Shahabuddin Yaqub Khushbaani
Unity is blessings of Allah Subhanohu Wa ta’aala. Those who are united despite of all differences are blessed people as they are aware of the fact that unity provides many opportunities to grow and prosper whereas disunity snatches all the opportunities and make them worthless and insignificant in society.
Allah Subhanohu Wa ta’aala has already commanded us to be united and hold His rope tightly and do not let ourselves divided over any issue. Those who cannot refrain from creating differences and sectarian gulf must remember that one day they shall have to return to Allah the Almighty where they will be held accountable for their every deed. If we do not obey the divine commandments completely, we will lose our significance and importance in society and no one will come forward to rescue us. Therefore, this is a collective responsibility of the Muslim Community to monitor all the issues surrounding us closely and make sure that no whisper from outside or within the community could cause the bitterness which finally leads a division among people and weaken their bond of love.
Every individual of the Community must inculcate in the minds of his/her children the worth of unity. It is very easy for us to know why we are divided and how we could get united. We must pay attention to the fact that it has gained a direct connection to our existence, we need to take it very seriously if we really want our generation to lead and live a respectful, worthy and prosperous life. We need to educate our children and youths about the gracefulness and blissfulness of unity. We cannot afford to be divided, as the outcome of disunity and worthless disputes of ours’ can be seen easily. We have been looser throughout seventy years after independence.
Unity only does not mean to get together for some causes or raise voices against bigotry and injustice, it reaches far beyond it. In fact it is a deterrent which acts like a shield and stops your enemies to attack you or take you for granted. It is more powerful than nuclear weapons.
How worthless we have become, to know this reality we need to look around. Is it not the fact that some people discuss overtly on Television Channels to divide us and we just listen to them and laugh whereas they are seriously working on it, if you closely analyse, you will find the outcome of their hard work.
We are religiously Shia, Sunni, Deobandi, Barailvi, Wahabi, Hanafi, Shafayi, Malki, Hambali and socially Syed, Shaikh, Khan, Pathan, Ansari etc, name it whatever it is. Let’s accept this reality and move ahead towards unity in this diversity, as all of us belong to Deen-e-Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him and His Family) and leave everything to Allah Almighty, the only one who will judge us on the day of judgement.
Believe me if we, the Indian Muslims get united we can unite the whole Muslim World. This is our potential and we need to be aware of it.
Before Islam, people were divided in many cults of false pride, each of them was claiming that he and his tribe was best. They kept fighting for long years for small and petty things. They were so much in hate that they could not sit down together, could not eat together. A pride of falsehood has thrashed them to mere a living creature, even animal had more cordial relations among themselves than these ignorant people. Later on when they were blessed with Islam they were reminded by Allah Subhanohu Wa ta’aala about their past. Allah says in Qur`aan, Surah Ale Imran, Ayat No. 103:
“And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah`s favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but he joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you were on brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you from it.”
After coming into Islam and submitting their will to Allah Subhanohu wa ta’aala, their behaviour and attitude got completely changed forever, they become brother, they showed their readiness, and willingness to die for each other, they sacrificed everything for the sake of Allah`s blessing. Islam united them and today we are being divided in the name of Islam. We need to introspect ourselves whether we are purifying ourselves or degrading ourselves by getting divided in so many sects and so many castes. Let`s ponder over it seriously.
Allah Subhanohu wa ta’aala says in Qur`an, Surah Al-Anfal, Ayat No.46:
“And obey Allah and His Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him and His Family) and do not dispute (with on another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are the patients (As-Sabereen)”
Being a Muslim and after submitting our will to Allah Subhanohu wa ta’aala we need to synchronise our deeds with the spirit of Islam. We cannot allow ourselves to be divided for any reason; if we do, we will be held accountable and punished here and hereafter.
Read carefully the Ayat No. 65 from Surah Al-An’aam:
“Say: “He has power to send torment on you from above you or from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another.”
So let’s strive to unite Muslims by expressing love, affection and mercifulness towards each other. Let’s forgive our brothers and sisters in Islam and give them benefits of being ignorant about teachings of Islam.
If we change ourselves, things will get changed. Let’s unite for good cause. Let’s unite to help others. Let’s unite to bring justice and equality to everyone in society. Let’s unite to fight against injustice and atrocities which are inflicted upon human beings. Let’s pledge today that we would not discriminate among people on any basis.
A voice from heaven is calling you and us to get united otherwise we will be belonging to nowhere. Remember disunity is a death.
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The author is editor of Muslim News Observer.
AN INFORMATIVE ARTICLE –THERE ARE LAKHS OF ULEMA IN SUNNI AND SHIA AND CENTURIES HAVE PASSED NO ONE IS ABLE TO RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES—-PLEASE READ ON..
Who Were the Fatimids?
Dec. 30 African History, Crusades, Palestine 2 comments
The Fatmid Empire of North Africa is one of the most interesting and controversial empires in Islamic history. They are described by some as enlightened leaders that brought a new golden age to the Muslim world, and by others as intolerant extremists that oppressed Sunni Muslims. As with any issue in history, understanding context and point of view is essential. While many Western, Orientalist historians lecture about the merits and great deeds of the Fatimids, traditional Muslim scholars and historians have shown a different side to this 10th century dynasty. The story of the Fatimids is one that is filled with oppression, deception, and deviance from Islam itself.
Ismaili Origins
Before analyzing the Fatimids as a political force, we must first understand their religious stance. From the time of Ali (R), Muslims had been divided politically on which family should hold the office of the caliphate. Those that believed the family of Ali should always be the political leaders of the Muslim world became known as Shi’at Ali (the partisans of Ali). Over time, however, what was once a political difference of opinion became a religious one. The descendants of Ali became known as Imams and were seen not only as political leaders, but spiritual and religious leaders as well.
One group of Shi’a became known as the Ismailis, because they broke off in accepting Ismail ibn Jafar as the seventh Imam, while the majority of Shias accepted Musa ibn Jafar (for this reason, the Ismailis are also referred to as the Sevener branch of Shi’ism). After this split with the majority of Shi’as, the Ismailis began to develop unique and unorthodox beliefs.
One of the main Ismaili tenants is the belief in the batin, or “hidden”, meaning of the Quran. They insisted that each verse of the Quran has an apparent, literal meaning, and a hidden meaning that only the Ismaili Imam was qualified to interpret. Using this, the Ismailis, through their imams, were able to come up with very different and heretical beliefs that directly contradicted mainstream Islam. For example, the imams were seen as infallible, perfect humans that were incapable of making mistakes. Over time, their imams claimed divine attributes and abilities. They were seen as almost incarnations of God himself, and as “suspended between man and heaven”.1 Clearly, the Ismaili view of Islam is one that is unorthodox and contrary to the basic Islamic concepts of tawhid – Oneness of God. For this reason, the recent Amman Message that brought together Muslim scholars from all branches, schools of thought, and sects (including the current Ismaili imam), recognized 7 schools of thought within Islam, Ismailism not being one of them.2
For this reason, the Fatimid Empire, which adhered to Ismaili beliefs cannot truly considered a Muslim empire, nor their actions considered as representative of Muslims. A more accurate way of understanding them is to know their beliefs fall outside the realm of Islam, and to accept them as a separate faith altogether.
Fatimid Rise
Due to the natural Muslim disapproval of the extremist Ismailis, they had to go “underground” in the 800s and early 900s to survive as a religion. They hid their beliefs, but appointed numerous preachers to travel the Muslim world and preach Ismaili ideas to lay people. This effort established numerous secretive Ismaili “cells” across the Muslim world from Morocco to India. In 909, one of these cells decided it was ready to go public and begin its quest for domination of the Muslim world.
A man named Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah declared himself caliph and the Mahdi (the Awaited One) in 909 in present-day Tunisia. He adhered to Ismaili beliefs and claimed to be an Ismaili Imam, related to Prophet Muhammad ? through his daughter Fatima (thus the name Fatimids), although his ancestral claims were probably forged as no contemporary account verifies them. Al-Mahdi Billah hoped to increase his own power by using the Berbers of North Africa as his supporters and armed forces. He played on Berber discontent with the ruling Aghlabid Empire of North Africa. He promised to give them prominence in return for their conversion to Ismailism and support of his leadership.
The Fatimid Empire at its peak in the late 900s included North Africa, Syria, and the Hejaz
His plan worked. Numerous Berber tribes, including the Kutama and Sanhaja, joined a confederacy supporting al-Mahdi Billah, and extended his domain across North Africa. Modern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Malta, and Libya fell under Fatimid control in the mid 900s.
The rise of this Ismaili Fatimid state served as a reign of terror for Muslims in their domain. Contemporary chroniclers note that Fatimid rulers were more atheistic than anything in their beliefs and that “devout believers were unable to attend the mosques on Friday lest they be obliged to listen to prayers for impious tyrants.” 3 The legends of religious tolerance and unity among people under the Fatimids is thus clearly seen as a myth. However, things would take a turn for the worse when the Fatimids conquered Egypt.
Fatimid Rule in Egypt
In 969, the Fatimids were powerful enough to conquer Egypt from the Ikhshidid Dynasty. They rode into Egypt and beyond, conquering Syria and the Hejaz, bringing all three holy cities: Makkah, Madinah, and Jerusalem under their control. They established the city of Cairo as a palace city for the Fatimid emperor, keeping him away from the local population, which was mostly centered in nearby Fustat. This was the maximum point of Fatimid power. The late 900s saw the Fatimid realm encompass a majority of the Muslim world extending from Morocco to Syria. This is the time that Orientalist scholars refer to as the golden age of the Fatimids and their era of great religious tolerance.
Here is where the myth of Fatimid religious toleration must be analyzed in full. Orientalist scholars make the claim that the Fatimid era saw the flourishing of Christian and Jewish communities. At times, this is true. However, religious toleration was not uncommon in the Muslim world. From the earliest Muslim conquests to the later Ottoman Empire, religious freedoms have always been guaranteed according to Islamic law. A common claim of religious tolerance is that Fatimids appointed Christians, Jews, and others to high governmental posts. Again, this is not unique. The Umayyads, Abbasids, and others also appointed non-Muslims to government posts. For example, the Fatimids’ contemporaries in the east, the Abbasids, were very adamant about bringing all faiths to Baghdad (including pagan Greek scientists and animist Turkish generals) to create a golden age of Islamic civilization. That the Fatimids also guaranteed religious freedoms for minorities certainly did not make them unique, as they simply followed the examples of earlier empires.
From an Islamic perspective, Fatimid rule meant anything but religious tolerance. Ismailism was the state religion and was heavily propagated by the government. Congregational prayer in the traditional Muslim way was banned, and Friday prayers were performed in the name of the Fatimid “caliph”. In a further insult to traditional Muslims, only Ismailis were allowed to enter the holy city of Jerusalem. Ismaili pilgrims were encouraged to travel there, but Sunnis were banned from passing through its walls.4
During Fatimid rule, Sunni Muslims were banned from entering Jerusalem
The Fatimids’ coreligionists, the Qarmatians in the Arabian Peninsula, were also Ismaili and continued the harassment and attacks on Muslims, in cooperation with the Fatimids. In 906 they ambushed a caravan of pilgrims heading for Makkah and killed 20,000 people. In 928, they sacked Makkah, massacred its population, and stole the Black Stone off the wall of the Ka’bah (it was returned 22 years later after a ransom was paid).5
Overall, persecution of Muslims was rampant in Fatimid times. State policies demanding acceptance of Ismaili beliefs were oppressive to Muslims and strongly rejected. The Fatimid response to this was horribly severe, as “thousands of devout Muslims were killed during the [Fatimid] dynasty simply because they reused to disgrace the Companions of the Prophet (S)”. 6
Religious persecution was not limited to Muslims, however. Although at times Christians and Jews were given rights and freedoms, during the reign of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (r. 996-1021), all non-Ismailis were persecuted. Known as the “mad caliph” because of his eccentricities and oppression, he showed complete intolerance for others. In 1009, he ordered that the historic and religiously significant Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem be demolished brick by brick. All other churches and synagogues in Jerusalem were either destroyed or closed, and Christians and Jews feigned conversion to Ismailism to avoid persecution.7 His actions were one of the reasons for the Crusades, which erupted 90 years later. It is important to note again that the Ismaili actions at this point cannot be considered as Muslim actions. Islamic law has no room for such treatment of Jews and Christians, and al-Hakim’s actions represent only himself and Ismaili beliefs, as he was the Imam of Ismailism.
Decline and Legacy
The Fatimid Empire lasted until the late 1100s. It weakened considerably through the 1000s and 1100s, with internal revolts by Sunnis and the Crusades severely hampering its power. The lights went out for the Fatimids in 1171, when Salah al-Din, officially abolished the empire and “caliphate”, reuniting Egypt with the Sunni world, much to the happiness of the Egyptians that were formerly under Fatimid rule.
Despite their chaotic and turbulent 200+ years in power, the Fatimids did not leave much of an intellectual legacy. Ismailism went underground again, this time in the form of terror cells spread throughout the Muslim world (the Assassins). Indeed, even during the height of the Fatimids, very few people willingly converted to Ismailism. Most of the population remained Sunni, even under very stringent oppression. Al-Azhar University was founded by the Fatimids in Cairo in an attempt to convert the locals, but it failed miserably in this endeavor and it was converted into a mainstream Muslim university by Salah al-Din.
In conclusion, the Fatimids can be seen as an invading, oppressive religious force in the medieval Muslim world. They cannot be fully counted as Muslims, as their actions and beliefs directly contradicted mainstream Islam. The myths of their religious tolerance as supported by Orientalist and apologetic scholars are clearly false, as has been stated and referenced. It is important to understand the different perspectives and not simply accept one line of thinking without evidence. This article has provided proof and evidence for the truth of the Fatimid Empire and its history.
What caused Iranians to convert to Shiite Islam?
Many old Iranians were Sunni Muslims. Even many of top Sunni scholars like Bukhari were Iranians. Also, most Arabs are Sunni Muslims.
What was the historical effects(s) that caused Iranians to convert to Shia Islam?
According to Wikipedia it was the Alvids who started it:
They were descendants of the second Shi’a Imam (Imam Hasan ibn Ali) and brought Islam to the south Caspian Sea region of Iran. Their reign was ended when they were defeated by the Samanid empire in 928 AD.
Although Shi’as have lived in Iran since the earliest days of Islam, and there was one Shi’a dynasty in part of Iran during the tenth and eleventh centuries, but according to Mortaza Motahhari the majority of Iranian scholars and masses remained Sunni till the time of the Safavids
:
By 1500 the Safavids had adopted the Shi’a branch of Islam and were eager to advance Shi’ism by military means. Safavid males used to wear red headgear. They had great devotion for their leader as a religious leader and perfect guide as well as a military chieftain, and they viewed their leaders position as rightly passed from father to son according to the Shi’a tradition. In the year 1500, Esma’il the thirteen-year-old son of a killed Safavid leader, Sheikh Heydar, set out to conquer territories and avenge death of his father. In January 1502, Esma’il defeated the army of Alvand Beig of Aq Qoyunlu, ruler of Azerbaijan, and seized Tabriz and made this city his capital. Safavids went on and conquered rest of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Khorasan; They became the strongest force in Iran, and their leader, Esma’il, now fifteen, was declared Shah (King) on 11 March 1502.
One of the recurring themes in history I find fascinating is the spread of sects. You’ll often find that when a group wants to separate itself from a foreign power structure, it will embrace a fashionable herecy. For this reason, the old views generally are kept toward the religous culture’s central seat of secular power, and the new ones become popular further away (but still relatively near). Further out than that, there’s no danger of external authority intruding, so the new sect doesn’t have as much appeal.
For example, when German tribes started taking over Roman territory during the early middle ages, they often made their countries officially Arian Christian (Arianisim embraced a slightly different view of the concept of the Trinity). This allowed them to eschew the Pope’s authority, as well as Rome’s.
A similar thing happened in the Muslim world with Shia. There the seat of secular/religious power was in Baghdad. Nearby Iran though is Persian (Indo-European), rather than Arab. When indigenous rulers wanted to separate themselves from Baghdad’s (and by extension, Arab) authority, Shia Islam became much more attractive. Shia was also for a time the official religion in the western part of North Africa, when that area wanted to break away from Egypt.
COMMENTS
why then they didnt get influenced by the Osman (turkish empire). Before baghdad turkish empire existed and they were Muslim sunni , they refused all the relegions even the Musslim shia and they spread the islam0sunni in africa( moroco, algeria..) –
@MMD – I’m not entirely sure what you are asking. What I can say is that the Ottomans for most of their history (barring a brief intervention by the Mongols) were the most powerful force in the middle east. Thus they had no incentive to distance themselves from the existing Sunni power structure. Quite the opposite; embracing it helped them assimilate their empire in the levant. Baghdad would put up with non-Arab Sunni rulers much easier than they would have non-Arab Shia rulers. If the power gradient had been reversed, yes I believe they would have embraced Shia like the Iranians did. –
1
@MMD – As an example, look at what happened to the Arian Christianity I mentioned in my answer above. Once the (Germanic) Franks had established themselves as the dominant force in Europe, capable of cowing the Popes, that Roman Catholic power structure started to look damn useful, rather than something to be shunned. Thus they were the first German tribe to abandon Arianisim. (Might have been the only ones to do it voluntarily, I’ll have to go look that up). – T.E.
The Safavid dynasty, which continuously ruled Iran from 1501 to 1722, made Shi’a Islam the official state religion. Over this period most Iranians converted to Shi’a Islam.
Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, made conversion mandatory.
The answer below is from a book of history, which I currently don’t possess nor exactly know the name of (AFAIR, Imam Hussain and Iran, not sure though). I will try to cite relevant excerpt from it ASAP.
The Persians (before it was Iran) actually had developed an affinity towards Ali(as), that is one of the reason that the current Iran has high population of shiites.
Why the affinity?
It was more of a personal and self-respect thing.
How’s that?
When Umar attacked Persia and brought back prisoners of war, which included the daughter(s) of the back then king of Persia (Yazdigar III, if I am not wrong), they were brought to Mosque of Nabavi where Ali(as) was present too. There Umar ordered that the prisoners of the war, including the the daughter(s) of the king, be sold out as slaves. Ali(as) objected to it and said that this is against the rules/traditions of the Arabs and war. That is, the female household of the defeated king should be treated with due respect and be married to those of the same social status and class. Upon hearing this Umar had to recede his order.
News of such an happening reached the prisoners because of which they developed a liking towards Ali(as) as it was because of his objection they were saved from being sold out as slaves. And later, if I am not mistakened, the daughter(s) were asked to choose whoever they wished to marry amongst the Arab men, so Umme-Rubab(as), daughter of the king, choose to marry Hussain ibn Ali(as), which made him the son-in-law of the king of persian and hence the affinity and one of the plausible reasons of the high shiite influence and population.
BASICALLY ISLAM CAME TO GUIDE HUMANITY TO LEAD GOOD PEACEFUL LIFE.
EVER SINCE THE BIRTH OF HUMANITY IN THE WORLD ,ONE IS KILLING OTHER FOR HIS OWN SELFISH DESIRES,IT WAS PROPHET ADAM’S(PBUH) SON WHO KILLED HIS OWN BROTHER FIRST JUST TO MARRY ..
THE FIGHT IS STILL ON FO SOME OR OTHER REASON,FOR MONEY,FOR WEALTH,FOR WOMEN.FOR POWER.FOR PLEASURES BRINGING HUMANITY TO CRUSHING LEVELS..
IT IS HIGHTIME INTELLIGENT PEOPLE READ ABOUT ENDTIMES AND ITS VILLAINS IN THE GARB OF GOOD PEOPLE ..MAY AN ENGINEER,SCIENTIST,BUSINESSMEN,POLITICIANS.SADHUS, MOULVIS,OR PRIESTS ETC ETEC…
END TIMES ARE MENTIONED IN ALL HOLY BOOKS ………BUT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE NOT RESISTING THE IMMORAL ACTIVITIES AND FALLING VICTIMS TO VILLAINS OF KALYUG …
THE PSUEDO INTELLECTUALS ARE TRYMG THEIR BEST TO ELIMINATE RELIGION FROM HUMAN LIFE AND THEY DOING IT SYSTEMATICALLY BY ENCOURAGING WHAT IS WRONG IN RELIGION…
COMMON CIVIL CODE.TRIPLE TALAK.VISIST TO DARGAHS,POLYGAMY ETC ETEC ARE NON ISSUES BUT SUCH ISSUES ARE RAISED JUST TO MAKE PEOPLE FORGET THE RAMPNAT MENACE OF RAPES,MURDERS,PROSTITUTION,CORRUPTION AND SO ON………
CHRISTIANITY BECAME FIRST TARGET OF IT AND TODAY ALMOST CHRISTIANS COUNTRIES FOLLOW WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN BIBLE COMMITTING GRAVE SINS…..
HINDUISM IS COMPLICATED
AND WHAT IS LEFT IS LATEST RELIGION ISLAM WHICH BROUGHT THE SAME MESSAGE WHAT OTHER RELIGIONS BROUGHT.
WITH MUSLIMS FIGHTING WITH MUSLIMS ,WHAT THEY CAN TEACH TO OTHERS ????????????????????????????????????????
THESE VERSES FROM QURAN ARE ENOUGH TO MAKE ONE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHERS……
ALLAH SAYS IN QUR`AAN, SURAH ALE IMRAN, AYAT NO. 103:
“AND HOLD FAST, ALL OF YOU TOGETHER, TO THE ROPE OF ALLAH, AND BE NOT DIVIDED AMONG YOURSELVES, AND REMEMBER ALLAH`S FAVOUR ON YOU, FOR YOU WERE ENEMIES ONE TO ANOTHER BUT HE JOINED YOUR HEARTS TOGETHER, SO THAT, BY HIS GRACE, YOU BECAME BRETHREN (IN ISLAMIC FAITH), AND YOU WERE ON BRINK OF A PIT OF FIRE, AND HE SAVED YOU FROM IT.”
ALLAH SUBHANOHU WA TA’AALA SAYS IN QUR`AN, SURAH AL-ANFAL, AYAT NO.46:
“AND OBEY ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER (PEACE BE UPON HIM AND HIS FAMILY) AND DO NOT DISPUTE (WITH ON ANOTHER) LEST YOU LOSE COURAGE AND YOUR STRENGTH DEPARTS, AND BE PATIENT. SURELY, ALLAH IS WITH THOSE WHO ARE THE PATIENTS (AS-SABEREEN)”
READ CAREFULLY THE AYAT NO. 65 FROM SURAH AL-AN’AAM:
“SAY: “HE HAS POWER TO SEND TORMENT ON YOU FROM ABOVE YOU OR FROM UNDER YOUR FEET, OR TO COVER YOU WITH CONFUSION IN PARTY STRIFE, AND MAKE YOU TO TASTE THE VIOLENCE OF ONE ANOTHER.”
I beg pardon for my mistakes: Islam has no division but
Muslims. I wrongly mentioned Islam above.
Very good article.
It is the need of the hour today.