In Defense of Slavery

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Criticism of Islam usually revolves around its sanction or encouragement of certain practices, like slavery, child marriage, veiling of women, gender segregation, female circumcision, and more broadly the imposition of Shari’ah which discrimates again women and non-Muslims. The liberal reformists of our Community essentially agree with the non-Muslim critics of Islam and consider it necessary to reform the Religion so that these practices which are either sanctioned or taught by orthodox, traditional Islam are eliminated. The issue of slavery in particular is controversial, and its interplay with race in the history of its practice has been a major reason for humanity in general considering it an evil. The liberal reformists and others who declare slavery is now forbidden according to the principles and spirit of the Shari’ah argue that while the Quran and the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not explicitly forbid the practice of slavery, their teachings make it clear it is something undesirable and so it would be wrong to revive its practice in our time when it has been totally abolished. Allah, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

فَکُّ رَقَبَۃٍ

The freeing of a slave

(Surah 90, Ayah 13)

The fact that the Shari’ah prescribes the freeing of slaves as expiation for certain matters, such as not fasting for Ramadan, surely indicates that the spirit of Islam is for the emancipation of slaves. Yet to make this the basis for a fatwa that in our time reviving the institution of slavery is haram is extremely absurd and a clear example of manipulating the Shari’ah wrongly. The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions enslaved captives of war, including what the Quran refers to as “right-hand possessions” meaning female slaves with which the master is allowed to establish sexual relations. Slavery is therefore not inherently immoral otherwise it would have been absolutely and unconditionally prohibited in the sacred Shari’ah, nor would it have been practiced by the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions. Incidentally, the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, sanctions slavery too. Rabbinic and Talmudic teaching interpret the Curse of Ham to mean that Ham was transformed into a black person and is therefore the progenitor of the Blacks:

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן שְׁלֹשָׁה שִׁמְּשׁוּ בַּתֵּיבָה וְכוּלָּם לָקוּ כֶּלֶב וְעוֹרֵב וְחָם כֶּלֶב נִקְשַׁר עוֹרֵב רָק חָם לָקָה בְּעוֹרוֹ
The Sages taught: Three violated that directive and engaged in intercourse while in the ark, and all of them were punished for doing so. They are: The dog, and the raven, and Ham, son of Noah. The dog was punished in that it is bound; the raven was punished in that it spits, and Ham was afflicted in that his skin turned black (Sanhedrin 108b)

This interpretation of the Curse of Ham was accepted by many Christians too, and was their sanction for the practice of enslaving Black Africans during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Historically, the practice of slavery among the Muslims and Arabs was predominantly manifested as enslavement of Black Africans. Many of the early Muslims seem to have accepted the Judeo-Christian legend concerning the Curse of Ham. This may even be reflected in a Hadith, although it is weak:

سَامٌ أَبُو الْعَرَبِ وَحَامٌ أَبُو الْحَبَشِ وَيَافِثُ أَبُو الرُّومِ

Shem is father of the Arabs, Ham is father of the Habash (Abyssinians) and Japheth is father of the Romans (Europeans) (Jami’ al-Tirmidhi)

Most recently, and even today, in some parts of Africa slavery is still practiced by Muslims. The lighter skin Arabs kept darker skin African slaves in the Sudan (a geographic region stretching from the Atlantic Coast, encompassing the Sahel, to the modern-day country of Sudan). One may still find this kind of racialized slavery practiced in Mauritania. My view is that while Islam condemns racism, and considers piety as the factor to determine superiority and inferiority and not race or color, it was totally justified for Arab Muslims to enslave the heathens and other non-Muslims among the Black African population. Blacks were enslaved by Europeans, Americans and Arabs for practical reasons, namely, visibility and a physique more suitable for manual labor. And is simply a fact, no matter how inconvenient or uncomfortable, that sub-Saharan African populations were not as advanced as the European and Asiatic civilizations and therefore naturally conquered and subjugated by the latter. This also explains the brutal European subjugation of aboriginal populations of the Americas and Australia. In summary, the historical Muslim Arab enslavement of Black Africans was not a religious phenomenon but a sociological one.

Deviance of the Gedimu School in China

 

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

As I previously discussed the problem with the predominant religious schools in Indonesia, namely, Nahdatul Ulama (NU) and the so-called Muhammadiyyah (schools generally characterized by modernism, liberalism, pluralism and feminism) here I shall discuss the problem with one of the dominant religious schools in China, the Gedimu. The name is derived from the Arabic word Qadim meaning ancient or old, meant to signify its adherence to the old teaching and to tradition. This school is the established one among the Hui Muslims of China. Alhamdulillah that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in China, across the various ethnic groups such as the Hui, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Dongxiang and some other Turkic populations are Sunni and Hanafi. Muslims in China have a rich and glorious history, and today it is estimated there are anywhere between twenty and forty million Muslims in the country. The Gedimu are likewise adherents of the Sunni doctrine and the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. However, their practice of Islam is heavily tempered by Sinicism, meaning Han Chinese culture. One of the worst problems with the Gedimu is their pronouncing Arabic according to the jingtang jiaoyu method, in which Arabic including Quran recitation is heavily Sinicized. A Muslim who visits China and goes to a Gedimu Mosque for the Salah may be shocked to discover how the Adhan, Iqamah and Quran are recited, with undeniable distortion. The Gedimu refuse to reform their grievous error in this regard.

It is somewhat understandable why the practice of Islam in China, especially among the Gedimu school adherents in the Hui community, has suffered such deviations from normative and mainstream Sunni Islam. Being on the periphery of the Muslim World, and often cut off from Muslim heartland, this isolation adversely affected their practice and understanding of Islam. The situation is made worse by the pressure upon Muslims during the Maoist era, and at present when the authoritarian State under Xi Jinping is fanatically dedicated to Sinicizing the practice of all foreign religions especially Islam which is perceived as the greatest threat. If there is any example of religious persecution in the world today it is the persecution of Islam in China. Yet Muslims must strive to preserve their Faith and identity, and resist cultural assimilation. In China, one of the main battlegrounds in the culture war is diet. Muslims are often ridiculed about their refraining from pork and alcohol, and for fasting during Ramadan. Pork consumption is higher in China than anywhere else in the world, where it is a huge component of the culture. Other Islamic practices such as veiling, gender segregation, circumcision and ceasing work to attend the Jumu’ah worship are increasingly under threat in China. It is feared that such a compromising and Sinophilic school as the Gedimu is ill equipped to preach against and inspire resistance to the State’s policy of forced assimilation of the Muslims. Aside from the Gedimu, the Yihewani school, and the various Sufi orders, while they are superior to the Gedimu, do not inspire much confidence either in being the focal point of resistance to cultural assimilation.

The River of Life

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

One of the beliefs of Ahl us-Sunnah which sets us apart from the misguided Khawarij and Mu’tazilah is that whoever has even a speck of Faith in his heart shall eventually be released from Hell. The Kharijites, Mu’tazilites and some other misguided people believe that major sinners are doomed to Hell for eternity! But the Holy Prophet Muhammad, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, said:

إِذَا دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَهْلُ النَّارِ النَّارَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ فَأَخْرِجُوهُ‏ فَيُخْرَجُونَ قَدِ امْتُحِشُوا وَعَادُوا حُمَمًا فَيُلْقَوْنَ فِي نَهَرِ الْحَيَاةِ فَيَنْبُتُونَ كَمَا تَنْبُتُ الْحِبَّةُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْلِ

When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise, and the people of the Fire have entered the Fire, Allah will say, “Take out (of the Fire) whoever has got Faith equal to a mustard seed in his heart.” They will come out, and by that time they would have burnt like charcoal, and then they will be thrown into the River of Life and they will spring forth just as a seed grows on the bank of a rainwater stream (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The River of Life spoken of here surely corresponds to what is mentioned in the Bible: “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1, KJV). So we believe in the existence of this incredible River of Life, which proceeds from the Throne and flows through Paradise, and the last people to enter Paradise will be taken out of Hell while they are all burnt up and have died. They will then be tossed into this River of Life through whose water they shall be revived. Now Allah says concerning the unbeliever who shall enter Hell for eternity:

ثُمَّ لَا یَمُوۡتُ فِیۡہَا وَلَا یَحۡیٰی

Then he will not die therein nor live

(Surah 87, Ayah 13)

But as for the sinful Muslim who does go to Hell, he will die therein and be taken out, and shall be revived after being submerged into the River of Life, or having water from it poured upon him:

أَمَّا أَهْلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَهْلُهَا فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَمُوتُونَ فِيهَا وَلاَ يَحْيَوْنَ وَلَكِنْ نَاسٌ أَصَابَتْهُمُ النَّارُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ- أَوْ قَالَ بِخَطَايَاهُمْ - فَأَمَاتَهُمْ إِمَاتَةً حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا فَحْمًا أُذِنَ بِالشَّفَاعَةِ فَجِيءَ بِهِمْ ضَبَائِرَ ضَبَائِرَ فَبُثُّوا عَلَى أَنْهَارِ الْجَنَّةِ ثُمَّ قِيلَ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْهِمْ‏ فَيَنْبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الْحِبَّةِ تَكُونُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْلِ

The people of Hellfire will remain there, never dying and never living. There will also be people who will enter Hell because of their sins, and they will die therein. They will turn into charcoal and ashes and permission will be granted for intercession to be made and they will be brought out of the Hellfire in groups, and spread over the sides of the rivers of Paradise. It will be said, “O People of Paradise! Pour water upon them!” So they will grow like seeds in the silt left by a flood (Sahih Muslim)

Plagues Upon Egypt (7:133)

 

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Among the most wonderful things which our God Allah سبحانه وتعالى did in the past was the liberation of the Children of Israel from bondage in Egypt. Specifically, through the plagues which Allah سبحانه وتعالى brought upon the land of Egypt, Pharaoh and his people, which inspire an ecstatic awe. Allah says:

فَاَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمُ الطُّوۡفَانَ وَالۡجَرَادَ وَالۡقُمَّلَ وَالضَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ اٰیٰتٍ مُّفَصَّلٰتٍ

So We sent upon them the storm, and locusts, and lice, and frogs and blood—manifest Signs

(Surah 7, Ayah 133)

Although this isn’t an exhaustive list of the plagues and afflictions that befell Egypt at the hands of Moses and Aaron عليهما السلام it is a mention of the most famous and awe inspiring. Five of the Ten Plagues mentioned in the Torah are listed here; 1. thunderstorm and hail, 2. locusts, 3. lice (or gnats), 4. frogs and 5. the waters of the Nile turning to blood. The plague of blood is mentioned last perhaps because it is the seemingly supernatural one of the others listed in the Ayah. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says that whenever the Rijz (plague) befell them they (Pharaoh and his servants) pleaded with Moses to ask his Lord to remove it from them so that they might believe and send the Children of Israel with him. However, whenever Allah removed the punishment from them for a while they broke their promise (Surah 7:134-135), as spoken of in the Torah too.

Although five of the Plagues have specifically been mentioned in the Ayah (7:133), elsewhere the Quran speaks of Nine Signs in total, but without specifying what each of them were:

وَلَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسٰی تِسۡعَ اٰیٰتٍۭ

And We gave Moses nine signs

(Surah 17, Ayah 101)

In the Psalms also are a list of the Plagues and other Signs: “How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan. And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies” (Psalm 78:43-53, KJV), “He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word. He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings. He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts. He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground. He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength” (Psalm 105:26-36, KJV) What is made clear here is that the plagues which afflicted Egypt caused a scarcity of fruits, and this is confirmed in the Quran:

وَلَقَدۡ اَخَذۡنَاۤ اٰلَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِالسِّنِیۡنَ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الثَّمَرٰتِ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَذَّکَّرُوۡنَ

And We did seize the people of Pharaoh with years (of famine) and scarcity of fruits that they may receive admonition

(Surah 7, Ayah 130)

See how Allah compelled Pharaoh, despite the hardness of his heart, his arrogance and his stubbornness, to release the Children of Israel and allow them to depart with Moses عليه السلام through these incredible Signs. Although many of these Signs are considered natural calamities, such as the hailstorm, the swarms of locusts, infestation of gnats, and invasion of frogs, they were each promised and occurred in a succession afflicting only Pharaoh and his people but miraculously not the Israelites who were sojourning in the same country (though in their own locality called Goshen, which is in the eastern Delta region).

Similarity Between Kharijites and Jewish Zealots

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Allah, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

اَلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا یُقَاتِلُوۡنَ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَالَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا یُقَاتِلُوۡنَ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ الطَّاغُوۡتِ فَقَاتِلُوۡۤا اَوۡلِیَآءَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ

Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of the Taghut. So fight the friends of Satan

(Surah 4, Ayah 76)

The doctrine of Jihad, fighting in the cause of Allah against the Taghut and the friends of Satan, is an integral part of Islam, though it has been subject to Ifrat (exaggeration) and Tafrit (negligence) among certain sections of the Ummah. Some of those who exaggerate in this matter, such as the Kharijites, have wrongly declared Jihad the “Sixth Pillar” of Islam, whereas orthodox Sunni Islam teaches that Islam has only Five Pillars, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالْحَجِّ وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ

Islam is based on five: 1. testifying there is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah, 2. establishing the Salah, 3. giving the Zakah, 4. the Hajj and 5. fasting in Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)

Therefore, Jihad is not the Sixth Pillar. Others who exaggerate in this matter have declared Jihad, as in armed combat against the Unbelievers, Fard Ayn, meaning a religious duty upon each and every individual Muslim. This too is an extreme exaggeration that has no basis in the Shari’ah. It is a false teaching of some of the so-called Jihadists like the Egyptian extremist, Qutbist, neo-Kharijite Abd us-Salam Farag, but also the more moderate Palestinian Abdullah Azzam, may Allah pardon him. The latter courageously participated in the Jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and was a charismatic preacher of Jihad. Although he was regrettably affected by the misguided ideology of the Ikhwanis (Muslim Brotherhood), he was not a Takfiri or a Kharijite, he did not make Takfir of the Muslim governments or call for an armed uprising to topple the regimes. With regard to those who fell prey to Tafrit or negligence in the matter of Jihad, it is first and foremost the heretical sects like the Qadianis and others who declare Jihad abolished or say it is purely a defensive means to repel an aggressor or invader, or say it is restricted in meaning to the inner struggle against one’s own soul. The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, warned the Ummah saying that among the reasons Allah shall impose disgrace upon it is that:

وَتَرَكْتُمُ الْجِهَادَ

You will abandon Jihad (Sunan Abi Dawud)

Today we see that virtually all the Muslim governments have abandoned Jihad. They fail even to fight in defense of our brothers who are oppressed by the unbelievers in Palestine, Kashmir, East Turkestan, Burma and other places. This is why the Ummah, and particularly the Arabs, is currently in a state of humiliation. Yet some misguided and emotionally driven Muslims have taken it upon themselves, in a private capacity or without authority of a legitimate Imam or government, to declare and engage in Jihad against Unbelievers. While their intentions may be praiseworthy, they are acting contrary to the Shari’ah in engaging in Jihad without the authorization of a legitimate Imam or Muslim ruler. In the early 19^th century, Sayyid Ahmad Barelawi and his lieutenant Shah Isma’il of Delhi, without possessing any authority, organized a sort of private Jihad and recruited men to go and fight the tyrannical Sikhs who were oppressing the Muslims of Punjab. While Sayyid Ahmad was declared the Imam, and the effort was properly organized behind him so as to avoid dissent and chaos as per the spirit of the Shari’ah, I believe this effort with good intentions nevertheless failed because declaring and organizing a Jihad is the domain of an actual Muslim government that practically has power in the land. Perhaps another reason this effort failed was because it was strongly influenced by Wahhabism, which has the tendency of separating Muslims from the main body of the Ummah, the Jama’ah. Even in its mildest form, Wahhabism considers the main body of the Ummah astray, accusing it of polytheism and major innovations. No Jihad can truly be successful if it is not inclusive of the main body of the Muslims, meaning, Ahl us-Sunnati wal-Jama’ah or the Sunnis, who comprise the overwhelming majority of the Ummah. So while “private Jihads” without authorization of a legitimate Imam or Muslim government are contrary to the Shari’ah and doomed to failure, it is not necessary that Mujahidin be uniformed soldiers of an established Muslim state as long as they have authorization and especially material support of a Muslim state to wage Jihad against the Unbelievers. A good example of this latter phenomenon is the Jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan during the 1980s, which had wide backing from many of the Muslim states, especially the Saudis and Pakistanis. In such a Jihad, foreign volunteers were justified in going to Afghanistan to pick up arms against the atheist and communist invaders. Such a blessed effort was successful. Likewise, the recent Jihad in Syria was successful in liberating the Sunni Muslims of that country from the evil of the anti-Islamic Ba’thist and Alawite regime, as this Jihad too had the material backing and authorization of an established Muslim state, namely, Turkey. A true Jihad faught upon the principles of the Shari’ah is destined for triumph, as Allah, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

اُذِنَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ یُقٰتَلُوۡنَ بِاَنَّہُمۡ ظُلِمُوۡا ؕ وَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی نَصۡرِہِمۡ لَقَدِیۡرُ

Permission is given to those who are being faught because they have been wronged. And surely Allah has power to help them

(Surah 22, Ayah 39)

So we believe Allah will help those who are oppressed and justified in fighting the enemy, and we have witnessed this divine aid and triumph granted to the Taliban in Afghanistan and most recently to the Mujahidin in Syria. And praise Allah for that!

But as for civil wars among the Muslims, or wars between different Muslim states, it is best for the Believers to avoid any participation in these. If there is clearly a side in such a war that is upon the truth, and a side that is upon falsehood, only in such a clear scenario can Believers participate in fighting upon the right side, as when Mawla Ali, may Allah honor his face, did Jihad against the wrongdoers in the Battle of Siffin, and against the Kharijite renegades in the Battle of Nahrawan. Many great Companions and Saints participated and were martyred in these holy wars, like Ammar bin Yasir and Uwais al-Qarani, may Allah be pleased with them. Now concerning the Kharijites, consider the following Hadith:

تَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ سَلَكُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَسَلَكْتُمُوهُ

You will follow the ways of those before you, cubit by cubit, span by span, until if they went into a lizard’s hole you would follow them into it (Sahih al-Bukhari)

One of the matters in which a section of this Ummah followed the way of the Jews who preceded us was in militancy and terrorism. During Antiquity, in the time of Jesus, peace be upon him, the Jews were divided into four main branches; the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Zealots. The fourth of these, the Zealots, were not unlike the Kharijites of this Ummah. They were a political faction who in the name of Jewish independence rallied the people to wage an unauthorized holy war against the Roman occupation of Palestine. Like the Kharijites of today, they exploited emotional sentiments and legitimate political grievances of the ordinary people suffering under a brutal occupation to rally to their cause and join their ranks. Not only did they engage in violence and bloodshed without authorization of an established government or ruler, they did not restrict their violence to the Pagan Romans. The Zealots also targeted their political opponents and those who failed to cooperate with them among their fellow Jews. The Sicarii were feared Zealots who wielded curved daggers they used to assassinate rival Jewish leaders. They would stab their target then melt back into a crowd, causing confusion and chaos. Such methods of terrorism were copied by heretical schismatics in this Ummah, like the Nizari Order of Assassins founded by the terrorist Hasan al-Sabbah, and many neo-Kharijites of our time. The targets of the Nizari Assassins, like the neo-Kharijites of today, were usually mainstream Sunni political and religious leaders. Returning to the Zealots, they were a Jewish sect founded by Judas of Galilee, largely in response to the Census of Quirinius in 6 CE. The historian Josephus explained that they were essentially followers of Pharisaic Judaism “but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord” (Antiquities of the Jews; Book XVIII, ch.1, v.6). This mirrors the Kharijites whose slogan was “the rule is for none but Allah”, a strict theocratic formulation that is skeptical of all human authority and envisions an egalitarian society governed directly by God’s Law with minimum human mediation. The nearly anarchistic vision of the Kharijites was more pronounced in some of their subsects like the Najdat, or followers of Najdah bin Amir, who denied the necessity of the Imamate and even considered it preferable for a Muslim society to function without an Imam. Like the Kharijites and so-called “Islamists” of our time, the Jewish Zealots were unwilling to bear the burden of foreign occupation or domination. Their extremely patriotic sentiments led them to revolt against Rome in 66 CE, some three decades after Jesus’s ascension. Jesus, who with his Disciples represented the true and saved sect of the Jews, was not one to approve of any kind of armed uprising or even political agitation against Rome. Rather, in the spirit of the pre-exilic Prophets who prophesied doom at the hands of Babylon, Jesus prophesied calamity upon Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple: “Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Mark 13:2; Matthew 24:2; Luke 21:6, KJV), “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 13:34-35, KJV), “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24, KJV). Now in that time, leading up to the destruction of the Temple and the desolation of Jerusalem, some of the Jewish nation was governed directly by the Romans, and others by vassals or client kings, namely, the Herodian tetrarchy. That is not unlike the state of the Ummah today, largely governed by vassals and puppets of the Americans. The Gulf States in particular are quite reminiscent of the Herodian kings who were corrupt, enjoying a decadent lifestyle while remaining in submission to Caesar and doing little to restore the autonomy and dignity of their own people. Although the Gulf States represent only a tiny fraction of the Ummah, because they are the wealthiest and therefore most powerful Muslims today, and because the Saudis have custody over the Haramain, the rest of the Ummah defer to them for leadership. The poorer Muslim countries of Asia and Africa are dependent on the Gulf States for direction and survival, and so the one upon whom the Gulf States depend (the United States) is the de facto ruler of the Muslim World. The US has several military bases hosted by the Gulf States, the largest being an air base in Qatar, but also a permanent naval base in Bahrain, and even an air base in Saudi Arabia. This ensures the US hegemonic domination of the Muslims, and was the primary motivation for extremists like Al-Qaeda to declare war on both the Americans and the Saudis, rightly viewing American military presence in the Arabian Peninsula as a desecration. The Jews in first century Palestine were also rightly sensitive about the issue of idolatrous desecration. The Revolt against Rome in 66 CE was in fact sparked by Pagan Greeks sacrificing birds in front of a Synagogue on the Sabbath in Caesarea, outraging the religious sentiments of the Jews.

Xwedodah: Practice of Incest in Zoroastrianism and Iranian Religion

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قدوس قدوس قدوس

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Islam does not restrict itself to theology as a means of defining and distinguishing itself from the false religions, but also social and cultural practices. The Quran explicitly prohibits incest among other types of marital and sexual relations practiced by the people:

حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَیۡکُمۡ اُمَّہٰتُکُمۡ وَبَنٰتُکُمۡ وَاَخَوٰتُکُمۡ وَعَمّٰتُکُمۡ وَخٰلٰتُکُمۡ وَبَنٰتُ الۡاَخِ وَبَنٰتُ الۡاُخۡتِ

Forbidden for you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your fraternal nieces and your sororal nieces

(Surah 4, Ayah 23)

I previously mentioned how the Islamic Shari’ah differs from Jewish Halacha which permits and even encourages a man to marry his niece, whether a fraternal niece or a sororal niece (avunculate marriage). But Islam considers such a union incestuous. Many people, including Muslims inclined toward liberalism and secularism, criticize Muhammad bin Qasim رحمة الله عليه the Arab conqueror of Sindh. They and the Hindus vilify him (although he is a hero for us Muslims) while instead making his opponent Raja Dahir of Aror a hero and symbol of both Hindu and Sindhi nationalism. He was the Hindu ruler of Sindh who scandalously married his own sister Rani Bai. The ancient Egyptians also practiced incestuous marriages between brother and sister, especially the Pharaohs and royals. Even the famous Cleopatra, who was Greek and not a native Egyptian, nevertheless practiced the ancient custom when she married two of her own brothers, both named Ptolemy. In this article I will particularly discuss the practice of Xwedodah, incestuous marriages among the Zoroastrians, or pre-Islamic Iranians. It was not uncommon for them to marry their own mothers, sisters, daughters and granddaughters. These kind of unions were especially practiced by the royalty and nobility, as it was considered “purer” and therefore ideal. Since the pre-Islamic Iranian religion was particularly characterized by a kind of racial supremacism, racial hygiene and the notion of endogamy it is understandable why it viewed incestuous unions favorably. While Allah caused Islam to eradicate this false religion, till this day there are still a tiny remnant known as Parsis, and some other insignificant communities that descend from ancient Iranian religion like the Yazidis. They do not accept conversion into their religions because they have inherited the notion of racial purity and endogamy. So it is written in the Vendidad, a collection of texts within the broader Avesta: “Afterwards the corpse-bearers shall sit down, three paces from the dead, and the holy Ratu shall proclaim to the worshippers of Mazda thus: ‘Worshippers of Mazda, let the urine be brought here wherewith the corpse-bearers there shall wash their hair and their bodies!’ The priest who directs the funerals, 'the chief of the Nasu-kashas', the so-called Nasâ-sâlâr. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Which is the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their bodies? Is it of sheep or of oxen? Is it of man or of woman? Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is of sheep or of oxen; not of man nor of woman, except a man or a woman who has married the next-of-kin: these shall therefore procure the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their bodies.'" (Chapter 8) In another text called the Shayest ne Shayest, the evil “god” Ahriman expresses his aversion to next-of-kin marriage, proving it is considered virtuous: “Avoid next-of-kin marriage! because I do not know a remedy for it; for whoever has gone four times near to it will not become parted from the possession of Ohrmazd and the archangels.” (Chapter 18) “Next-of-kin marriage will extirpate mortal sins (margarzan)” (Chapter 8)

Commentary on Select Verses of Surah 40

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قدوس قدوس قدوس

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Here I am beginning a new series that is a commentary on select Âyât that appear in the Hawâmîm, or those chapters of the Qurân which begin with:

حٰمٓ

Hâ Mîm

And the first such chapter is Sûrat al-Mu’min also called Sûrat Ghâfir because it starts with mention of a beautiful attribute of Allâh:

غَافِرِ الذَّنۡۢبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوۡبِ

Forgiver of sin, accepting of repentance (40:3)

Hâ Mîm are from the Hurûf al-Muqatta’ât (disjointed letters) that appear at the beginning of certain chapters of the Qurân. They have some mystical significance and may likely be related to Abjad or Gematria. Allâh and His Apostle know best!

Whatever the hidden meaning of Hâ Mîm, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم has explained the efficacy of its verbalization with regard to protection and help in a situation of alarm, for instance:

إِنْ بُيِّتُّمْ فَلْيَكُنْ شِعَارُكُمْ حم لاَ يُنْصَرُونَ

If you are raided then let your slogan be Hâ Mîm. They will not be aided (Sunan Abî Dâwud)

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

کُلُّ اُمَّۃٍۭ بِرَسُوۡلِہِمۡ لِیَاۡخُذُوۡہُ

Every Ummah tried to seize their Messengers (40:5)

The unbelievers attempted to murder or imprison every single Apostle that was sent by Allâh, and some of them were indeed martyred at the hands of their own people (2:87; 5:70; 3:183). This is especially true of the Jews who sought to slay Jesus (John 5:16; John 7:1) and they repeatedly attempted to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

اَلَّذِیۡنَ یَحۡمِلُوۡنَ الۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَہٗ یُسَبِّحُوۡنَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَیُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِہٖ وَیَسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡنَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا

Those that carry the Throne and whoever is around it glorify with the praise of their Lord, believing in Him and asking forgiveness for those who believe (40:7)

These are the high category of Angels that are known as the Hamalât al-Arsh, Carriers of the Throne, and the Kurûbiyyîn or Cherubim that are around the Throne. They are constantly engaged in very beautiful and perfect glorification and praise of the Lord. Many Prophets have had visions of these Angels at the Throne, such as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, but also our Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم during his Mi’râj. In this Âyah it is revealed that they intercede on our behalf by praying to Allâh for forgiveness of the Believers.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

قَالُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اَمَتَّنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ وَاَحۡیَیۡتَنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ فَاعۡتَرَفۡنَا بِذُنُوۡبِنَا فَہَلۡ اِلٰی خُرُوۡجٍ مِّنۡ سَبِیۡلٍ

They will say: “Our Lord, You gave us death twice and You gave us life twice. So we have confessed our sins, is there a way out?” (40:11)

The unbelievers, especially the polytheists (40:12), will plead to Allâh for a way out of Hell on account of their having acknowledged the sins they committed in this world, but to no avail. The life of this world is a soul’s only opportunity to do what is right and earn the favor of Allâh. Once the Angel of Death comes for someone there will be no second chances for them! What are the two deaths and the two lives referred to here? The first death is the state of the soul before its formation in the womb of its mother and subsequent birth and coming into this world, and the second death is its departure from this world when the soul is taken by the Angel of Death. The first life is then the life of this world, and the second life is at the Resurrection.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

یُلۡقِی الرُّوۡحَ مِنۡ اَمۡرِہٖ عَلٰی مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ لِیُنۡذِرَ یَوۡمَ التَّلَاقِ

He casts the Spirit of His command upon whoever He wills of His servants to warn of the Day of the Meeting (40:15)

Through the Spirit does Allâh inspire a chosen slave of His to prophesy concerning the Apocalypse, that is, Judgment Day and the Resurrection. It is not only the actual Prophets but any servant of God who is a Believer and is moved to warn about Judgment Day has had the Spirit cast upon him. The Holy Spirit continues to descend upon and envelop individuals from among the servants of Allâh, through which they are inspired and moved to preach the Word of God and particularly warn about Judgment Day.

قَالُوا اقۡتُلُوۡۤا اَبۡنَآءَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَہٗ وَاسۡتَحۡیُوۡا نِسَآءَہُمۡ

They said: “Slay the sons of those who believe with them but leave alive their women” (40:25)

This command of Pharaoh, Hâmân and Qârûn to kill the sons of the Believers while sparing their women was not limited to the Israelite infants as in the first instance (2:49; 28:4), since Pharaoh also wanted to have Moses killed (40:26). Qârûn is Korah. Although he was apparently a Levite, he was a traitor and a hypocrite who managed to gain Pharaoh’s favor and company. At the Exodus he had to leave with the Nation but continued to rebel and cause mischief. The opponents argue the Qurân has erred by making Hâmân a minister of Pharaoh when according to the Book of Esther, Haman was an official in the court of a Persian king named “Ahasuerus” and he hatched a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews. But the Book of Esther is widely considered historical fiction and an invented etiology for the Jewish festival of Purim. The book can hardly be considered Scripture, it does not even mention God!

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ یٰہَامٰنُ ابۡنِ لِیۡ صَرۡحًا لَّعَلِّیۡۤ اَبۡلُغُ الۡاَسۡبَابَ

اَسۡبَابَ السَّمٰوٰتِ فَاَطَّلِعَ اِلٰۤی اِلٰہِ مُوۡسٰی وَاِنِّیۡ لَاَظُنُّہٗ کَاذِبًا

And said Pharaoh: “O Haman! Build for me a tower that I may reach the ways. Ways to the Heavens so I may look at the God of Moses. For surely I assume he is a liar.” (40:36-37)

This passage indicates that the God of Moses had been introduced to Pharaoh and others as One Who is above Heaven. Pharaoh’s limited and childish understanding of the reality of the Heavens made him assume a tower could be constructed by human hands that reaches high into the sky where he might catch a glimpse of the God of Moses. And from this we know that the God of Moses, the true God, is unlike the imaginary, terrestrial gods of the idolaters. Our God is transcendent, being above and beyond the universe.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

مَنۡ عَمِلَ سَیِّئَۃً فَلَا یُجۡزٰۤی اِلَّا مِثۡلَہَا

Whoever does an evil deed will not be recompensed except by its likeness (40:40)

The assurance is given that whatever punishment awaits the unbelievers in the Hereafter shall be truly just and fair, appropriate to their evil deeds. And surely, eternal damnation to the Fire is a fair and just reward for the evil of not worshipping Allâh alone. If only the people could begin to comprehend the gravity of such an evil!

وَیٰقَوۡمِ مَا لِیۡۤ اَدۡعُوۡکُمۡ اِلَی النَّجٰوۃِ وَتَدۡعُوۡنَنِیۡۤ اِلَی النَّارِ

And O my people! How is it that I call you to Salvation and you call me to the Fire? (40:41)

The word Najâh means salvation, in the Islamic context it is salvation from Hellfire. Islam is essentially a call to salvation from Hell (hence the name of my blog).

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

اَلنَّارُ یُعۡرَضُوۡنَ عَلَیۡہَا غُدُوًّا وَّعَشِیًّا ۚ وَیَوۡمَ تَقُوۡمُ السَّاعَۃُ ۟ اَدۡخِلُوۡۤا اٰلَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ اَشَدَّ الۡعَذَابِ

The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour is established the people of Pharaoh will be entered into the severest punishment (40:46)

This Âyah is a proof for the reality of the punishment of the grave, as an intermediary state between the life of this world and the Resurrection. Presently, Pharaoh and his people are exposed to the Fire, but at the Resurrection they will be made to enter it, meaning into the blaze of Jahannam.

Allâh says:

وَمَا دُعٰٓؤُا الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ اِلَّا فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ

And the prayer of the unbelievers is but in error (40:50)

While this is in the context of the unbelievers pleading with God in Hell, it is a general rule that the prayers of the unbelievers are futile and of no avail while they are in a state of unbelief. Except for the one who sincerely prays for guidance and light. But such a one, though he is ignorant of the Truth, can’t be described as a kâfir because the proof has not been established against him, nor have the Signs been made manifest to him. And it is sufficient for one to be considered a kâfir if he even hears about the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم but does not believe in him, thus most of humanity has fallen into kufr.

Allâh says:

وَلَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسَی الۡہُدٰی وَاَوۡرَثۡنَا بَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ الۡکِتٰبَ

And We gave Moses the Guidance and We bequeathed to the Children of Israel the Scripture (40:53)

The Torah is the primary Scripture that was bequeathed to the Israelites, but also the Scriptures of the Prophets subsequent to Moses, such as the Psalms and the other Sahâ’if. These were inherited by the Children of Israel and they were entrusted with them. They are an inheritance, but not of material wealth, rather an inheritance of knowledge.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted, says to His Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم

وَّاسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۡۢبِکَ

And seek forgiveness for your fault (40:55)

Fakhr ud-Dîn ar-Râzî explains:

‌وَنَحْنُ ‌نَحْمِلُهُ ‌عَلَى ‌التَّوْبَةِ ‌عَنْ ‌تَرْكِ ‌الْأَوْلَى ‌وَالْأَفْضَلِ ‌أَوْ ‌عَلَى ‌مَا ‌كَانَ ‌قَدْ ‌صَدَرَ ‌عَنْهُمْ ‌قَبْلَ ‌النُّبُوَّةِ

We hold it to be repentance for abandoning what is better and preferable, or what issued from him before the Nubuwwah (Tafsîr al-Kabîr)

We Sunni Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is sinless. His constant repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allâh was to model for his followers, and also for those minor errors and unintentional mistakes which are a natural consequence of his humanity.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says;

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِیۡ سَیَدۡخُلُوۡنَ جَہَنَّمَ دٰخِرِیۡنَ

Surely, those who are too arrogant to worship Me shall enter Jahannam, despised (40:60)

Along with those who worship partners they have set up with Allâh, those who do not worship at all will be cast into Hell. So it is not sufficient to merely confess belief in Allâh. One who thinks he is too good to bow, kneel, and prostrate his face before the King of Kings is likewise an infidel. He is essentially no different than an idolater or an atheist.

Allâh says:

فَاِمَّا نُرِیَنَّکَ بَعۡضَ الَّذِیۡ نَعِدُہُمۡ

So if We show you some of which We promised them (40:77)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم beheld many visions of the Afterlife, especially in a state of wakefulness. Once he led the people in Salât al-Khusûf, or the solar eclipse prayer, the Companions رضى الله عنهم praying behind him witnessed him step forward and reach for something, and likewise witnessed him step back from something. After the conclusion of the Salâh they asked him about that and he said:

إِنِّي أُرِيتُ الْجَنَّةَ فَتَنَاوَلْتُ مِنْهَا عُنْقُودًا وَلَوْ أَخَذْتُهُ لأَكَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ مَا بَقِيَتِ الدُّنْيَا

I saw the Paradise, and wanted to reach the fruit in it and grab it so that you could eat from it for the remainder of this world (Sahih al-Bukhari)

وَأُرِيتُ النَّارَ فَلَمْ أَرَ مَنْظَرًا كَالْيَوْمِ قَطُّ أَفْظَعَ وَرَأَيْتُ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِهَا النِّسَاءَ

And I saw the Fire, and I never saw such a terrifying sight, and I saw that most of its people were women (ibid)

Allâh says:

وَلَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلًا مِّنۡ قَبۡلِکَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ قَصَصۡنَا عَلَیۡکَ وَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ لَّمۡ نَقۡصُصۡ عَلَیۡکَ

And We sent Messengers before you among whom We have mentioned their stories to you, and among them whose stories We have not mentioned to you (40:78)

And perhaps the greatest Messenger of God to fall in the category of من لم نقصص عليك the “one We did not relay about to you” is the Prophet Jeremiah, peace be upon him. And Allâh knows best.