May 16, 2008
An apostle, not a king
Why do so many Muslims want to create a state which they feel is necessary to put into practice the message of Muhammad? What was the task of the Prophet Muhammad? Was he sent to Earth to be the ruler of the Muslim world, their king? Or was he Allah's apostle on Earth, a messenger for all of humanity, who left behind a moral compass to serve as guide for a more ethical, equitable and just society? Alternatively, was he both a Caesar and a Christ for Muslims?
I have no doubt that the Prophet's message of Islam was for religious unity and that Muslims were meant to be one spiritual body, part of the larger human family. Muhammad was undoubtedly the head of this Muslim Ummah. In order to establish the message of God, he used both his tongue and his spear. And before he died he shared with Muslims the last revelation he had received from God, "Today I have completed your faith for you."
During the 23 years that Muhammad shared the message of God -- the Qur'an -- with the people of Mecca and Medina, many times he and the people were reminded about the role of Allah's Apostle. A study of these Quranic revelations will help Muslims understand whether Muhammad was meant to be head of a political state or the head of a religious community or both.
The Egyptian scholar Ali Abd al-Razik in his seminal work, Al-Islam wa usul el-hukum (Islam and the Fundamentals of Authority), says the Qur'an confirms the Prophet had no interest in political sovereignty. He adds that the Prophet's "heaven-appointed work did not go beyond the limits of the delivery of the summons, entirely apart from any thought of rulership." He quotes the following verses from the Qur'an to prove his point.
- "Who so obeyeth the Apostle, in doing so hath obeyed God, and who so turneth away from thee:We have not sent thee to be their keeper (chapter 4, Sura al-Nisa, verse 83).
- "Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord; there is no god but He; and withdraw from the polytheists. And if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up others [with Him] and We have not appointed you a keeper over them, and you are not placed in charge of them" (chapter 6, Sura al-Anaam, verse 106-7).
- "Surely, We have revealed to you the Book with the truth for the sake of men; so whoever follows the right way, it is for his own soul and whoever errs, he errs only to its detriment; and you are not a custodian over them" (chapter 39, Sura al-Zumar, verse 41).
- "If then they run away, We have not sent thee as a guard over them. Thy duty is but to convey [the Message]" (chapter 42, al-Shura, verse 48).
- "Therefore do remind, for you are only a reminder. You are not a watcher over them" (chapter 88, Sura al-Ghashiyah, verse 21-24)."
If the Prophet was not a guardian over his own Ummah, then he certainly was not sent to become a political leader or a king over a country. The Qur'an states that 'Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Apostle of God, and the seal of the prophets: and God knoweth all things (33:40).'
Muslims need to consider the possibility that the state and government created by Abu-Bakr after the death of Muhammad was not the first Islamic State, but rather the first Arab State. It encompassed the Arabian Peninsula and gave the Arab people a sense of pride in their accomplishments. It allowed them to contribute to human civilization as other great civilizations had done before them.
There is no doubt that because of this first Arab State, which later became the Umayyad dynasty, Islam also spread and flourished. But there is evidence that this state found its legitimacy in Arab identity and Quraysh tribal ancestry. Islamic principles of universalism and equality came second. Had it been an Islamic State, the Sindhi and the Berber Muslims would not have been treated as second-class Muslim citizens, forced to pay Jazia -- a tax imposed on non-Muslims by Islamic caliphates -- just as non-Muslims were required to do.
__._,_.___
*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
*****************************************
MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
*****************************************
Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___