to visit the ill, follow the funeral procession, respond to the one who sneezed, fulfil the oath for the one who made an oath, help the oppressed, respond to the one who is inviting and spread the salutations (salams).” (Bukhari)

Allah’s Messenger (saws) said, “The similitude of the believers in their love, mercy and compassion toward one another is like that of a body, if one limb is in pain, the rest of the body suffers sleeplessness and fever.” (Shaykhaan)

The Messenger of Allah said, “A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.” (Shaykhaan)

Allah said, “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting).” (49:12)

Lessons From History- Dr. Israr Ahemad, Part 2/10

History is the Key

Before discussing the Divine Law which deals with the rise and fall of nations, civilizations, and empires, it is necessary to emphasize that Almighty Allah (SWT) is never a passive onlooker vis-à-vis human history, but that each and every event takes place as a manifestation of His omnipotence and infinite wisdom.

There was an interesting idea called Deism that became popular in the 17th century Europe, the subtle remains of which are still lurking deep down in our minds. According to this view, God did create the universe, but He has long since removed Himself from its affairs, and only the blind and deaf laws of nature are now running the show. God is busy, so to speak, in a sort of self-contemplation, and He doesn’t care at all about the humanity He once created.

The Islamic perspective, in sharp contrast to Deism, is that Almighty Allah (SWT) is not only the Creator, Designer, and Fashioner of the cosmos, but He is also its Sovereign, Ruler, Administrator, and Guardian. The logical conclusion that necessarily follows from this belief is that nothing happens in the universe — not even the movement of a tiny leaf in the morning breeze — without the permission of Almighty Allah (SWT). Although human beings enjoy a limited freedom of action and are, therefore, responsible for the consequnces of their actions on the overall historical process, the fact remains that a human action as such is not effective in causing any event, unless it is allowed by Almighty Allah (SWT).

Since Almighty Allah (SWT) — in addition to being All-Powerful — is also the Most Wise, everything that takes place in the arena of human history has a profound reason which may or may not be immediately apparent to us. Human beings are extremely myopic creatures, lacking the infinitely broad perspective, in terms of both time and space, that is required to appreciate the wisdom and the long-term planning of the Creator. However, with the help of the Holy Qur’an and the guidance provided by Prophet Muhammad (SAW), it is possible to understand the general purpose and direction of history in an overall manner, although the meaning behind every individual event and its significance in the Divine scheme will probably remain elusive.

The Holy Qur’an urges us to contemplate the events of the past, as they are indicators of the sunnah of Almighty Allah (SWT); it teaches us to try and penetrate into the apparently meaningless succession of historical happenings and to discern the design and will of the Creator behind them, and to try and appreciate how the events in the world actually represent the plans of an Omnipotent Supreme Being.

It is important to keep this fact in mind: However random and aimless the events of history may appear, there is a definite purpose behind each one of them. It is the Divine Creative Energy, or the Will of Almighty Allah (SWT), that is active in the entire sweep of history. There is a certain order and pattern hidden beneath the plethora of seemingly inconsequential and disconnected historical facts. Nothing is useless, no event is arbitrary or futile. In fact, as we shall see in the later part of this book, a profoundly meaningful evolutionary process is taking place by which humanity is moving, slowly but steadily, toward its final destination. Although the details and finer points of this ongoing process are beyond the reach of human understanding, its broad outline is quite comprehensible.

Within this general scheme of things, there are certain universal truths which remain constant. As the

Qur’an warns us: You will not find any change in the law of God (Al-Fath 48:23)

The Islamic view of history can be explained in terms of the philosophy of ideals, as presented by late Dr. Muhammad Rafiuddin (1904-1969), former director of Iqbal Academy (Karachi, Pakistan). According to him, the unchanging characteristic of the human nature — ingrained, of course, by Almighty Allah (SAW) — is that the motivating force behind all human endeavors is the urge for ideals. Thus, different stages of the life of a culture-civilization, i.e., birth, growth, decline, and death, can be correctly understood only in terms of this philosophy of ideals, briefly described in the following paragraphs.

A number of individuals inspired by a single ideal organize themselves in the form of an ideal-group, e.g. a primitive tribe or a modern state. Their ideal may be a certain personality, a supernatural belief, or a social theory. By definition, members of the ideal-group believe their ideal to be the highest possible form of Beauty and Perfection. They make an effort to realize the ideal in practice, the result of their effort being the intellectual, cultural, and behavioral framework of that particular culture-civilization, including their language, religion, art, music, poetry, architecture, morality, philosophy, science, and law.

Initially, Almighty Allah (SWT) allows the culture-civilization to freely prosper and develop in all directions. In due course of time, however, the inherent defects and internal conflicts of the wrong ideal start manifesting and the ideal-group begins to deteriorate. Ultimately, over a variable period of time, the culture civilization gradually dies and disappears, making way for the next and possibly better ideal to capture the imagination and passion of a fresh generation, and the process repeats itself on a relatively higher plane of evolution. One Qur’anic verse summarizes this entire process in these words:

Do they not see how many generations We did destroy before them, whom We had firmly established in the land as We have not established you, and showered abundant rain on them, and made rivers lap at their feat, yet whom We destroyed for their sins, and raised new generations after them? (Al-An‘aam 6:6)

A deep study of history will show that the social evolution of humanity is progressing in a particular direction. Adopting and discarding one ideal after another, it is destined to reach the ultimate, permanent, and stable culture-civilization which will be based on the Right Ideal, i.e., an ideal which is in harmony with the human nature, and therefore free from all possible defects. This culture-civilization of the future will be characterized by the domination of the Right Ideal; in other words, by the domination of Islam. We shall return to this topic later in this treatise.

The Wrath of Almighty Allah (SWT)

As far as the individual human being is concerned, the Holy Qur’an makes it very clear that the life of this world is only a trial and a test, and that the consequences of good or bad deeds — in the form of rewards or punishments — are reserved for the life-beyond-death, the Hereafter, or the Al-Aakhira. Thus, the Almighty says:

Glorious is He who holds the Kingship in His hand, who has power over every thing, who created death and life in order to try you, to see who of you are best of deed. He is All-mighty and Forgiving. (Al-Mulk 67:1,2)

Verily We created man from a sperm joined (to the ovum) to try him, then gave him hearing and sight.We surely showed him the way that he may either be grateful or deny” (Al-Dahr 76:2-3)

We have made whatever exists on the earth its adornment to test and try them (and) know who acts better, for We shall certainly turn it to barren dust. (Al-Kahf 18:7-8)

This implies that the pains or troubles a person may face during the course of this-worldly life are not the penalties or punishments for his wrongdoing; similarly, the material comforts or prosperity or power one may enjoy are similarly not the rewards or compensations for his good deeds. What we experience in this life are the different ways in which the Lord tries us. This has been made clear in the Holy Qur’an thus:

Every soul will know the taste of death. We tempt you with evil and with good as a trial; and to Us you will return. (Al-Anbia 21:35)

However, the most significant point to note is that the above discussion applies only to individuals and not to nations or communities. The Holy Qur’an teaches us that the manner in which Almighty Allah (SWT) deals with different nations is quite different from the way in which He deals with individual human beings. The rewards and punishments for the individuals He postpones till the Doomsday, but when it comes to the behavior of entire nations and communities, the rewards for good deeds and the punishments for bad ones are often delivered to them right here in this world. This point is explained in the following paragraphs.

Our Creator and Sustainer has provided the means to satisfy all human needs and urges, including the human desire for guidance. Almighty Allah (SWT) established the institution of prophethood in order to guide humanity towards the Right Ideal. This is because the need to know the highest ideal of Beauty and Perfection, and the urge to love and worship that ideal, is the most irresistible desire of the human soul. A prophet or nabi is a person who is endowed with the knowledge, through Divine revelation or Wahee, that the only true Ideal worthy of our love and worship is none other than Almighty Allah (SWT) Himself. The system of life based on this Ideal is characterized by an unconditional surrender to the will of the Creator, and this is what every prophet has preached to his people.

According to some traditions, there have been 124 thousand prophets in all, 313 of which were also messengers. Although the Qur’an does not clarify in an explicit manner the distinction between a prophet and a messenger, and hence there are a number of opinions on this point, the most logical explanation in our opinion is as follows. We believe that a prophet, or nabi, who was specifically appointed by Almighty Allah (SWT) to guide a particular nation or community, got promoted to the rank of His envoy, in a manner of speaking, and therefore he would become a messenger, or rasool. This means that all messengers were chosen by Almighty Allah (SWT) from among the prophets; that all messengers were prophets, but not all prophets were messengers.

The Holy Qur’an tells us that after the advent of a messenger or rasool to a given nation, the rise and fall of that nation became linked solely to its collective response to the Divine messenger. If the people surrendered to the commands of their Creator and obeyed His messenger, they enjoyed peace and prosperity and material comforts. But if they showed ingratitude, and refused to follow the Divine message, then they became liable for the most severe punishment from Almighty Allah (SWT).

A community or a group of people who thus rejected the Divine messenger sent towards them became, in the sight of Allah (SWT), an impediment to the overall evolution of humanity towards the ultimate realization of the Right Ideal. Therefore, the Divine plan for the human race demanded that such a useless and spiritually barren people be removed from the face of the earth, once and for all. This can be described as the law of “annihilation of the worst.”

In this context, nearly identical stories of six different nations appear in the Qur’an, each of which was guilty of rejecting their Divinely appointed messengers. All of these nations were destroyed and eliminated as a punishment for their sins and transgressions. These condemned nations included, in chronological sequence, the people of Prophet Nuh (AS), a nation called Aad to which Prophet Hud (AS) was sent, a nation known as Thamud to which Prophet Saleh (AS) was appointed, the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah which were assigned to Prophet Lut (AS), the people of Prophet Sho‘aib (AS), and finally the Egyptian Pharaoh and his followers who rejected Prophet Musa (AS). Of course, there may be numerous other nations who met this fate; although only six of these are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.

It should be kept in mind that such clear and open manifestations of the wrath of Almighty Allah (SWT) used to appear in the past only after one of His messengers had explicitly and unambiguously communicated the Divine message to a particular group of people, and they remained persistent in refusing to surrender before the will of their Lord. The Qur’an is very emphatic on this point:

We never punish till We have sent a messenger. (Al-Isra 17:15)

But your Lord does not destroy habitations without having sent a messenger to their metropolis to read out Our commandments to them. (Al-Qasas 28:59)

The converse of the above mentioned Divine Law is also true: A nation that unconditionally accepts the Sovereignty of Almighty Allah (SWT), and acts accordingly, is blessed with all that is good and desirable in this world. This has been described by the Qur’an in several ways. Here are two examples:

And if they had followed the teachings of the Torah and the Gospel, and what has been sent down to them by their Lord, they would surely have enjoyed (blessings) from the heavens above and the earth below their feet. Some among them are moderate, but evil is what most of them do. (Al-Ma’ida 5:66)

But if the people of these regions had believed and feared God, We would surely have showered on them blessings of the heavens and the earth; but they only denied, and We punished them for their deeds. (Al-A‘raf 7:96)

The Qur’an maintains that the real and everlasting rewards for believing in and obeying the commands of Allah (SWT) will manifest themselves in the next world, the Hereafter, or Al-Aakhira. However, there is a great deal to gain in this life as well, in the form of social harmony, peace, and general prosperity.

For those who do good there is good in the world, but certainly the abode of the next is better. (Al-Nahl 16:30)

Privileges and Obligations

A community that obeys the commands of Almighty Allah (SWT) becomes dear to Him. This privilege is, however, coupled with many obligations. The more glories and bounties a nation is blessed with, the more are its responsibilities in the sight of Almighty Allah (SWT). Privileges and obligations go together.

A community that claims to be the follower of a messenger of Allah (SAW), and custodian of His message in the form of a revealed Book, automatically becomes the representative of the Almighty among other nations. This is a tremendous responsibility. If the behavior of such a community is in contravention to its claim, then, according to Divine Justice, they deserve all the humiliation and disgrace, sufferings and miseries in the life of this world. If their character and morals, their way of life, their society and culture, and their politico-economic norms are contrary to the teachings of the Divine Revelation, then this constitutes an unpardonable crime. The reason is that such behavior, instead of presenting an attractive and true picture of the way of life based on the Right Ideal — and thereby bringing people nearer to Allah (SWT) — serves only to repel them away from the Divine Guidance by displaying a distorted and ugly image of that guidance. The Qur’an is very explicit on this point:

O you who believe, why do you profess what you do not practice? Saying what you do not practice is most hateful in the sight of God. (Al-Saff 61:2,3)

Do you believe a part of the Book and reject a part? There is no other award for them who so act but ignominy in this world, and on the Day of Judgment the severest of punishment. (Al-Baqarah 2:85)

A strange characteristic of such disgraced communities is that, in spite of receiving frequent installments of Divine punishment, they continue to believe that Allah (SWT) truly loves them. Due to this self-deception, which is based upon their claimed association with a holy messenger of Allah (SWT), they continue to live in a fool’s paradise of their own making. They feel satisfied in the unfounded conviction that they deserve, as a birthright, some kind of preferential treatment from their Lord, just because they belong to a particular community and for no other reason. The Qur’an tries to shake such complacent people from their deluded slumber thus:

The Jews and the Christians say: “We are sons of God and beloved of Him.” Say: “Why does He punish you then for your sins? No! You are only mortals, of His creation.” (Al-Ma’ida 5:18)

And they (the Jews) say: “Hell fire will not touch us for more than a few days.” Say: “Have you so received a promise from God? Then surely God will not withdraw His pledge. Or do you impute things to God of which you have no knowledge at all?” (Al-Baqarah 2:80)

Unfortunately, the image we get from these verses is a disturbingly true representation of today’s Muslims. Even the repeated episodes of severe punishments, in the background of continuous sufferings, has failed to produce in us any sense of guilt or remorse. Instead, our deeply ingrained myth of being a privileged people has remained intact. Unbelievable as it may sound, the more disgrace we receive, the more we fall in love with ourselves, blinded by our supposed righteousness and delusion of our own grandeur. Such irony, however, may well be a part of our punishment.

The Present and Former Muslim Ummah

The word “Islam” stands for submission before the Sovereignty of Almighty Allah (SWT), as proclaimed by His prophets throughout human history. The number of these holy men, as mentioned earlier, is reported to be 124 thousand. However, irrespective of the exact figure, it is generally accepted by scholars of the Qur’an that five of them are the most prominent and most notable. These include Prophet Nuh (AS), Prophet Ibrahim (AS), Prophet Musa (AS), Prophet Isa (AS), and Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Out of these, Prophet Nuh (AS) was probably not endowed with any Divine Scripture. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) did receive some sort of scriptures, but there was no formal law or Shari‘ah in them. Similarly, the Zabur or Psalms of Prophet Dawood (AS) and the Injeel or Gospel of Prophet Isa (AS) contained nothing that can be described as law; instead, they were composed of hymns and exhortations, respectively. It follows that, among the known Divine Revelations, only two can be described as “Books,” in the sense that they contained Shari‘ah, — the Torah (or Tauraat) and the Holy Qur’an. The former is the name given to the “Five Books of Moses,” also called the Pentateuch, which are included in the beginning of the Old Testament. The latter, i.e., the Holy Qur’an, is the final and ultimate Book as revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

It is significant to note that the Torah was revealed to Prophet Musa (AS) as a guidance only for the Israelites, whereas the Qur’an — being the last of Revelations — describes itself as “The Guidance” for the whole humanity, for all times to come.

The main conclusion of the above discussion, however, is that there had been only two Muslim “Ummahs” during the entire period of known human history. This is because the genesis of such a community is always preceded by — and is the direct result of — a Shari‘ah being given to a messenger and through him to his followers. Since there had been only two versions of the Divine Law that we can be sure about, i.e., the Mosaic Law and the Shari‘ah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), it follows that there had been only two Muslim Ummahs — the Israelites or the Jews who were the previous Ummah, and the community of the followers of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which constitutes the current and final Ummah.

Next, we shall discuss the common features and distinguishing characteristics of these two communities, along with a brief review of their history and the present state of their affairs. The relevance of this topic is based upon the fact that, according to the predictions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the Muslims and the Jews of the world — as custodians of Divine Revelations — are going to act as two key players with regard to the ultimate destiny of mankind.

Certain pointers of the Qur’an and detailed prophecies in the Hadith literature predict the events that would happen before the end of the world, that is, they foretell the final acts of the global drama. It is vital to comprehend these predictions with reference to their proper background, not only to clear our minds of any distrust or doubt, but also to prevent any feeling of bewilderment when that which has been promised does take place.

Another reason for discussing the history of the previous Ummah, as will be elucidated shortly, is the stunning resemblance between the history of Jews and that of Muslims, a fact that was also foretold by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Part 3 of 10 will be posted shortly:

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