Arresting moral decline

History will judge us by how we act now and not on the basis of what our ancestors did in their golden age.

By Ahmad Raza
Friday, Sep 16, 2011

OUR society today exhibits all signs of decline. The institutional structures of a post-colonial administration have become redundant. They do not respond to the needs of a modern and free democratic polity of the information age.

The state which is a declared nuclear power is run like a mediaeval principality. We find ourselves in a state of social abandonment and political chaos. If you are not part of the patronage culture, you will be killed by the anonymous ‘target killers’ and your body will litter the street.

Whenever an innocent person is killed, tortured or raped, a part of our Pakistani self is scared and mutilated. A shameful silence and withdrawal from the painful reality of social and political breakdown follows. We need to reverse the public discourse on this ever-increasing sense of despair, insanity and abandonment. We have got to work on public ethics in order to reverse the decline in governance.

Let us face the reality squarely. What is the most fundamental task of a government besides tax collection, appointments of diplomats and ministers? In my humble opinion, it’s the maintenance of a just and peaceful social and political order. If a government cannot protect its harmless and armless citizens, then it must engage in deep soul-searching. It must reassess the ethical grounds of its being a government.

If government functionaries are not accountable to moral and legal imperatives, how then can we expect its just functioning? What we find instead is a differential application of both law and ethics in society. If you are part of the culture of patronage then you have access to every resource. If you are not part of this fabulous system of reciprocal favouritism, you are simply doomed. You have no respect and self-esteem. You will always be at the lowest ebb of the food chain.

We inherited the mantle of an elitist-driven colonial administrative system from the British Raj. That system evolved from the ashes of a decadent Mughal, darbar-centered administration. The Britishadded civil service, military organisation and legal institutions were designed to meet the needs of the foreign rulers. The police system which was put in place also perpetuated fear and domination of the same privileged classes in the post-colonial era. We have continued with that legacy of fear and domination.

The post-colonial Pakistani nawabs have continued that decadent Raj tradition of mass slavery and misuse of state resources. The logic of this decadent governance system was simple: divide the people through fear of state power and rule as you wish. This kind of governance style cannot continue anymore in the historical context of the information age.

The historical moment has arrived for us to decide whether we desire to live as free, just and morally aware people or we like to be remembered as a herd of sheep that lost their way in the battleground of history and civilisation. In order to exist as a morally aware people, we need to rebuild a new public morality which is driven by self-accountability and self-responsibility.

Each one of us in different social roles has to be selfconscious as a citizen of a democratic state, which is geared towards the creation of a cohesive and just society of selfconscious individuals. By protecting the autonomy and selfrespect of each individual, our state shall be able to protect its autonomy and national respect. We need to shed the cloak of a Machiavellian rogue state and rebuild a republic of spiritual democracy of Iqbal based on the principles of freedom, autonomy and honour for all citizens.

We have to dismantle the present culture of patronage rooted in a decadent tradition of mass slavery inherited from the Raj. This can be accomplished by changing our moral attitude to governance practices and state resources. There is no denying the fact that man is socially programmed from childhood to rely on and trust one’s kith and kin, one’s close friends and later on, one’s peers. But when it comes to public responsibilities, we need to draw a boundary line between blood, friendship and the public good.

Why should I promote my incompetent nephew or niece over a competent Pakistani? Should I favour my inefficient uncle over an efficient citizen? Should I appoint my corrupt son-inlaw as a public official when I have the choice of putting one honest man in his place? The public circle of incompetence, inefficiency and corruption is perpetuated by me and none else. Thus, decline in personal ethics has a direct bearing on management of organisations, society and state institutions. We have to learn again to say ‘no’ at home so that we can save the state from further chaos.

There is also an external component which threatens our state, society and way of life. This is the result of our cumulative strategic misadventures in the region. The Afghan syndrome has left us divided as a society and state. Where to go from here? Why should we sit quietly over our past mistakes? We should learn from them and redress the wrongs done, and heal the suffering of our people. The external threat can aggravate our social disorder if we do not respond to the internal lack of will to act, and live as a morally self-aware people. History will judge us by how we react now and not on the basis of what our ancestors did in their golden age.

The writer is a social scientist at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore. ahmadelia@gmail.com

Arresting moral decline

First written constitution

By Nilofar Ahmed
23rd September,2011.

WHEN the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) migrated to Madinah there was no ruler, no written rules and consequently, no accountability for crimes committed. The mightiest had a free hand, while the weak had to hide behind the strong, usually the tribe or the leader of the tribe, in order to survive.

There were constant internecine, tribal wars with a general lawlessness prevailing in Arabia. The Prophet at once set about organising the city in order to give it the semblance of a state and to codify laws, which would form the basis of what can safely be called a basic constitution.

At the time of the Muslims’ arrival in Madinah, the population of the city was said to be about 10,000. Of these, only about 15 per cent were immigrant Muslims; the rest was almost equally divided between Jews and polytheists. There were no common laws and no central command.

Each tribe dealt with matters according to its customs. Dr M. Hamidullah in his biography, Muhammad Rasulullah, says that the Prophet, after consultation with all the parties, decided to form a city-state in Madinah on the basis of a confederation.

There was to be a certain amount of autonomy for the units, with common rules and laws creating unity among its citizens,
Muslims, Jews and polytheists, who would all be considered one ummah (nation).

A set of rules known as the Misaaq-i-Madinah (‘Pact of Madinah’), was drafted in the first year after Hijra (623 C.E.). It has come down to us in its complete form in the Prophet’s biography by Ibn Ishaq. The document is made up of about 52 clauses.

Because of the constant tribal wars being fought at that time, a large number of the clauses pertain to the orderly settlement of
the issues of war and its aftermath.

Dr Hamidullah says it is the “first written constitution of the world”. He also says that the Prophet introduced moral values in politics, institutionalised the provision of justice and declared that real and final power belonged to God alone. He did away with the concept that the king could do no wrong. He declared himself to be God’s Prophet and His representative on earth and considered the instructions that he brought for his followers, binding on himself.

M. Akhtar Muslim says in his book, Quran Aur Insani Huquq, (‘Quran and Human Rights’) that this document attempts to meet all the challenges and needs of every class and individual with regard to justice, tolerance, peace and freedom, including freedom of religion and the principle of coexistence. He also says that even Jews, who were well-known for their knowledge, skills and intelligence for centuries and were quite sharp in their dealings with others, accepted this agreement willingly, peacefully and completely.

Also, all the citizens accepted the Prophet as a ruler, without any coercion, when he was only the leader of a minority. This was a great achievement. According to Dr Hamidullah, the concept of social insurance was also introduced by this pact: if an individual was caught in a difficult situation due to having to pay blood money or ransom, his tribe would have to come to his rescue by pooling their resources. The poorest of the members of the believers would be able to give protection to anyone he deemed fit and bind the whole community of believers to honour his word. Those outside the pact could also be protected.

Madinah was declared a sanctuary for those who signed the document. All those tribes of Jews who cooperated were to be treated equally and given aid. The Muhajirun who had migrated from Makkah to Madinah were considered one tribe. The peace agreement entailed that no believer would help an unbeliever against a believer. All believers were to be against the one who spread injustice, enmity, sin or corruption among believers, even if he be one of them. No one would have the right to go to war without the permission of the head of state.

The administering of justice would not be in the hands of the one wronged, but would become the duty of the whole ummah.

This meant unbridled revenge would be curtailed and the state would become responsible for dispensing justice. No ties of kinship or social relationships would come in the way of justice. No one would be allowed to protect a murderer or a criminal.

No one would have the right to protect the Quraish of Makkah or their helpers, who were constantly trying to harm the believers.

In case of a dispute, the case would be referred back to the Prophet’s teachings. It was stated clearly that Jews and Muslims would practise their religion freely. The whole tribe would not be responsible for a crime committed by a member. In case any of the signatories of the pact were attacked, all the members would be obliged to defend them. If Jews made a peace pact with any party and invited the believers to join them, the believers would be compelled to do so, except in the case of a holy war.

The pact resulted in weakening the hold of the repressive culture and authority of the many tribes and superimposed the modern concept of a unifying culture and authority above it. The basic concepts of coexistence with followers of other faiths, dealing justly with everyone, keeping one’s word and feeling a concern for the weak were all highlighted by this pact and laid the foundation of a government for future generations to emulate.

The writer is a scholar of the Quran and writes on its relevance to contemporary issues.

nilofar.ahmed58@gmail.com

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We can trust the man of troubles but not on the man of pleasures.

‘Slave girls’ of globalisation

By Ahmad Raza
30th September,2011.

RUMI has narrated a story of a slave girl of Samarqand. According to the narrative, once the king of an adjoining state visited the bazaar of Samarqand.

There in the shop of a goldsmith, he saw a beautiful slave girl. He instantly fell in love with her, unaware of the fact that the slave girl was in love with the goldsmith.

On return to his capital, the king ordered one of his viziers to bring that slave girl to his court at any cost. The vizier went back to the goldsmith of Samarqand, enticed him and bought the slave girl from him. The vizier presented the slave girl to the king who immediately took her as his wife. Later on, the king discovered that the slave girl was not happy with the new arrangement and remained depressed and melancholic all the time. The king also became melancholic and did not know how to make her happy.

One night the king had a dream. In his dream a spiritual guide appeared to him and inquired about his miserable state. The king told the spiritual guide the whole story about how he fell in love with the slave girl of Samarqand and how she remained unhappy despite all his best efforts to make her happy. The spiritual guide told the king that he would visit his palace the next day to solve his problem, then and there. The next day the king along with his courtiers waited outside the city walls for the spiritual guide. When the much-awaited spiritual guide arrived, the king was very happy to see him. He rushed towards the guide, kissed his hands and took him to his palace with honour and respect.

There the spiritual guide demanded a private session with the slave girl. During his discourse with the girl, he described in exotic terms the bazaars and markets of Samarqand. Suddenly the slave girl broke her silence. She confessed to the spiritual guide that she was madly in love with the goldsmith of Samarqand; that this was the precise cause of her unhappiness with her marriage to the king.

The next morning the spiritual guide told the king about the cause of the melancholic moods of the slave girl and advised him to summon the young goldsmith of Samarqand to his court in order to help her recover from her misery. Eventually the goldsmith was brought to the palace and found the beloved of his yesteryear there. The king allowed them privacy and gradually the slave girl recovered from her miserable state. Together she and her lover enjoyed music, dance, good food and had lots of fun in the palace for many days.

Gradually, the spiritual guide started poisoning the goldsmith. First he became yellowish, and then weaker by the day. One day the slave girl felt repulsed by him and finally abandoned him to his disease. The goldsmith died and the slave girl found her new lover in the person of the king. The spiritual guide left the palace the very next day.

This narrative has two contexts of symbolic meaning for us. The first context is personal and affects all of us in these days of spiritual vacuum. The slave girl is a symbol of our sick souls; the goldsmith is our unbridled ego-desire; the king is our heart seeking satisfaction; the palace is our primordial spiritual state of existence to which we want to return; and finally the spiritual guide is a person or spiritual idea to show us the path to self-satisfaction.

The uncontrolled desire chambers of our ego make our heart more and more dissatisfied. The more we desire to possess and own, the more our soul becomes melancholic, lonely and depressed. Our heart becomes more and more dissatisfied and saddened by our existential movement away from our primordial state of spiritual harmony. This can be termed the psychopathology of soul-sickness in our times.

Our slave girl is enamoured by the material objects and toys of globalisation and has become oblivious of her real destiny. We have become objectified brands, who have no purpose in living on this planet. We have lost touch with the centre of our being.

Our cognitive matrix is populated with fanciful objects and bodies. We have become ants which consume what they collect and store. We no more create culture; we only consume objects, networks, pictures, haute couture, catwalks, shares and stocks and nightclubs. This consumption makes us more sad and we feel meaningless and hollow inside.

The second context of this narrative is cultural-semiotic. It has become global in span and influence. No human society in present times, in the East or the West, can claim to have a way out of the psychopathology of civilisation’s soul-sickness. The dominant technological civilisation has humbled the slave girl of human values. China, India, Arabia and West Europe, Latin America and North America, all have surrendered to the myth of the Sisyphus of economic growth, personal success and material progress, indulgences and a mechanical way of living.

Everybody is monitored by precise gadgets of control. Our thoughts are regulated. Our networks are watched. Our freedom is mechanical and our choices are shaped by the sinister machine of our civilisation. It is driven by the ever-more complex cycles of cultural mechanisms of consumption and destruction. It is dominated by the subtle moves of electronic capitalism.

It is controlled by the shadow imperialism of digits, objects and bodies. The post-evil machine civilisation generation, if it ever survived, would term our world as a junkyard of everything decent and human.

The writer is social scientist at the School of Business & Economics, University of Management & Technology, Lahore.

ahmadelia@gmail.com

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We can trust the man of troubles but not on the man of pleasures.

By Asghar Ali Engineer
07th October,2011.

MANY people, especially women, have asked me if family planning is permissible in Islam. They say the imams and ulema say the Quran prohibits family planning and quote a verse which says, “And kill not your children for fear of poverty — We provide for them and for you. Surely the killing of them is a great wrong” (17:31).

In no way does this verse refer to family planning because it is talking of ‘killing’ and you kill one who exists. No law in the world will permit killing one who is already born and hence the Quran rightly condemns the killing of children. Some people suggest that the verse in question refers to the practice of burying girl children alive and when asked they would say they could not provide for them and hence Allah responds that He provides for them.

Imam Razi suggests the verse refers to both male and female children being kept ignorant. Thus killing them has not been used as in killing the body but the mind which is as bad as killing the body. The word used here is ‘awlad’ i.e. children, which includes both male and female.

Imam Razi’s suggestion seems to be quite reasonable and in fact a large family means children cannot be properly educated by poor parents and hence parents ‘kill’ them mentally by keeping them ignorant.

They cannot even clothe them properly nor can they provide proper living space. In such circumstances one cannot raise quality human beings, and quantity does not matter much. That said, we should understand that at the time of the revelation of the Quran, the problem of family planning did not exist, nor did the need for population control.

It is a modern problem which has arisen in our time. Most nation states in the developing world do not have the economic means to support large populations, and when we say supporting large populations it does not mean only feeding them but also includes education and the provision of proper health services. These are the basic duties of modern nation states.

In fact, in view of the paucity of resources, it has become necessary to adopt family planning. When the Quran was being revealed there was neither any properly organised state nor education nor health services being provided by a state agency.

It is important to note that the Quran, which shows eight ways to spend zakat, does not include education or health which is so essential for the state to provide today. Thus what Imam Razi suggests is not only very correct but also enhances the importance of family planning in modern times as a small family can support better education and health services.
It would be interesting to note that as for verse 4:3 (which is used by Muslims for justification of polygamy) Imam Shafi’i interprets it rather differently. It ends with the words alla ta’ulu, which is generally translated as ‘you may not do injustice’ i.e. do not marry more than one woman so that you may not do injustice. But Imam Shafi’i renders it as ‘so that you do not have a large family’. The Quran has already mentioned that ‘if you fear injustice then marry only one’ woman and so there was no need to repeat it.

That is why Imam Shafi’i feels it should be translated as ‘so that you do not have a large family’.

It can be seen that in understanding the Quran even very eminent imams and great scholars differed with one another. One should not impose one single meaning of a verse on all Muslims. The Quran could be interpreted differently by different people in their own context and circumstances, as has historically been the practice. Family planning being a modern need, one should not reject it out of hand and quote Quranic verses out of context.

Family planning does not mean killing children after they are born but to plan the birth of children in a way that parents can bear all the expenses for their education, health, living space, upkeep, etc. in a proper manner. The Quran also suggests that a child be suckled for two years, and it is well known that as long as the mother suckles she may not conceive. Thus, indirectly, the Quran suggests spacing between children.

In hadith literature, we find that the Prophet (PBUH) permitted prevention of conceiving in certain circumstances. When a person asked the Prophet for permission for ‘azl (withdrawal) as he was going for a long journey along with his wife and he did not wish his wife to conceive, the Messenger of Allah allowed him. In those days this was the only known method for planning the birth of a child. Today there are several more methods available.

Imam Ghazali allows even termination of pregnancy if the mother’s life is in danger and suggests several methods for termination. He even allows termination of pregnancy on health grounds or if the mother’s beauty is in danger, provided it is in consultation with her husband. Some scholars referring to the verse 23:14 conclude that one can terminate pregnancy up to three months after conception as the Quran, in this verse, describes the stages of development of the sperm planted in the mother’s womb; it takes three months for life to begin.

However, many ulema today oppose the termination of pregnancy. Whatever the case one cannot declare family planning as prohibited in Islam as it in no way amounts to killing a child. Even the termination of a pregnancy is allowed in order to properly plan the birth of a child according to one’s financial resources.

The writer is an Islamic scholar who also heads the Centre for Study of Society & Secularism, Mumbai.

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We can trust the man of troubles but not on the man of pleasures.

The pact of Hudaibya

By Nilofar Ahmed
Friday, Oct 14, 2011

SOME time after the migration of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)and his followers to Madina, the Makkans banned the entry of the believers in Makkah, even for the purposes of Haj or umrah. The Muslims yearned to visit the Kaaba to perform the pilgrimage.

After about six years, the Prophet and some 1,500 of his companions started out for Makkah on Ziga`ad 1, 6 AH, (628 CE), with the intention of performing umrah. They put on the ihram, recited the intention and thus entered the state of consecration. They did not carry any weapons but the Makkans came to know of their approach and decided to block their path, even if it meant having to go to war.

The Prophet decided to avoid confrontation and bloodshed, and to take a very rough and circuitous route. The Muslims camped at Hudaibya, located on the border of Makkah. They decided to negotiate with the Makkans to allow them the peaceful practice of their religion. The Makkans sent small gangs to attack the believers so that they would be incited to start a war. Otherwise they wanted them to turn back. The Prophet dealt with them with great patience and released the Makkans each time after arresting them.

The Prophet sent Hazrat Usman as his envoy to the Makkans to convince them to send Suhail bin Umro to talk to him. After negotiations, the final pact, whose scribe was Hazrat Ali, was agreed upon and came to be known as the Sulah Hudaibya (the peace pact of Hudaibya).

Some of its clauses were as follows: there would be peace for 10 years in which both parties would refrain from fighting;when a believer came to Makkah and Taif for the purposes of pilgrimage or trade, his life would be protected; if any Qureishi passed through the Muslim territory of Madina, his life would also be protected.

The most difficult point to accept was that of one-sided extradition, and which stated that if a Qureishi who had converted to Islam was to escape from his guardian and reach the Prophet in Madina, he would be forced to go back, but if a Muslim reno-unced his faith and escaped to Makkah, the Makkans would not be obliged to return him.

Besides these points, it was also declared that both parties would remain true to the pact; that they would not commit treachery and remain neutral in their wars with other parties; that the Bedouin tribes would be free to make friends with whichever party they pleased; that sacrificial animals would be sacrificed in Hudaibyah and not brought to Makkah; that rights and duties of both parties would be equal.

It was also agreed that Muslims would return to Madina without performing umrah that year; that they would be allowed to come back the next year to perform the pilgrimage and be allowed to remain in Makkah for three days; that they would carry only a traveller`s weapon, and not weapons of war; that the Makkans would leave the city for those three days; and that when the Muslims returned, they would not be allowed to take anyone along with them.

In this pact, the Prophet, through his wisdom, was able to keep the higher, far-reaching goals in mind. Some of his companions were outraged and found the accord degrading.

They resisted coming out of ihram. The Prophet consulted his wife, Umme Salma. She advised him to go ahead and perform the acts needed to come out of the state of ihram himself. He followed her advice. As soon as his companions saw that, they followed suit.

The Prophet was always true to his word. While still at Hudaibya, he encountered a difficult decision. Abu Jandal, a new convert, broke his fetters and came crying to him asking that he be rescued from the Makkans who were torturing him.

Seeing his condition all the companions were enraged. But the Prophet kept his word and offered him no help, except taking a promise from Abu Jandal`s father that he would not be tortured.

On their return to Madina, Muslims met Abu Busair, another new convert who had escaped from Makkah. His relatives demanded his return and the Prophet complied. Abu Busair later managed to escape again, hid in a gorge near Badar and kept attacking the caravans of the Makkans going to Syria.

Many other converts joined him and made it impossible for the caravans to pass that way. Frustrated, the Makkans themselves approached the Prophet to cancel the clause of one-sided extradition. The converts were now able to join the believers in Madina.

While on his way back from Hudaibya, the Prophet received the revelation of the first verses of Surah Al-Fatah, in which Allah declared this pact to be a victory (48: 1). The companions later realised that the pact had had far-reaching, beneficial effects. That the Makkans signed an agreement with the Prophet showed that they had accepted him as the legitimate leader of a people and a state.

Thus, through his wisdom, patience and farsightedness, the Prophet commanded respect, established his moral authority and brought about a peaceful settlement between people of different faiths through non-violence and sincere negotiations.

• The writer is a scholar of the Quran and writes on its relevance to contemporary issues.

nilofar.ahmed58@gmail.com

The pact of Hudaibya | ePaper | DAWN.COM

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The writing on the wall

By Inam Khawaja |10/21/2011

ON Dec 17, 2010, the self-immolation of Mohammad Bouazizisparked street demonstrations in Tunisia. The demonstrations were fuelled by high unemployment, corruption, inflation, lack of political freedom and speech under the 24-year-old autocratic rule of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

It took about a month`s demonstrations and scores of deaths by the security forces and finally the intervention of the army which forced Ben Ali to resign and flee to Saudi Arabia a month later. Similarly, the people of Egypt had been enduring police brutality, rampant corruption, restrictions on freedom of speech, high unemployment, food inflation, rigged elections and state of emergency under the autocratic rule of president Hosni Mubarak for 30 years.

The success of the Tunisian revolution and the departure of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali sparked public protests throughout Egypt against Hosni Mubarak on Jan 25, 2011 which coincided with the National Police Day. The peaceful protests and demonstrations by thousands took place in many cities and towns of Egypt. Cairo became the centre of protests with thousands round the clock occupying Tahrir Square.

The curfew was widely ignored and when the military refused to fire live bullets on the protesters on Jan 29, Hosni Mubarak reacted by sending waves of his supporters on camels and horseback armed with sticks and swords to Tahrir Square which resulted in many casualties but the protesters were steadfast.

Ultimately, the Egyptian vice president Omar Suleimanwith the backing of the army announced the resignation of Hosni Mubarak on Feb 11.

Since then an army-backed government is in power; Hosni Mubarak is being tried for corruption and killings, and multi-party elections are to take place soon.

Protests against the oligarchic 42-year-rule of Muammar Qadhafi started on Feb 15, 2011. He reacted by bringing out the army who even usedtanks against unarmed protesters. He called them `cockroaches` and `rats`, accusing Al Qaeda of distributing hallucinogenic drugs. Due to the mass killing of peaceful unarmed protesters, the UN authorised Nato to make air strikes to stop the killing of civilians by pro-Qadhafi forces.

The protesters were forced to take up arms in self-defence.

By September, the protesters managed to liberate more or less all of Libya including the capital Tripoli. The irony is that now Qadhafi who had used tunnels to escape is hiding.

Influenced by the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, demonstrations also started in Syria on Jan 26, 2011 and escalated into a rebellion. President Bashar al-Assad has used tanks and snipers to force the people off the streets and has cut off electricity and water; shops and stores were raided to confiscate flour and other food items in the affected cities, including Homs, Hama and Daraa, where the demonstrations were sustained and strong. More than 3,000 people are estimated to have been killed; many Syrians have taken refuge in neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. The anti-President Ali Abdullah Saleh riots in Yemen have continued likewise.

This history in the making shows us that injustice, tyranny and cruelty do not go unpunished even in this world. The Quran tells us that tyrants do not go unpunished: `Consequently Allah seized him for punishment, both in the Hereafter and in this life. Surely, in this, there is a lesson for those who fear Allah` (79: 25-26). This verse is regarding the fate of the Pharaoh.

In the Quran at least in three places it is stated in exactly the same words that Allah loves those who practise justice.

`Allah loves those who judge with fairness` (5:42; 49:9; 60:8).

The cited verses clearly show the importance of justice and fairness. The Quran further states: `And from among you there must be a party who invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is they who will attain true success` (3: 104).

`Better and everlasting is the reward which Allah has for those who believe, put their trust in their Rabb, avoid major sins and shameful deeds, forgive even when they are angry, answer the call of their Rabb, establish Salat, conduct their affairs with mutual consultation, spend out of their sustenance which We have given them`; `And those who, when an oppressive wrong is done to them, help and defend themselves (42: 38-39)`.

It is clear from the Quranic injunctions that it is the duty of every Muslim to `invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong` Furthermore, one must act against `oppressive wrong`. It therefore clearly establishes the correctness and legitimacy of protests against those rulers who commit oppression. The verse has a wide meaning which is inclusive of physical oppression, economic oppression, injustice, etc.

It is ironic that every tyrant, dictator, corrupt, unjust, oppressive and dishonest ruler thinks that those who were toppled and faced justice and retribution were not smart enough and that he is cleverer and smarter and can continue to rule and ride roughshod over people`s rights, plundering their wealth with impunity. It is strange that both Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak did not see the writing on the wall and did not learn any lesson from the fate of tyrants like the Shah of Iran and Marcos.

Qadhafi also did not take heed from their fate. And now Bashar al-Assad and Ali Abdullah Saleh and other dishonest, corrupt and unjust rulers do not seem to learn any lesson from what has been happening in the past nine months in the Arab world. •



ePaper | DAWN.COM

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One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone towards something better.

The conquest of Makkah

By Nilofar Ahmed
Friday, Oct 28, 2011

IN 8 AH (630 CE), the Qureish of Makkah broke their pactof Hudaibya with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by killing some of the men of the Khuza tribe, with whom the Prophet had a treaty, inside the sacred surrounds of the Kaaba.

The Khuzas asked the Prophet for help. He said, `They have betrayed us and broken the pact!` He at once prepared to leave for Makkah. On Muharram 10, AH 8, the Prophet set out, along with his allied tribes, with his forces of 10,000 men: the largest force to set out of Madina so far.

While they camped outside Makkah, the Prophet asked the men to spread out and light a fire each. The 10,000 fires became visible to the Makkans who were overawed. Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Qureish, and some other men came running to the camp and met the Prophet. When the call to prayer was sounded at dawn, Abu Sufyan, the Prophet`s bitterest enemy, was so moved that he sought the Prophet and recited the kalima: `There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger! Thereafter, the Prophet sent a messenger to Makkah to announce that whoever entered Abu Sufyan`s house would be safe and whoever went behind his own door and bolted it would be safe and whoever went into the Sacred Mosque would also be safe. Abu Sufyan rushed to Makkah and said, `O Qureish, this is Muhammad (PBUH) who has come to you with a force you cannot resist.` Thereafter, almost all the Makkans took refuge and no one tried to resist the entry of Muslims into Makkah.

The Prophet gave strict orders not to start a fight andannounced, `This is the day of mercy!` He divided his troops into four divisions to enter the city from four different directions. Before entering Makkah, while still seated on his camel, the Prophet bent low, prostrating in humility and gratefulness to his Lord.

When he heard of the skirmish between Khalid bin Walid`s troops and Ikrimah`s men, he was angry and said, `Did I not forbid fighting?` It was explained that the Qureish had attacked them first. Then the Prophet put onhis armour and along with his men, entered the Kaaba, touched the Hajr al-Aswad with his staff and recited `Allahu Akbar` which his followers repeated so that the whole of Makkah resounded with it.

The Prophet made seven rounds of the Kaaba and then turned towards the 360 idols surrounding the mosque. He pointed towards each and recited, `The truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely, falsehood is bound to vanish! (17:81). As he pointed to the idols, each one fell on its face.

Thus the Kaaba, which had been built first by Adam and then reconstructed by Abraham for the worship of the One God, was finally cleansed of all man-made deities.

The door of the Kaaba was unlocked. The Prophet entered it and asked that pictures of false gods be erased. Since there was no looting, no plunder and no mistreatment of women, the Makkans were now convinced that the Prophet did not wish to avenge them. Those who had taken refuge in their homes came out and joined those in the Sacred Mosque.

The Prophet, standing at the door of the Kaaba, addressed them: `There is no God but Allah alone. He has no associate.

He has made good His promise and helped his servant. He has put to flight the confederates. Every claim of privilege or blood or property is abolished by me except the custody of the temple and the watering of the pilgrims ... O Qureish, God has taken from you the haughtiness of the days of paganism and its veneration of ancestors. Man springs from Adam and Adam springs from dust.

He recited from the Quran, `We have created you from male and female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. The most noble of you, in the sight of God, is the most pious` (49:13). Then he asked, `O Qureish, what do you think that I am about to do with you?` They replied, `Good. You are a noble and generous brother, son of a noble and generous brother. It is thine to command.

He then spoke to them words of forgiveness which, according to the revelation Joseph had spoken to his brothers when they came to him in Egypt, `Verily, I say as my brother Joseph said, `This day there shall be no upbraiding of you nor reproach. God forgiveth you, for He is most Merciful of the merciful`` (12: 92).

He said, `Go your way for you are the freed ones!` Only four persons were given the death penalty, which had nothing to do with this conquest.

A general amnesty was declared for his bitter enemies of two decades who had broken their pact of Hudaibya and who had tried every trick to harm the Prophet and his followers. The Prophet then took his place at the hill of Safa, and the Makkans, both men and women, flocked to him to pay homage and to accept Islam. Through his treatment of the Qureish, the Prophet demonstrated his faith in peace, non-violence, freedom, human rights and equality of all human beings. He also lived the verse of the Quran (16:126) in which it is said that retaliation is valid, but forgiveness is more noble and worthy of reward.

The writer specialises in Quranic themes and contemporary issues.
nilofar.ahmed58@gmail.com

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Arab spring & women

By Asghar Ali Engineer
Friday, Nov 04, 2011

THE Arab world has seen great political turmoil since the beginning of 2011. The Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was overthrown before January ended. Then a similar turmoil erupted in Egypt and hundreds of thousands of people poured into Cairo`s Tahrir Square to protest against Hosni Mubarak, another long-serving dictator who was forced to step down.

Libya, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain have also seen unprecedented protests. All this has been much written about and need not be repeated but what concerns us here is the role of women in these revolutionary changes taking place in the Arab world. In the countries concerned women have played a very significant role from Tunisia to Yemen.

The Tahrir Square mobilisation was due mainly to a young girl`s appeal on Facebook. The role of women in political mobilisation was so crucial that it was being expected that the Nobel for peace this year would be given to women from Arab countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen. It went to women from Africa and Yemen. Laureate Tawakkul Karman of Yemen played a crucial role in the protection of human rights and political mobilisation in her country, though there still remains a political stalemate in Yemen.

What is important to note is the role of women in the political mobilisation in these male-dominated societies and, secondly, the shattering of the myth that Muslim women merely sit at home and are worth nothing more than domestic workers.

Muslim women have proved that they can mobilise the people far more efficiently and purposefully. It is interesting to note that many women in Tunisia and Egypt were quite active intrade unions. They put their experience gained in the union activities to proper use to bring about change in the political structures of their countries.

But post-revolution, a shadow of doubt may hang over their heads now. The question is: what will this democratic revolution offer them in terms of socialliberties? Will it scrap certain rights that they gained under dictatorships? There is some truth to this fear, as much as there is a possibility of Islamic laws, as they are today, being imposed in these countries. In Tunisia the al-Nahda party, which describes itself as a moderate Islamic party, has won elections.

But fortunately the al-Nahda leader Rashid al-Ghanushi has declared that there will be no changes made in the gendersensitive laws that har polygamy, for instance.

However, Libyan women are not so fortunate. The Libyan leader who is projected as the new prime minister af ter ousting Qadhafi has announced that Islamic laws will be imposed and polygamy will be reintroduced. Qadhafi, undoubtedly a dictator who had to go, had introduced and consolidated a gender-justice regime in Libya. He had given equal rights to women, as provided for in the Quran. He had abolished polygamy and given Libyan women important roles in public life.

Qadhafi maintained that to confine women to homes was an imperialist conspiracy to paralyse half the population in the Islamic world. He had created a special women`s force in the army and assigned them duties as bodyguards. It was a revolutionary step forward for Libyan women. Now such measures risk being reversed if the new Libyan leaders, specifically mentioning polygamy, are going to impose Sharia laws that hark back to the mediaeval times.

It, of course, remains debatable if the Sharia laws, as they last evolved during the mediaeval age when patriarchy reigned supreme, should be re-imposed as they were back then and remain today. Whether suitable changes need to be made through ijtehad in keeping with the spirit of the Quranic values that emphasise social justice remains a very valid question today.

For instance, to say that polygamy is permitted and hence it must be reintroduced is really injuring the spirit of the Quran.

At best it is a half-truth. Polygamy has been allowed in the Quran but in a specific context and with rigorous conditions.

Anyone who reads the two verses of the Quran on polygamy (4:3 and 4:129) can see that justice is more central in Allah`s commands than taking multiple wives. If justice is so important then how can polygamy be made an overriding norm? In the 1970s, whenever a dictator declared his country an Islamic state, he would introduce Hudood laws (punishments for theft, adultery, etc.) as if these were more central than the factors that motivated a person to commit such crimes, or as if punishing is more important than reforming a person.

Similarly, today, when dictatorial regimes are ending, declarations are being made that more equitable family laws will be revisited and polygamy will be permissible, as in the case of Libya.

I have always maintained that gender justice is very central to the Quran, provided the Quran is read in its proper context.

Today, with a greater role being played by women in public life, it is all the more important that gender justice be made equally central in the Sharia laws through the contextual and normative understanding of the Quranic verses in their true spirit.

The existing Sharia laws, which are manmade laws based on one or the other interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah, may not be acceptable to many educated men and women owing to social awareness and a sense of justice. The Quran unambiguously stands for gender justice and equips women with all the rights given to men. The mediaeval interpreters missed this because they were people of their own times and of tribal customs.

The writer is an Islamic scholar who also heads the Centre for Study of Society & Secularism, Mumbai.
Arab spring & women | ePaper | DAWN.COM

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By Nilofar Ahmed | 11/11/2011

AFTER the conquest of Makkah, when the Kaaba and its surroundings were restored to Prophet Abraham`s legacy, the Prophet (PBUH) decided to go for Haj. This was the only pilgrimage he performed. The rituals that he taught and the travel that he undertook have all become part of the Haj rituals.

He felt that he might not meet his followers again in this manner, so he summarised his teachings in his famous last sermon. On Friday, Zilhij 9, 10AH, (March 6, 632CE), the day of gathering on the plain of Arafat, the Prophet climbed up the hill known as Jabal al-Rehmat, or `the hill of mercy`, and addressed the pilgrims who, according to some accounts, were 124,000 in number.

After praising God and declaring the basic creed, `There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger`, he went on to speak on various topics. Some of these statements have become the fundamental touchstones of the Islamic faith.

He quoted from the Quran: `O people, indeed, We have created you from a male and a female and made you nations and tribes so that you would recognise each other. Indeed, the most honourable of you, in the sight of God, is the most pious` (49: 13). All prejudices of colour, caste, tribe and gender are done away with in this verse.

He went on to say, `Therefore, an Arab is not superior to a non-Arab, nor is a non-Arab superior to an Arab. Neither is a black person superior to a white, nor is a white person superiorto a black. All human beings are from Adam, and Adam was created from dust. All claims to preference and superiority, all claims of blood and wealth and all rights of vengeance have been crushed under my feet.

He said that he would not be able to help them on the Day of Judgment if they had not worked for the Hereafter.

He told the Qureish that God had destroyed their false pride and their boasting about the achievements of their ancestors: `O people, your blood and wealth and honour have been made inviolable on each other, forever ... for all Muslims are brothers of one another. Take care of your slaves. Yes, take good care ofyour slaves. Feed them the same food that you eat and clothe them similarly.

Then he said that all the unjust customs of the days of ignorance had been done away with by him. All the retribution and the interest of the days of ignorance were also declared invalid. Since Allah had given every heir his due share, it was not right for anyone to write a will for their heirs. A child will be attributed to the one on whose bed he is born, he declared.

For the one on whom illicit sex is proved, (with four eyewitnesses), the punishment is stoning. The ultimate judgment will be made by God on the Day of Judgment. He said that loans should be paid off and borrowed things should be returned. Gifts should be given in return for gifts received.

One who takes up the responsibility of another, should pay the dues. It is not lawful for anyone to take forcefully from another.

He specifically asked his followers to treat their women well, ` .for they are bound to you and cannot do as they please. Fear God in regard to women, for it is in His name that you have acquired them and they have been made lawful for you with God`s permission` He preached that men and women had rights over each other: `Your rights over them are that they should not call to them anyone whom you do not approve of. They should not betray your trust. If they indulge in shameless immorality, then you have been given the right to express your displeasure. But if they desist, then you should take good care of their needs, such as clothing and food.

He said that it was not lawful for a woman to give from her husband`s wealth without his consent. Then, the Prophet (PBUH) said, `I am leaving something with you. If you remain steadfast on it, you will never go astray; that is, the book of God and the practice of His Prophet. And remember, do not exaggerate in the matter of your faith. Those before you were destroyed because of this.

He said that Satan had lost all hope of being worshipped in that city (Makkah) anymore. But in minor matters they might still follow him, which will satisfy him. `So you must protect your religion and your faith from him.

He reminded his followers to worship their Lord, say their five-time daily prayers, fast for a month, pay zakat willingly, perform Haj and follow their leaders. Then they would become eligible for paradise.

About accountability, he said, `From now on, the criminal alone will be responsible for his crime. Neither will the son be caught in place of his father, nor will the father be avenged in place of the son.` He asked his followers present there to convey what they had heard to those who were not present, for the latter might be more capable of understanding and preserving it (his words).

Concluding the sermon, the Prophet (PBUH) said, `You will be questioned about me (on the Day of Judgment). What answer will you give?` They replied, `We will bear witness that you conveyed to us what you were entrusted with....` The Prophet (PBUH) then pointed towards the people and said, thrice: `O Lord bear witness!` • The writer specialises in Quranic themes and contemporary issues nilofar.ahmed58@gmail.com

WORLD history has never seen a period where a proper senseof morality prevailed. Only Islamic history projects a period of about 13 years where the Holy Prophet (PBUH) established a society in Madina which can be termed as immaculate: free of evil and exploitation.

One of the major objectives of Islam is to extirpate all social evils from society. In order to achieve this, Islam instilled a high of morality amongst its first followers. The Prophet was a living role model amongst them; the Quran describes him as one of exalted character (68:4). Morality is a subject that deals with and determines the veracity of human conduct, e.g. good or bad, right or wrong, etc.

There is not a single moment of a day when an individual is not engaged in doing or thinking something. It is an endless process which goes on all through one`s life. The question arises when one is confronted with the veracity of activity: right or wrong. This relates to morality and Muslims have been asked to seek guidance to determine the veracity of their conduct.

Their ultimate success is predicated on the soundness of their social conduct with fellow beings.

After the Quran, the life of the Prophet is the best source of guidance. While elaborating on eternal verities he simultaneously exemplified through his scrupulous conduct.

His life is full of such incidents, where he projects a proper sense of morality. Even his staunch enemies confessed that his ethics were great. His thought for human benefit, his deeds of kindness, his words for love, his effort for peaceful coexistenceand his prayers for human salvation are shining examples for all to emulate.

Contrary to such superb teachings, a cursory look at our society today reveals an all-round state of moral decrepitude; it faces numerous problems, but the most horrendous is ethical degradation at every level. Lack of moral scruples at committing evil can be observed in markets, offices, factories and public places where people interact in a most discourteous manner. Most appear to be individualistic, selfcentred and over-ambitious inpursuit of wealth, power and social status. Many ignore the pangs of conscience for the sake of worldly pursuits.

At the national level, many public organisations have failed to meet moral standards. Internationally, we face a grim situation as many NGOs place us on the lowest rung. Some have tagged us as corrupt or unreliable. Pakistanis visiting abroad face disrespect while encountering foreigners. Though the present scenario looks bleak, one must not be disappointed.

The Quran says that Allah changes not the condition of a nation unless it changes itself (13:11).

In some government offices, a circular was reportedly issued directing all employees to be ethical in their dealings. A person cannot become ethical just on the issuance of a circular; it is the mindset, acquired over time through an attitudinal education, training and environment which trains you to be ethical in your dealings.

A Muslim who loves his fellow being feels pain when he sees decay all around. There are a number of reasons for this but the foremost is drifting away from the ethical goals set by Allah.

We have gone far from the ethical teachings of Islam. Success lies only in adhering to these teachings in letter and spirit.

The Quran is full of ethical teachings. But chapter 17 especially provides ethical guidelines for the believers to follow in material life, whereby an individual as well as society can purge themselves of evils. These teachings have the sole purpose of creating an ethical society. Allah vouches that `Your Lord knows best what is in your inner selves. If you are righteous then verily He is ever-most forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again in obedience and repentance` (17:25). Thus, one has to develop an inner sense that his Lord is aware of what is going on inside/outside one`s self.

People interact mainly through word of mouth. Words represent our inner attitudes; they can create friendship and animosity among individuals. It is on the record that words have been the cause of many disputes and wars and also a good cause of peace and friendship in many areas of the world throughout history. Therefore, the Quran emphasises that believers utter words that are best and be cautious.

Ever since the creation of Pakistan we have been teaching our students the subject of Islamiat in schools and colleges. The education ministry and departments have attached a long list of objectives for teaching Islamiat in their curriculum documents. Yet we see moral decay, therefore, we need to rethink the contents of Islamiat textbooks and evaluate them vis-à-vis our objectives.

We cannot change society and deeply entrenched social attitudes overnight but we must foresee and plan our future society right now and ask ourselves what will be our society in the year 2036, for instance, 25 years from now when a whole new generation will have grown up. In order to create a moral society, a new look at the whole subject of Islamiat and its pedagogy is the need of the hour.

It may be an uphill task but it must be undertaken, with the teachers engaged in teaching Islamiat made conscious that their task is ordained as guides. They must be instilled with a missionary spirit to build their students` character to shape a future society that is free from exploitation, corruption and chicanery.• The writer is an educationist.

amin.valiani@itrebp.org

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