Today's Reminder
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Living The Quran
Law and Authority
Al-e-Imran (The House of Imran) Sura 3: Verse 104
"Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting all to what is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. Such are the ones who shall prosper."
This is the commandment to the Muslim community to establish a system that is essentially based on holding fast to Allah's rope or covenant and is a necessary prerequisite to help people to abide by its demands. For this purpose, the Muslims are instructed to appoint a group from among them to enjoin maruf or good, or the noble conventions of society, and to forbid munkar or evil as defined by the Islamic Shariah. The way the imperatives — enjoining and forbidding — are used concerning good and evil clearly indicates that this task is to be carried out not by mere verbal advice and admonition, but must also be enforced by law and authority. This is impossible without political power vested in such a group. If the purpose were to accomplish the task of enjoining good and forbidding evil by advice and propagation of dawah only, the words yaduna ila-l khayr (inviting to good) should have sufficed and there was no need to add ya muruna bi-l maruf (enjoining or commanding what is right).
It was indeed in compliance with this Divine commandment that the first thing that the Muslims attended to was the establishment of a caliphate on the pattern of the Prophet's model of governance. The primary purpose of this institution was to monitor and stand guard so that there should be no deviation from the ideal of itisam billah or holding fast to Allah. In terms of principles, it adopted three methods in order to realise this goal: inviting people to good, enjoining what is right and just and forbidding what is wrong and evil. Out of these three sprang all other departments during the rightly guided caliphate. These were used as a means of meeting all the internal and external responsibilities of the Muslim ummah.
Compiled From:
"Pondering Over The Qur'an: Surah Ali Imran" - Amin Ahsan Islahi
From Issue: 993 [Read original issue]
Understanding The Prophet's Life
Dignity of Individuals
Justice is a condition for peace, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, kept insisting that one cannot experience the taste of equity if one is unable to respect the dignity of individuals. He set slaves free and recommended that Muslims pledge to do so constantly: the faith community of believers had to be a community of free beings. Revelation showed him the way, and, as we have often seen, he never ceased to give particular attention to slaves, the poor, and the lowly in society. He invited them to assert their dignity, to demand their rights, and to get rid of any feeling of inferiority; the message was a call for religious, social, and political liberation. At the close of his mission, in the plain lying at the foot of the Mount of Mercy (Jabal ar-Rahmah), men and women of all races, cultures, and colours, rich and poor, were present and listened to this message, which stressed that the best among people are so through their hearts, which are determined neither by class nor by colour or culture. "The best among you is the best toward people," he had once said [Bayhaqi].
In the name of human brotherhood - addressing not just Muslims but all people (an-nas), as he did during the farewell sermon - he taught each conscience to transcend the appearances that might hinder its progress towards the Just (al-adl). In the presence of God, nothing could justify discrimination, social injustice, or racism. In the Muslim community, a black man called the believers to prayer, and a slave's son commanded the army; faith had freed the believers from judgements based on deceptive appearances (linked to origin and social status) that stimulate unwise passions and dehumanize them.
Compiled From:
"In The Footsteps of The Prophet" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 212, 213
From Issue: 741 [Read original issue]
Cool Tips!
Islamic Call
[.. continued from previous issue]
The five means of propagation
First: the individual method; that is, to invite the person individually if the matter pertains to him specifically.
Second: public or mass propagation such as in lectures or exhortations that benefit the generality of people.
Third: private lessons to students each in his specialty. This is the task of the scholars who specialize in their disciplines.
Fourth: propagation through writing, correspondence and authorship with guidance and benefit for those who are called.
Fifth: propagation using modern means of communication to advance the cause of truth or any means within your own individual capacity.
[to be continued]
Compiled From:
"Thirty Lessons For Those Who Fast" - A'id Abdullah al-Qarnee
From Issue: 790 [Read original issue]