Historical legal perspective

By WAN AZHAR WAN AHMAD
Senior Fellow and Director,
Centre for shariah, Law and Political Science, IKIM

During the reign of various Muslim rulers, non-Muslims, too, have sought justice from the Syariah courts.

THE Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of Che Omar Che Soh v PP (1988 and which will be referred to from hence in this article as Che Omar) is considered a landmark case concerning the interpretation of the status of Islam as enshrined in Article 3 of the Constitution.

At the time, the Supreme Court was the highest court in the country’s judicial system.

A number of academics, politicians and lawyers have argued that this case laid to rest the question surrounding the law of the land, that is secular law. Any attempt to change this law is unconstitutional and therefore void.

Article 3(1) proclaims that “Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation”.

Some people interpret this Article to mean that Islam encompasses all aspects of human life, while others narrowly construe it to refer only to certain aspects.

Counsel for Che Omar sought to prove the first interpretation, arguing that since Islam does not provide any qisas or hudud punishment for the trafficking in dangerous drugs and firearms offences, and that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land; therefore a mandatory death sentence for those offences is against Islam, unconstitutional and void.

The apex court then had to decide on the possible meaning relative to the term Islam in Article 3. If the meaning is confined only to acts related to rituals and ceremonies, then the argument does not hold weight.

But if Islam is an all-embracing reality and constitutes a comprehensive system of life beyond the ritualistic or ceremonial aspects to include jurisprudence and moral standards, then the argument raised by counsel had wide implications in the sense that every law has to be tested according to that yardstick.

To make it clear, any legal provision that runs counter to the second interpretation, if deemed correct, must be considered unconstitutional and void. To put it in legal language, any law passed after Merdeka Day that is inconsistent with the Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

In Che Omar, it was held that the term Islam in Article 3 meant such acts as relating to the ritual and ceremonial only.

The then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas, leading the five-member bench, observed that “if it had been otherwise, there would have been another provision in the Constitution which would have the effect that any law contrary to the injunction of Islam will be void.

“Far from making such [a] provision, Article 162, on the other hand, purposely preserves the continuity of secular law prior to the Constitu-tion.”

Not rejecting the fact that Islam is “a complete way of life covering all fields of human activities, private or public, legal, political, economic, social, cultural, moral or judicial,” Salleh Abas however explained that this was not the meaning intended by the framers of the Constitution.

The learned judge concluded that their real intention was this: Islamic law was to be understood in an isolated manner, confined just to the law of marriage, divorce and inheritance.

He put the responsibility of relegating the scope of Islam, i.e. Islamic law, on the British colonialists following their rule of the land.

I wish to disagree with the judgment.

There was no sufficient evidence given by the learned judge to show that was precisely the intention of the framers.

Assuming that these legal experts knew the history of the country centuries before the coming of the British, they would not have said that the application of Islamic law was limited to personal and family matters only.

In Ramah v Laton (1926), the Supreme Court, presided by two English judges, acknow-ledged that Islamic Law “is not foreign but local law, it is the law of the land”. That statement would not have been made if the learned judges were ignorant of the history of this part of the world.

The late Prof Ahmad Ibrahim argued for decades that Islamic law is the fundamental law of the country. English historian R.J. Wilkinson stated that there can be no doubt that Muslim law would have become the law of the then Malaya had not British law stepped in.

Another point of contention in the judgment of Che Omar was the term “secular law” in the court’s expression: “Article 162, on the other hand, purposely preserves the continuity of secular law prior to the Constitution”.

If one goes through all seven subsections of Article 162, one will discover that the actual term used is “existing law”, not “secular law”. In fact, the term “secular” is not mentioned in the Constitution. It does not appear anywhere in the document.

The Article states, for example, that “the existing law shall ... continue in force on and after Merdeka Day.” Now, what does “existing law” mean?

Islamic law was one of the existing laws practised before, during and after Independence. Historical documents indicate that Islamic law was substantively applied in this country’s legal system long before British occupation, and it was applied not just for ritual and ceremonial purposes.

The Terengganu Inscription dating back to the 13th century and the Undang-undang Melaka (Malacca Laws) in the 15th century, for example, had provisions concerning punishment for adultery, liquor consumption and theft.

This reflects that Islamic law had gained firm legal footing for centuries. The arguments presented by Ahmad Ibrahim in Ramah v Laton and the statement made by Wilkinson simply reaffirm this historical fact.

The general public is under the impression that Islamic law is strictly meant for Muslims. This is not the case in all situations because non-Muslims could seek justice from Syariah courts during the reign of various Muslim rulers.

If this has happened in history, it can still take place today and in the future.

Our esteemed Constitution, various other Acts of Parliament and state enactments contribute to the confusion by putting forth some legal obstacles concerning the application of Islamic law towards non-Muslims.

In reality, under certain circumstances, non-Muslims can and must be allowed to stand either as witnesses or even parties to certain litigations.

In this way, I believe, the misunderstanding and prejudices concerning the Syariah courts may be controlled and gradually reduced, if not eliminated.

- THE STAR
www.thestar.com.my

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Spirit of the mosque

By Prof Dr MOHAMAD TAJUDDIN
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Lecturer

Mosques should not be about how grand they are. They should be all about recreating the spirit of the Prophet’s mosque.

IT seems to me that, in the minds of Malaysian Muslims as well as Muslims around the world, building the biggest and most expensive mosques would be the greatest gift man could make to Allah the Most High. I am not sure where they get the idea from, but it is certainly not from the sayings, or hadith, of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Or perhaps they are thinking of the saying that if one were to build a mosque for the Muslim community, Allah will reward one with a big house in Paradise – ergo, the bigger the mosque, the bigger the reward. Well, I think Muslims who think like this have forgotten one teensy, weensy little detail about the mosque: its spirit. It is the spirit and values of this institution that should be emphasised, not its architecture.

Before the grand design must come the values and culture of the users. Before the mosque, must come the responsibilities of the Muslim community towards the individual, and vice versa. Muslim scholars are always pointing out that in Islam, unlike in Christianity or other religions, there is no priesthood. The whole community must ensure that there are ustazs, or learned scholars, to explain Islam not only to Muslims but also non-Muslim societies for mutual understanding. If not, the whole community would be committing a grave sin.

The other responsibility of the community and the individual is the amar maaruf nahi munkar or the encouragement of good deeds and the discouragement or prevention of evil deeds.

These objectives and principles can be spelled out in terms of activities and functions, which in turn can be used to generate actual spaces, furniture, and structures to fit the activities and functions. Now that is real architecture. Not the I-saw-a-beautiful-Ottoman-mosque-so-I’m-going-to-copy-it approach to design so many architects seem to take nowadays.

In today’s column I wish to question one important feature that is totally missing from not only the multi-million ringgit mosques but from most mosques in Malaysia: the place for suffa.

When the Prophet fled from the hostile forces of Mecca and made for the sanctuary of Medinah, He built His home where His camel stopped to rest to deal diplomatically with the many invitations from the Medinans.

His adobe brick home was a simple affair of several small apartments in a row for His wives, a generous wall system that fenced up a squarish compound with one roof structure covering the links to the apartments and another roof structure at the opposite end. In the middle of the compound was a courtyard open to the sky. It was nothing more than the typical simple Arab house that can still be seen today.

Now read the following two hadiths concerning the spirit that imbued the Prophet’s mosque when He was alive:

“Anas bin Malik reported that some people came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said to Him: ‘Send with us some men who may teach us the Quran and the Sunnah.’ Accordingly, He sent 70 men from the Ansar. They were called the Reciters and among them was my uncle, Haram. They used to recite the Quran at night and ponder over its meaning and during the daytime they brought water in pitchers to the mosque, collected wood and sold it, and with the sale proceeds bought food for the people of the suffa, which were the poor who stayed in the mosque of the Prophet, and the needy.”

Mundhir bin Jarir reported on the authority of his father:

“The Messenger of Allah said, ‘He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this act of goodness and reward also of that who acted according to it subsequently, without any deductions from their rewards; and he who sets in Islam an evil precedent, there is upon him the burden of that and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burden’.”

The suffa were the people who lived under the roof structure on the opposite end from the roof structure linking the apartments of the Prophet’s wives. They were of three kinds:

The first were the Muhajirrun or the Meccan people who fled the city to start a new Islamic life in Medinah. These Muhajirrun left everything, their houses, properties, relatives. They had only, as the Malays say, “Sehelai, sepinggang” (roughly, “one Right: cloth, one plate”), or, literally, the clothes on their backs. Although the Prophet had declared the Muhajirrun relatives-in-Islam with the Ansar of Medinah, most of the Muhajirrun did not want to burden their new relatives and opted to stay at the mosque.

The second kind of suffa were the poor who had nothing to begin with; they stayed at the mosque for shelter and helped maintain the building and its environs.

The third suffa were the Medinans who had homes, wealth, and relatives but who opted to be close to the Prophet and become voluntary “slaves” to Him in order to learn and benefit from the closeness to their beloved, the Prophet.

Thus we can see that the mosque of the Prophet was humble in its simplicity of adobe bricks and date palm columns but shone gloriously in the spirit of caring as well as the brotherhood of man.

The question I have for Muslims today is, simply, where is the place for the suffa in our modern, monumental, and lavishly decorated mosques? Where can the poor and needy find shelter in these multi-million ringgit structures?

I have walked and prayed in many monumental mosques, and I have yet to see one that has room for the suffa, a place where homeless people, whether they are drug addicts or prostitutes or simply poor travellers or struggling students, can abide a while. Most of the time, the mosque committee or security guard would throw such people out into the streets so they won’t “defile” the sanctity of the mosque.

As an architect and as a Muslim, I say that inconveniencing the guests of Allah in His house is a grave sin in Islam, and that there is no barakah, or blessings, in such mosques no matter how many minarets or domes they have.

It is curious to me to know that the gurdwara (Sikh temples) prepare meals daily for anyone who comes to the temple and serves them in the langar, or refractory. They feed anyone, not just the faithful. What of the multi-million ringgit mosques? Or any community mosque in Malaysia? As far as I know, food is cooked only during the month of Ramadhan, none is prepared for the needy at any other time.

The spirit of the suffa in the Prophet’s mosque should be a great lesson in the development of a mosque management system as well as in formulating the architecture of the mosque. Mosques should be a place of shelter where the needy can reside, and where those who are wealthy can open their hearts and wallet to feed these people daily. Now that is the true spirit of the mosque, be it a multi-million ringgit one or a humble structure in a village.

I would like to stress to the mosque committee as well as to the architect, the spirit of welfare is the most important spirit, one that can transform Muslim society as well as provide a new expression of humility and people-driven architecture for architects and designers.

- THE STAR
www.thestar.com.my

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Top Ten Misconceptions About Islam

MISCONCEPTION #1: Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists. This is the biggest misconception in Islam, no doubt resulting from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. When a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiamen rape and kill innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype an entire faith. Never are these acts attributed to the religion of the perpetrators. Yet how many times have we heard the words 'Islamic, Muslim fundamentalist. etc.' linked with violence. Politics in so called "Muslim countries" may or may not have any Islamic basis. Often dictators and politicians will use the name of Islam for their own purposes. One should remember to go to the source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media. Islam literally means 'submission to God' and is derived from a root word meaning 'peace'. Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion doesn't dominate everyday life in the West, whereas Islam is considered a 'way of life' for Muslims and they make no division between secular and sacred in their lives. Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. NOWHERE DOES ISLAM ENJOIN THE KILLING OF INNOCENTS.. The Quran says: "Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." (Quran 2:190) "If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things." (Quran 8:61) War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term 'jihad' literally means 'struggle'. Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone wages against egotistic desires for the sake of attaining inner peace.

MISCONCEPTION #2: Islam oppresses women. The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil and forced to stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most peoples thoughts. Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam. Many of these countries do not rule by any kind of Shari'ah (Islamic law) and introduce their own cultural standpoints on the issue of gender equity. Islam on the other hand gives men and women different roles and equity between the two is laid down in the Quran and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husband's. Both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is modest and dignified. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife." Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will for anything is not allowed. A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. Divorce is not common, although it is acceptable as a last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against her will: her parents simply suggest young men they think may be suitable.

MISCONCEPTION #3: Muslims worship a different God. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. Allah for Muslims is the greatest and most inclusive of the Names of God, it is an Arabic word of rich meaning, denoting the one and only God and ascribing no partners to Him. It is exactly the same word which the Jews, in Hebrew, use for God (eloh), the word which Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed to God. God has an identical name in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Allah is the same God worshiped by Muslims, Christians and Jews. Muslims believe that Allah's sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history. However, it should be noted that God in Islam is One and Only. He, the Exalted, does not get tired, does not have a son ie Jesus or have associates, nor does He have human-like attributions as found in other faiths.

MISCONCEPTION #4: Islam was spread by the sword and intolerant of other faiths. Many social studies textbooks for students show the image of an Arab horseman carrying a sword in one hand and the Quran in the other conquering and forcibly converting. This, though, is not a correct portrayal of history. Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. The Quran says: "God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just. 60:8) Freedom of religion is laid down in the Quran itself: "There is no compulsion (or coercion) in the religion (Islam). The right direction is distinctly clear from error". (2:256) Christian missionary, T.W. Arnold had this opinion on his study of the question of the spread of Islam: ".. of any organized attempt to force the acceptance of Islam on the non-Muslim population, or of any systematic persecution intended to stamp out the Christian religion, we hear nothing. Had the caliphs chosen to adopt either course of action, they might have swept away Christianity as easily as Ferdinand and Isabella drove Islam out of Spain , or Louis XIV made Protestanism ... " It is a function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths: when the caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city. Proclaiming to the inhabitants that their lives, and property were safe, and that their places of worship would never be taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius to accompany him on a visit to all the holy places. Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether the person is Muslim or not. Racism is not a part of Islam, the Quran speaks only of human equality and how all peoples are equal in the sight of God. "O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All- Aware. (49:13)

MISCONCEPTION #5: All Muslims are Arabs The Muslim population of the world is around 1.2 billion. 1 out of 5 people in the world is a Muslim. They are a vast range of races, nationalities, and cultures from around the globe--from the Phillipines to Nigeria --they are united by their common Islamic faith. Only about 18% live in the Arab world and the largest Muslim community is in Indonesia . Most Muslims live east of Pakistan . 30% of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia , 18% in the Arab world, and 10% in the Soviet Union and China . Turkey , Iran and Afghanistan make up 10% of the non-Arab Middle East . Although there are Muslim minorities in almost every area, including Latin America and Australia , they are most numerous in Russia and its newly independent states, India and central Africa . There are about 6 million Muslims in the United States

MISCONCEPTION #6: The Nation of Islam is a Muslim group. Islam and the so called "Nation of Islam'" are two different religions. NOI is more of a political organization since its members are not limited to a single faith. Muslims consider this group to be just one of many cults using the name of Islam for their own gain. The only thing common between them is the jargon, the language used by both. "The Nation of Islam" is a misnomer; this religion should be called Farrakhanism, after the name of its propogator, Louis Farrakhan. Islam and Farakhanism differ in many fundamental ways. For example, Farakhan followers believe in racism and that the 'black man' was the original man and therefore superior, while in Islam there is no racism and everyone is considered equal in the sight of God, the only difference being in one's piety. There are many other theological examples that show the 'Nation's teachings have little to do with true Islam. There are many groups in America who claim to represent Islam and call their adherents Muslims. Any serious student of Islam has a duty to investigate and find the true Islam. The only two authentic sources which bind every Muslim are 1. the Quran and 2. authentic or sound Hadith. Any teachings under the label of "Islam" which contradict or at variance with the direct understanding of fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam form the Quran and authentic Hadith should be rejected and such a religion should be considered a Pseudo-Islamic Cult. In America there are many pseudo-Islamic cults, Farrakhanism being one of them. An honest attitude on the part of such cults should be not to call themselves Muslims and their religion Islam. such an example of honesty is Bahaism which is an off-shoot of Islam but Bahais do not call themselves Muslims nor their religion, Islam. In fact Bahaism is not Islam just as Farrakhanism is not Islam.

MISCONCEPTION #7: All Muslim men marry four wives. The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and so accommodates widely differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted, according to the Quran, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair. No woman can be forced into this kind of marriage if they do not wish it, and they also have the right to exclude it in their marriage contract. Polygamy is neither mandatory, nor encouraged, but merely permitted. Images of "sheikhs with harems" are not consistent with Islam, as a man is only allowed at most four wives only if he can fulfill the stringent conditions of treating each fairly and providing each with separate housing etc. Permission to practice polygamy is not associated with mere satisfaction of passion. It is rather associated with compassion toward widows and orphans. It was the Quran that limited and put conditions on the practice of polygamy among the Arabs, who had as many as ten or more wives and considered them "property". It is both honest and accurate to say that it is Islam that regulated this practice, limited it, made it more humane, and instituted equal rights and status for all wives. What the Qur'anic decrees amount to, taken together is discouragement of polygamy unless necessity for it exists. It is also evident that the general rule in Islam is monogamy and not polygamy. It is a very tiny percentage of Muslims that practice it over the world. However, permission to practice limited polygamy is only consistent with Islam's realistic view of the nature of man and woman and of various social needs, problems and cultural variations. The question is, however far more than the inherent flexibility of Islam; it also is the frank and straightforward approach of Islam in dealing with practical problems. Rather than requiring hypocritical and superficial compliance, Islam delves deeper into the problems of individuals and societies, and provides for legitimate and clean solutions which are far more beneficial than would be the case if they were ignored. There is no doubt that the second wife legally married and treated kindly is better off than a mistress without any legal rights or expermanence.

MISCONCEPTION #8: Muslims are a barbaric, backward people. Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine-Islam calls for faith in only one God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet (pbuh), 'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'. The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.

MISCONCEPTION #9: Muhammad was the founder of Islam and Muslims worship him. Muhammad(pbuh) was born in Mecca in the year 570. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (pbuh) was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the laceType>Cave laceType> of laceName>Hira laceName> near Mecca . At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad(pbuh) received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for 23 years is known as the Quran. As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijra 'migration', in which they left Mecca for the city of Medina , marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Mecca , where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet saw dies at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China . He died with less than 5 possessions to his name. While Muhammad (pbuh) was chosen to deliver the message, he is not considered the "founder" of Islam, since Muslims consider Islam to be the same divine guidance sent to all peoples before. Muslims believe all the prophets from Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus etc. were all sent with divine guidance for their peoples. Every prophet was sent to his own people, but Muhammad(pbuh) was sent to all of mankind. Muhammad is the last and final messenger sent to deliver the message of Islam. Muslims revere and honor him (pbuh) for all he went through and his dedication, but they do not worship him. "O Prophet, verily We have sent you as a witness and a bearer of glad tidings and a warner and as one who invites unto God by His leave and as an illuminating lamp."(33:45-6)

MISCONCEPTION #10: Muslims don't believe in Jesus or any other prophets. Muslims respect and revere Jesus, upon him be peace, and await his Second Coming. They consider him one of the greatest of God's messengers to mankind. A Muslim never refers to him simply as 'Jesus', but always adds the phrase 'upon him be peace' (abbreviated as (u) here). The Quran confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Quran is entitled 'Mary'), and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation. The Quran describes the Annunciation as follows: "Behold!" the Angel said, "God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him whose name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous." She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?" He said: "Even so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing, He says to it, "Be!" and it is" (Quran 3:42-47) Jesus (u) was born miraculously through the same power, which had brought Adam (u) into being without a father: "Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was." (3:59) During his prophetic mission Jesus (u) performed many miracles. The Quran tells us that he said: " I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breath into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God's leave."

- MUHAMMAD AZAM

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Knowing the Master-truth

By DR MOHD SANI BADRON
Senior Fellow/Director, Centre for Economics and Social Studies

To safeguard human intelligence and spirituality, any doubts concerning the ultimate reality and purpose of life must be banished.

Concerning “those who forgot God, and He therefore made them forget their own selves” (al-Hashr, 59:19), commentators of the Quran offer these broad explanations.

First, in ontology, as God is the only One Real and True Being, how can he who forgets God, Who is the very source of his existence, be conscious of his own reality?

Second, by virtue of the fact that those who are oblivious of God are equivalent to “those who have hearts with which they fail to understand, and eyes with which they fail to see, and ears with which they fail to hear” the truth (al-A‘raf, 7:179), then the fact that they are oblivious of their true selves is evident.

Second, pertaining to the shari‘ah, as “upon God rests the goal of the path”, referring to qasd al-sabil, which is mentioned in al-Nahl, 16:9, how can he who forgets God lead his own soul upon a straight and true Way of Life? If that were the case, he cannot but swerve from the true Way of obeying God, i.e. Divine Law.

Third, in psychology, as hearts are made tranquil in the remembrance of God (al-Ra‘d, 13:28), how can he who forgets God free his soul from disquietude, a freedom concerning which has everything to do with certainty and is never doubtful of the ultimate Truth and fulfilment of action in conformity with that certainty?

Fourth, in ethics, as God is al-Mihsan, meaning “the One Who constantly does that which is good”, how can he who is oblivious of God be conscious of his spiritual best interest and do justice to his intelligent self, let alone to society?

Fifth, in eschatology, as all of mankind will return to Him to be held accountable (Hud, 11:123), he who forgets God is oblivious that ultimately he will leave this world and come face to face with the Truth.

In explaining al-Dhariyat (51:56) concerning the purpose of life, the Companion Ibn ‘Abbas clarified that God has only created jinn and man, that they may know Him and His Attributes, and willingly conform to His will.

The former refers to the deliberative aspect of life, and the latter to the desiderative, all for man’s own benefit.

Murtada al-Zabidi concluded that “there is no way to worship and serve Allah – whereas ‘ibadah is the right of Allah over His servants – except through Knowledge, and there is no way to acquire Knowledge except by seeking it wherever it is”.

The last portion of Zabidi’s remarks, “by seeking Knowledge wherever it is”, was penned in the context of vindicating the textual authenticity of another celebrated Prophetic tradition, “Seek knowledge even if in China”.

This is the significance of a knowledge-structure which functions as the foundation of Islamic thought, viz, knowledge concerning fardu ‘ayn. In order to safeguard human intelligence and spirituality, first and foremost his intellect must be liberated from doubt concerning the ultimate reality and purpose of life.

Freedom from doubt and conjecture with regard to fundamental reality and truth can only be achieved through i‘tiqad imbued with certainty, which affirms the authentic Divine Message to His Messenger.

Coupled with bodily actions and behaviour in conformity with such belief and faith, this knowledge reflects the tranquillity of the heart which knows itself as well as its perpetual relation to the omnipresent Creator.

Religion is indeed rooted in the recognition and acknowledgement of the Lordship of Allah, the One and Only God, Who possesses the Perfect Attributes. This is the reason why this foundational knowledge has also been widely referred to as ‘ilm al-tawhid.

Close observation would discover that it is this very knowledge concerning God which later branches out into other fundamentals of Faith, such as belief in His Angels, His Scriptures, and His Messengers. Hence, this knowledge, according to Fazlur Rahman’s Major Themes of the Quran, is of the Master-Truth.

If a master key secures access anywhere, knowledge of the Master-Truth secures entrance to every other science, in particular concerning good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, wisdom and folly, justice and injustice, both in terms of their outward and inward dimensions.

In contrast, without true faith, there will be spiritual anarchy, as the aforementioned verse “upon God rests the goal of the path, but they are ways that turn aside”.

- THE STAR

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When greed rules the world

By SUZALIE MOHAMAD,
Fellow, Centre For Shariah, Law and Political Science, IKIM

Worldly people are prisoners to their wealth and are destined for ruin. Those who take in moderation from the world will escape destruction.

The American currency is like gold. Everybody wants it. Either you give it to me or you don’t get what you want.

This was the reply I received from a vendor when I refused to pay him in US dollars. It really disturbed me. The US dollar is so powerful that at times it dominates our lives and has become an empire on its own.

The original role of currency was to facilitate the transfer of goods and services. It was a medium of exchange where coins and paper bills were used as money.

Its role has shifted greatly in the modern world. Now currency is used as a commodity of trade and has presented the opportunity for vice and greed.

The end of World War II and the collapse of communism left the United States the only superpower in the world. Today, its currency as well as its domestic and foreign policies dictate the way countries around the world react.

British economist John Maynard Keynes was correct in saying “He who controls the currency controls the country”. It means a country’s ability to control currency empowers it to rule the world.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are using financial aid to interfere in the sovereignty of nations.

The US dollar, which is premised on the fiat system, is valuable because the White House, through the Federal Reserve, has ordered that it may be used to finance debt or to pay for goods and services.

The most important fact is that it is able to exist because people “trust” that the US dollar will be reasonably stable. It is like credit controlled by the creditor, in which the government’s central bank or federal reserve acts as the major creditor backing the currency.

Demand for the US dollar is ever present because peoples and governments “trust” the United States. In order to create demand, there must be a market to supply the currency.

Mere “trust” authorises and enables the US currency to dominate.

This “trust” empowers the White House to run the country while in deficit.

Other countries which govern in deficit but cannot survive, ending up heavily in debt to the World Bank and the IMF. They are paralysed by the foreign policy restrictions imposed on them.

By the same token, some countries are running a government in surplus with huge foreign reserves. Are they not as powerful as the United States?

I cannot imagine or comprehend how a company in deficit for a number of years can survive. Who helps this company to survive? Where does the money come from?

As of Feb 19, the US federal debt stood at US$10.802tril. Many countries hold huge amounts of US dollars in their banks, among them China, Japan, Britain, Russia, India, South Korea, Brazil, Singapore and Germany.

If the US currency loses its value, what will happen to the world?

The United States has a major responsibility to the world community. Peoples and governments around the world depend on and have high hopes for the way the United States handles its economy.

“Peoples’ trust” signifies an important diplomatic consequence. If the US dollar were to collapse, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The “trust” that people have in the US dollar must be compensated by acts of sincerity and responsibility, not by greed and self-centred selfishness.

Those who hold high office must always remember that the world is like fire. From a distance it looks bright and inviting. If one were to touch it, one would get burned.

Its appearance is different from reality. The same is true of the world.

Externally, the world is alluring, inviting dreams of comfort and ease. In reality, there is pain and suffering, anxiety and misfortune.

The world is like honey, and the worldly person is like the ant attracted to the honey, but gets caught in its sticky stratum. The harder it struggles to free itself, the more it becomes stuck.

Had it been content to simply sit at the edge and taste a little of the honey, it would have escaped death. Greed resulted in it losing its life.

In the same way, worldly people are prisoners to their wealth and are destined for ruin. Those who take from the world only what they have a genuine need for will escape destruction.

World governments have to understand that their duty is to protect their people and humanity in general from man-made destruction.

They must ensure the spirit of co-operation and respect among nations is observed. Greed, arrogance, intolerance and other vices must be avoided.

Greed is indeed one of the causes of all sorts of ethical problems facing society today. When greed rules a nation, it transforms society and the people become locked in disputes and dissent. Justice, security and stability are ignored.

The obsession with wealth accumulation places lives in jeopardy. Wealth is not all there is to life, nor does real happiness lie in amassing wealth. Nevertheless, many people make the mistake of believing that wealth is the most important thing in life.

They, therefore, waste the best years of their lives seeking wealth while depriving themselves of everything else. This is one reason behind many miseries.

We struggle to acquire material things , thinking that they are the way to happiness. In fact, if that is the end in itself, it can only lead to disappointment and deprivation.

History has it that in all great empires, their societies were strong and filled with purpose as they struggled to develop.

But even as their dreams of power were fulfilled, there was only emptiness. They became decadent, their societies began to decay from within, and their empires, ultimately collapsed.

- THE STAR

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Christians still can’t use ‘Allah’

A Feb 16 government gazette lifting a ban on Christian publications to use the word “Allah” will be rescinded.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said a gazette would be issued as early as tomorrow to cancel the earlier gazette.

He told reporters here yesterday that there were mistakes made in the drafting of the Feb 16 gazette which stated that Christian publications could use the word “Allah” provided the words “For Christians” were clearly printed on the front cover.

“The government’s stand on the ban has not changed.

“There is also a judicial review challenging the ban,” Syed Hamid said.

He said the government had no intention of pre-empting any decision of the courts on the judicial review brought by the Malaysian Catholic church publication, the Catholic Herald.

Acknowledging that more care should have been taken, he said since mistakes were made “we will now have to correct them.”

Syed Hamid said a gazette to cancel the Feb 16 gazette is needed to clear any misunderstanding over the matter.

Apart from the word “Allah”, the ban for the Christian publications also covered the words “Kaabah,” “Solat” and “Baitullah”.

The ban on these words are not aimed at preventing other religions from being practised.

It is just that the government wants to avoid any confusion, Syed Hamid added.

- THE STAR

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True knowledge flower of religion and faith in Islam

A very important principle of ethics in Islam is that “he who has no knowledge of an action can never deliberately intend to act upon it (man la ‘ilma lahu fa-la niyyata lahu)”.

This fundamental element is stated by al-Tahanawi in his Kashshaf Istilahat al-Funun, arguably the finest dictionary of technical terms relating to Islamic sciences.

In reality, one’s action (‘amal) is only according to one’s intention (niyyah), which in turn depends on the strength of one’s knowledge pertaining to various dimensions of that action.

If one is not really certain, in the Quranic sense of yaqin, of what one ought to do, one may very likely be capricious and do what is wrong.

Such is always the case, as niyyah refers to one’s determination of mind and heart, which directs the purpose, aims and objectives in one’s journey through Life.

Hence, the significance of the Prophet Muhammad’s caution in the aforementioned tradition that “a man only receives what he intends (innama li-kulli imri’in ma nawa)”.

Without genuine knowledge as one’s moral cornerstone, even an insincere person, a hypocrite or religious enemy may pretend, or merely imitate, in their performance of external religious rituals.

Moreover, without true knowledge, actions that pertain to divine worship will be rendered null and void.

On the contrary, according to al-Tahanawi, such non-deliberative actions are considered mere custom (‘adat) and formality (resam), a habitual repetition which is void of sincerity but full of either satanic urge or personal vice and folly.

All in all, the obligation to pursue true knowledge (al-‘Ilm) upon each and every Muslim is inevitable, as knowledge is the most important integral of belief and faith.

In his commentary on a well-known hadith concerning the obligation to pursue knowledge for all Muslims, Murtada al-Zabidi (d. 1205/1790) explained that mankind is commanded by God to have belief and faith (al-Iman).

However, al-Zabidi pointed out that Iman in reality consists of two integrals.

There is certainty with regard to knowledge, or ‘ilm al-yaqin, of religious truths concerning unseen matters, i.e. of God, His messengers, His angels, His scriptures, and the Day of Judgment, as mentioned in, for example, al-Baqarah, (2): 3-4, 177, 285; and al-Nisa’, (4): 136.

Such an integrative vision of Islamic faith and sciences is utterly different from contemporary Western religious experience.

Muslim thought is totally in disagreement with prevalent Kierkegaardian philosophy, which propagates the idea that religious belief involves “direct opposition to all human reason”, nor with Freudian psychoanalysis, that “the content of religious beliefs is contradicted by the truth of scientific reason”, nor with Alfred Ayer’s argument that religio-theological statements are nonsensical and meaningless.

Furthermore, Iman also comprises action in conformity with one’s knowledge of religious truths, which is a practical verification accomplished in accordance with religious cognitive truths.

In other words, as al-Zabidi argued, subsequent to having faith in the Pillars of Belief (arkan al-Iman), to live one’s life along the path of Islam (shari‘ah) is obligatory upon every Muslim, whereas that is not possible unless and until knowledge of the true path has been acquired, including acts of worship directed solely towards God, fair socio-political practices directed toward fellow human beings, and moral virtues.

It is indeed impossible to conceive Iman shorn of epistemological and practical content.

Allah says in the Quran that He brought forth his servants from their mothers’ wombs when they knew nothing (al-Nahl, 16:78).

Hence the obvious implication to seek Knowledge to the best of one’s ability is obligatory upon each and every Muslim.

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Words Of Wisdom From The Qur'an

1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, color, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]

2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]

3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]

4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]

5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]

6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]

7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]

8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognised by the society and is commonly used [4/5]

9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]

10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]

11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]

12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]

13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].

14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].

15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]

16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]

17. Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]

18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]

19. Keep your gazes lowered devoid of any lecherous leers and salacious stares [24/30-31, 40/19].

20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]

21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favorable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]

22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6]

23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].

24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76].

Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, "O My sustainer! Advance me in knowledge." [20:114]

25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].

26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]

27. Do not defame others [49/11]

28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]

29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12]

30. Spy not upon one another [49/12]

31. Do not backbite one another [49/12]

32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]

33. When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates [24/61]

34. Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27]

35. Treat kindly " Your parents " Relatives " The orphans " And those who have been left alone in the society [4/36]

36. Take care of " The needy, " The disabled " Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs " And those whose businesses have stalled " And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36]

37. Treat kindly " Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours " Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36]

38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36]

39. Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36]

40. Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262].

41. Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9]

42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2]

43. Do not try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues [53/32]

44. You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44]

45. Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6]

46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends [6/54, 3/134]

47. Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy, and become a source of tranquility and comfort to people [3/134]

48. Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them most decently [16/125]

49. Leave to themselves those who do not give any importance to the Divine code and have adopted and consider it as mere play and amusement [6/70]

50. Sit not in the company of those who ridicule Divine Law unless they engage in some other conversation [4/140]

51. Do not be jealous of those who are blessed [4/54]

52. In your collective life, make rooms for others [58/11]

53. When invited to dine, Go at the appointed time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the preparation of meal or linger after eating to engage in bootless babble. Such things may cause inconvenience to the host [33/53]

54. Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation [7/31].

55. Do not squander your wealth senselessly [17/26]

56. Fulfil your promises and commitments [17/34]

57. Keep yourself clean, pure [9/108, 4/43, 5/6].

58. Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out [7/26]

59. Seek your provision only by fair endeavour [29/17, 2/188]

60. Do not devour the wealth and property of others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their possessions [2/188]

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Video - Why Islam prohibited pork (pig)

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The Quran Is Not Book Of Science But Book Of Signs

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE: "THE BIG BANG'

The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the "Big Bang'. It is supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades. According to the "Big Bang', the whole universe was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a "Big Bang' (Secondary Separation) which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the universe was unique and the probability of it occurring by "chance' is zero. The Qur'aan contains the following verse, regarding the origin of the universe:

"Do not the Unbelievers see That the heavens and the earth Were joined together (as one Unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder?" [Al-Qur'aan 21:30]

The striking congruence between the Qur'aanic verse and the "Big Bang' is inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of ffice:smarttags" /> Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?

THERE WAS AN INITIAL GASEOUS MASS BEFORE THE CREATION OF GALAXIES

Scientists say that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word "smoke' is more appropriate than gas. The following Qur'aanic verse refers to this state of the universe by the word dhukhan which means smoke.

"Moreover, He Comprehended In His design the sky, And it had been (as) smoke: He said to it And to the earth: "Come ye together, Willingly or unwillingly.' They said: "We do come (Together), in willing obedience." [Al-Qur'aan 41:11]

Again, this fact is a corollary to the "Big Bang' and was not known to the Arabs during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). What then, could have been the source of this knowledge?

THE SPHERICAL SHAPE OF THE EARTH

In early times, people believed that the earth is flat. For centuries, men were afraid to venture out too far, lest they should fall off the edge. Sir Francis Drake was the first person who proved that the earth is spherical when he sailed around it in 1597. Consider the following Qur'aanic verse regarding the alternation of day and night:

"Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day And He merges Day into Night?" [Al-Qur'aan 31:29]

Merging here means that the night slowly and gradually changes to day and vice versa. This phenomenon can only take place if the earth is spherical. If the earth was flat, there would have been a sudden change from night to day and from day to night.

The following verse also alludes to the spherical shape of the earth:

"He created the heavens And the earth In true (proportions): He makes the Night Overlap the Day, and the Day Overlap the Night." [Al-Qur'aan 39:5]

The Arabic word used here is Kawwara meaning "to overlap' or "to coil'- the way a turban is wound around the head. The overlapping or coiling of the day and night can only take place if the earth is spherical.

The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but geo-spherical i.e. it is flattened at the poles. The following verse contains a description of the earth's shape: The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

"And the earth, moreover, Hath He made egg shaped." [Al-Qur'aan 79:30]*

(* The Arabic word dahaha has been translated by A. Yusuf Ali as "vast expanse", which also is correct. The word dahaha also means an ostrich-egg. Consider the following verses related to the nature of light from the sun and the moon: "It is He who made the sun To be a shining glory And the moon to be a light (Of beauty)." [Al-Qur'aan 10:5])

The Arabic word for egg here is dahaha, which means an ostrich-egg. The shape of an ostrich-egg resembles the geo-spherical shape of the earth. Thus the Qur'aan correctly describes the shape of the earth, though the prevalent notion when the Qur'aan was revealed was that the earth is flat.

THE LIGHT OF THE MOON IS REFLECTED LIGHT

It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates its own light. Science now tells us that the light of the moon is reflected light. However this fact was mentioned in the Qur'aan 1,400 years ago in the following verse:

"Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, And placed therein a Lamp And a Moon giving light." [Al-Qur'aan 25:61]

The Arabic word for the sun in the Qur'aan, is shams. It is referred to as siraaj, which means a "torch' or as wahhaaj which means "a blazing lamp' or as diya which means "shining glory'. All three descriptions are appropriate to the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion. The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is described in the Qur'aan as muneer, which is a body that gives nur i.e. light. Again, the Qur'aanic description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon, which does not give off light itself and is an inert body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in the Qur'aan, is the moon mentioned as siraaj, wahhaaj or diya or the sun as nur or muneer. This implies that the Qur'aan recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight.

Consider the following verses related to the nature of light from the sun and the moon:

"It is He who made the sun To be a shining glory And the moon to be a light (Of beauty)." [Al-Qur'aan 10:5]

"See ye not How Allah has created The seven heavens One above another, "And made the moon A light in their midst, and made the sun As a (Glorious) Lamp?" [Al-Qur'aan 71:15-16]

THE SUN ROTATES

For a long time European philosophers and scientists believed that the earth stood still in the centre of the universe and every other body including the sun moved around it. In the West, this geocentric concept of the universe was prevalent right from the time of Ptolemy in the second century B.C. In 1512, Nicholas Copernicus put forward his Heliocentric Theory of Planetary Motion, which asserted that the sun is motionless at the centre of the solar system with the planets revolving around it.

In 1609, the German scientist Yohannus Keppler published the "Astronomia Nova'. In this he concluded that not only do the planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun, they also rotate upon their axes at irregular speeds. With this knowledge it became possible for European scientists to explain correctly many of the mechanisms of the solar system including the sequence of night and day.

After these discoveries, it was thought that the Sun was stationary and did not rotate about its axis like the Earth. I remember having studied this fallacy from Geography books during my school days. Consider the following Qur'aanic verse:

"It is He Who created The Night and the Day, And the sun and the moon: All (the celestial bodies) Swim along, each in its Rounded course." [Al-Qur'aan 21:33]

The Arabic word used in the above verse is yasbahûn. The word yasbahûn is derived from the word sabaha. It carries with it the idea of motion that comes from any moving body. If you use the word for a man on the ground, it would not mean that he is rolling but would mean he is walking or running. If you use the word for a man in water it would not mean that he is floating but would mean that he is swimming.

Similarly, if you use the word yasbah for a celestial body such as the sun it would not mean that it is only flying through space but would mean that it is also rotating as it goes through space. Most of the school textbooks have incorporated the fact that the sun rotates about its axis. The rotation of the sun about its own axis can be proved with the help of an equipment that projects the image of the sun on the table top so that one can examine the image of the sun without being blinded. It is noticed that the sun has spots which complete a circular motion once every 25 days i.e. the sun takes approximately 25 days to rotate around its axis.

In fact, the sun travels through space at roughly 150 miles per second, and takes about 200 million years to complete one revolution around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy.

"It is not permitted To the Sun to catch up The Moon, nor can The Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along In (its own) orbit (According to Law)." [Al-Qur'aan 36:40]

This verse mentions an essential fact discovered by modern astronomy, i.e. the existence of the individual orbits of the Sun and the Moon, and their journey through space with their own motion. The "fixed place' towards, which the sun travels, carrying with it the solar system, has been located exactly by modern astronomy. It has been given a name, the Solar Apex. The solar system is indeed moving in space towards a point situated in the constellation of Hercules (alpha Layer) whose exact location is firmly established.

The moon rotates around its axis in the same duration that it takes to revolve around the earth. It takes approximately 29½ days to complete one rotation. One cannot help but be amazed at the scientific accuracy of the Qur'aanic verses. Should we not ponder over the question: "What was the source of knowledge contained in the Qur'aan?"

THE SUN WILL EXTINGUISH AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD

The light of the sun is due to a chemical process on its surface that has been taking place continuously for the past five billion years. It will come to an end at some point of time in the future when the sun will be totally extinguished leading to extinction of all life on earth. Regarding the impermanence of the sun's existence the Qur'aan says:

"And the Sun Runs its course For a period determined For it; that is The decree of (Him) The exalted in Might, The All-Knowing." [Al-Qur'aan 36:38]

(** A similar message is conveyed in the Qur'an in 13:2, 35:13, 39:5 and 39:21.)

The Arabic word used here is mustaqarr, which means a place or time that is determined. Thus the Qur'aan says that the sun runs towards a determined place, and will do so only up to a pre-determined period of time - meaning that it will end or extinguish.

THE PRESENCE OF INTERSTELLAR MATTER

Space outside organized astronomical systems was earlier assumed to be a vacuum. Astrophysicists later discovered the presence of bridges of matter in this interstellar space. These bridges of matter are called plasma, and consist of completely ionized gas containing equal number of free electrons and positive ions. Plasma is sometimes called the fourth state of matter (besides the three known states viz. solid, liquid and gas). The Qur'aan mentions the presence of this interstellar material in the following verse:

"He Who created the heavens And the earth and all That is between." [Al-Qur'aan 25:59]

It would be ridiculous, for anybody to even suggest that the presence of interstellar galactic material was known 1400 years ago.

THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE

In 1925, an American astronomer by the name of Edwin Hubble, provided observational evidence that all galaxies are receding from one another, which implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the universe is now an established scientific fact. This is what Al-Qur'aan says regarding the nature of the universe:

"With the power and skill Did We construct The Firmament: For it is We Who create The vastness of Space." [Al-Qur'aan 51:47]

The Arabic word mûsi"ûn is correctly translated as "expanding it', and it refers to the creation of the expanding vastness of the universe. Stephen Hawking, in his book, "A Brief History of Time', says, "The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century."

The Qur'aan mentioned the expansion of the universe, before man even learnt to build a telescope! Some may say that the presence of astronomical facts in the Qur'aan is not surprising since the Arabs were advanced in the field of astronomy. They are correct in acknowledging the advancement of the Arabs in the field of astronomy. However they fail to realize that the Qur'aan was revealed centuries before the Arabs excelled in astronomy. Moreover many of the scientific facts mentioned above regarding astronomy, such as the origin of the universe with a Big Bang, were not known to the Arabs even at the peak of their scientific advancement. The scientific facts mentioned in the Qur'aan are therefore not due to the Arabs' advancement in astronomy. Indeed, the reverse is true. The Arabs advanced in astronomy, because astronomy occupies a place in the Qur'aan.

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Living witness to the power of God

The universe is God’s masterpiece, and all things in it are a reflection of God’s greatness. The future of humanity depends on understanding and accepting this wisdom.

When Copernicus first introduced the heliocentric theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, it shook the very foundation of religious belief and became an issue in the courts of inquisition.

People believed that it threatened the idea that an almighty God had created nature, that it threatened their firm conviction that the glories of the heavens revolved around the Earth, with man at the centre of the universe.

But it was Galileo Galilei with his telescope and innovative scientific methods who became the real victim of their prejudices, for he believed that the laws governing the universe and life must be the same. In the Starry Messenger, the 1610 publication of his astronomical observations, he sought to prove that Copernicus was right.

Caught up in the religious conflict and struggle for authority and power of that time, Galileo was prosecuted, threatened with torture and forbidden to ever speak of his beliefs again. It would take almost 370 years for the church to officially absolve him of his “guilt”.

There is imbalance between the discoveries of the physical sciences and the discoveries of the spirit. For a long time now, great emphasis has been placed on technological advances, while spiritual growth has been ignored.

This enormous gap must somehow be narrowed for the universal mechanisms to operate smoothly on this earth. These must be balanced. The two factors, the physical and the spiritual, must feed each other and work together in harmony.

It is our belief that the physical sciences may be advanced for the enrichment of humanity, rather than its destruction.

Only through further developing the science of the subconscious mind and of the spirit can this be possible.

Moderation is the key principle that should govern our thinking and actions.

I have said this in one of my previous articles, that the individual creates his or her own heaven and hell right here on this earth. The universe is the masterpiece of God. We should understand that all things in it are a reflection of God’s greatness.

As a matter of fact, the future of humanity depends on such wisdom. Prayers for peace and prosperity will be answered if we understand creation as a reflection of God. The closeness of God to us has been vividly illustrated in the Quran (Qaf:16).

Unfortunately, it would appear that the spiritual development of humanity has fallen far behind its intellectual growth. It would seem, looking back through the annals of history, that our greatest search for knowledge has been for destructive knowledge, and our greatest discoveries are the result of an all-consuming greed for power.

The influence of technology can be harsh and brutal. The technologies of today have a powerful influence not only on our attitudes and lifestyles, but also on our changing human behaviour. At the same time that technology enriches, its excessive use is destroying human ability and the environment.

One may be a traditionalist in this regard, but it is important to note that in our selfishness and haste, we have ignored process. We challenge creation and try to alter its nature.

Seduced by the more comfortable life that technological advancement has made possible, we seem to ignore the power of the individual’s body and spirit.

We have at our disposal more free time than ever before, but instead of using it creatively for personal study and inner growth, we lean back in the controlled comfort of our living rooms and demand to be entertained, hypnotised by the endless parade of animated figures on a television screen.

Children no longer need to create games; it is done for them electronically. We are a spectator society, voyeurs rarely experiencing the peace that comes from physical expression and personal accomplishment. We seek a life of ease and comfort, believing that this is the way to happiness, and then wonder why life has lost its flavour.

Physical happiness is born out of adversity. Without the experience of hardship, all the joys, beauty and blessings of life are taken for granted. If your stomach is always full, food becomes uninteresting; but after experiencing the gnawing pain of hunger, a bowl of rice is cause for rejoicing.

Maybe we will never understand the true meaning of peace and harmony until all that remains of our earth is a charred cinder of destruction and death. Happiness is nourished by security, not material security, but the security of self-trust, confidence and independence.

Seen from space, our planet is a harmonious jewel of glowing blues and greens. There is no red line of separation. There are no borders.

God has given no person, no organisation, no nation territorial permission.

I recall an article my parents used to read to me. It was about an astronaut’s journey into space. During a worldwide tour after his flight into space, American astronaut John Glenn was interviewed about his impressions and thoughts as he travelled through space.

Glenn replied that as he looked at Earth and the cosmos that surrounded him, he deeply believed that this universe was God’s living garden. I understand that spiritual teachings and modern science are exactly the same. Science bears witness to the power of God.

I do hope that this new year will bring us better prospects in life. We should strive to find meaning in our lives and contribute to goodness as much as we can.

Moderation should become our guiding principle. Excessiveness and exploitation is condemned in our religion, we should avoid this and learn a lesson from the verse foretold about people misled due to excessiveness (Quran: al-Ma’idah: 80).

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Islam and the pursuit of true knowledge

When a society begins to understand rights in terms of permissiveness or defiance of the divine law, it spells its own inevitable doom.

The late Fazlur Rahman once remarked: “Obligation and rights are the obverse and converse of the same coin.” To use it as a currency, you cannot cut them into two; mutually inseparable and indispensable, one obviously cannot subsist without the other.

Written in the late 1980s, his major themes of the Quran also noted that the Quran primarily exhorts mankind to have a strong sense of moral responsibility instead of merely demanding for your rights.

According to him, this should lead to crucial consideration that a complete sense of responsibility can very well take care of all human rights.

Indeed, as he observed, when a society begins to understand rights in terms of permissiveness or defiance of the divine law, it spells its own inevitable doom. This is because submission to the law of God brings harmony to one’s natural inclination or fitrah, while going against it brings discord.

“No one in Islam has a right to do wrong – to do wrong is injustice (zulm) and this is not a right,” said the renowned scholar Prof Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.

In a well-known hadith on the first and foremost responsibility in Islam, Prophet Mohamed stated that “the pursuit of knowledge (al-‘Ilm) is obligatory upon each and every Muslim”.

Here, it is incumbent to unravel some concerns pertaining to the hadith’s chain of transmitters.

Although there were some scholars who believed that because some “deficient” narrators were involved in transmitting this hadith, it is therefore considered a non-established (ghayr thabit) or weak (da‘if) hadith.

But other luminaries such as al-Muzani (d. 175/791) considered it a well-authenticated (hasan) hadith by virtue of the fact that there were various chains of narrators for it.

Moreover, in the evaluation of Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505) in the al-Ta‘liqah al-Munifah, this is a rigorously authenticated hadith (sahih), as he found that it had been transmitted by around 50 chains of transmissions.

Be that as it may, it is to be noted that there are various other more important considerations in order to do justice to this issue.

Whether the chain of transmitters renders this hadith sahih, hasan or da‘if is never an issue of grave importance for the aforementioned erudite scholars throughout the history of Islamic scholarship.

Indeed, it has been fundamentally accepted in the Islamic sciences that it is not logically impossible for a sound text of the Sunnah to be related correctly even by a transmitter with poor memory, or one unknown to the person who recorded the hadith.

According to the same principle, a weak hadith cannot simply be equated with false or forged hadith.

Specifically in this regard, as recorded by among others Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr al-Andalusi (d. 364/1071) and al-Nawawi (d. 676/1277) in his Fatawa, as far as the text and the meaning of this hadith is concerned, it is rigorously authenticated (sahih).

In effect, all genuine Muslim scholars, without exception, are in consensus and accept and commit to the aforementioned purpose and meaning of the foregoing hadith.

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The relationship between men and women in Islam

The relationship between men and women in Islam is addressed in the Quran and further in the Sunnah. Islam explains to us how to achieve tranquility in marriage and how to reach the highest potential in all other aspects of life.

[ And one of His [Allah’s] signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find tranquillity in them, and He put between you love and mercy; most surely there are signs in this for people who reflect.) (Ar-Rum 30:21)

Inspired by our belief that better communication within Muslim families, especially between husbands and wives, is the cornerstone for building a strong, actively involved family, we wanted to shed some light on what we believe happens often in many marriage stories.

A relationship between a husband and a wife is like a garden; if it’s to thrive, it must be watered regularly, with “weather hazards” taken into account, such as any unpredictable draught or storm. New seeds must be sown, and weeds must be pulled out (Gray).

Love’s Springtime

The Prophet said, “Nothing is better for those in love than marriage.”
(Ibn Majah and authenticated by Al-Albani)

One fatwa of Shiekh Al-Qaradawi, the prominent Muslim scholar, states what means that love is lawful in Islam as long as that love comes in spite of the person, that person doesn’t go out of the way especially to seek these emotions, and that all Islamic guidelines are kept in mind. However, there is a suggestion that the traditional route for marriage usually has better results.

The beginning of love is its springtime; this is when you feel that you will stay happy forever. This corresponds to the Islamic engagement and `aqd (official documentation of marriage) time and may last for a few months before marriage! During that time, you always find excuses to your partner’s mistakes; you may even become unable to see the mistakes or differences. But this fire of emotions in many cases does not stay forever. Marriage and family therapist Glenn Lutjens suggests that this change takes place in every relationship because of three factors:time, distance, and desire.

Time.

When you get married, you have more time to observe your spouse’s behavior. You see things that weren’t so noticeable at “springtime.”

Distance.

You now see him up close. There’s no “see you next week.” You now see him when he’s hungry and tired. Women may have their “time of the month,” and men have their “time of the day”! When his stomach is empty, you may see a whole new side of your man you never knew existed.

Desire.

Some of the behavior during those days probably wasn’t so deliberate. That type of romantic fire shapes one’s actions; loving deeds come easily to one so smitten by romance. You probably felt the same excitement, with your reactions being affected as well. We tend to construct a person in our minds to match the excitement we want to feel. We mentally vision that person in a way that will make us happiest.

Love’s Summertime

Eventually we realize that our partner is not as perfect as we thought and that we have to work on our relationship. Plants need to be watered even more frequently under a hot sun; this is how the relationship between a husband and a wife should be enriched when it’s no longer easy to give or to get love. Therefore, always remember Prophet Muhammad’s advice:

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: A believing man [husband] should not hate a believing woman [his wife]; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another. (Sahih Muslim. Book 8, Number 3469)

Many couples become disillusioned after a few of months in wedlock. They give up working on the relationship and blame one another. They forget that it cannot be “springtime” all the time. Yet, no one wants to live in summer forever. So hold your breath and gather all the wisdom that Allah gave you to go through this stage and reach the tranquility, mercy, and love mentioned in the verse. These will be the lasting, calm, and warm emotions of love between a husband and wife who are living for the sake of Allah.

You can think that way: Is this the person I want to continue the rest of my life with? If the answer is “no,” then you will not be willing to invest much in this relation anyway, you will give it a weak try and then give up. If the answer is “yes,” then the question becomes “What do I do now that I found out my partner in not what I thought?” Debating whether your partner misrepresented himself or herself or you misread your partner won’t solve anything. Here are some things you may consider doing:

Choose to love your partner. Remember that it’s Allah Who makes the “love and mercy happen between the husband and the wife.

Seek Allah’s help and ask Him to make that “chemistry” happen. Also, open your heart and give your partner the benefit of doubt; stand in your partner’s shoes and try to see things from his or her perspective.

Look at how you may have changed as well after marriage.

You will not be able to actually change someone. All you can do is provide a different and favorable environment for your partner to want to change.

Realize that you may have legitimate concerns.Voice them to your partner in a constructive way with the hope that he or she will be willing to work toward change or at least understand your concerns.

Express with respect. Use “I-messages”: “I” feel and “I” think, not “you” did such and such.

Invest in this family. Paradise is worth your best effort. A little whisper in the wife’s ear is, “Allah made one important mission in this life which is to make this family happy.” The motive is wonderful.

The Prophet said,
“If a woman prayed the five prayers, fasted in Ramadan, protected her honor, and obeyed her husband, then she will be told (on the Day of Judgment): Enter Paradise from any of its (eight) doors”. (Ibn Hibban)

Do not listen to voices like “He is no better than you are! Why do you have to listen?” The Prophet mentioned the advice for a reason, so do not ruin your life. Instead, invite love to your house and be patient. It is love and happiness in this life and Paradise in the hereafter.

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Try To Avoid These Common Mistakes During Prayers

Spacing is determined by matching your legs space with your shoulder to shoulder distance!!!

Pronouncing NEAH (willingness) and calling ALLAH AKBAR loudly for late comers are two wrong things that happen in our Masjids

Bad smelling breath from mouth due to eating some type of foods (onions and garlic) or from clothes (socks, unclean clothes) are annoying to other people and should be avoided as per our Islamic teaching.

Don't rush and don't be too slow (it is JAMA'H prayer) go with Muslims in timely manner (in the drawing above it is almost end of Fatihah and some one is still in Sujod)

Yawning during prayers is wrong, try to avoid it... ... ... . Will you do this if you are meeting an important person at work? Remember, when you feel like Yawning, that you are facing ALLAH so, try to suppress it and you succeed... . Respect your presence in front of Allah and HE will respect your salah.

New line start MUST be directly behind the IMAM wherever he is. People start their Jamma Salah some times in a corner. That is wrong.

The IMAM reads loudly and you should listen, but not that you read loudly and others are disturbed by your reading... in fact IMAMS reading is enough for all behind him.

Some other Common Mistakes !

Mistake 1: Reciting Surat al-Fatiha fast without pausing after each verse.

The Prophet (SAW) used to pause after each verse of this surah. (Abu Dawood)

Mistake 2: Sticking the arms to the sides of the body, in rukoo' or sujood, and sticking the belly to the thighs in sujood.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Let not one of you support himself on his forearms (in sujood) like the dog. Let him rest on his palms and keep his elbows away from his body." (Sahih Muslim) . The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to keep his arms away from his body during rukoo' and sujood that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen (Sahih Muslim).

Mistake 3: Gazing upward during prayer.

This may cause loss of concentration. We are commanded to lower our gaze, and look at the point at which the head rests during sujood. The Prophet (SAW) warned: "Let those who raise their gaze up during prayer stop doing so, or else their sights would not return to them. i.e. lose their eyesight]." (Muslim)

Mistake 4 : Resting only the tip of the head on the floor during sujood.

The Prophet (SAW) said: "I am commanded to prostrate on seven bones the forehead and the nose, the two hands [palms], the two knees, and the two feet." (Sahih Muslim) Applying the above command necessitates resting the forehead and the nose on the ground during sujood.

Mistake 5 : Hasty performance of prayer which does not allow repose and calmness in rukoo' or sujood.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) saw a man who did not complete his rukoo' [bowing], and made a very short sujood [prostration] ; he (SAW) said: "If this man dies while praying in this manner, he would die upholding a religion other than the religion of Muhammad." Abu Hurairah (RA) said:

"My beloved friend, Muhammad (SAW) forbade me to perform postures of prayer copying the picking of a rooster; (signifying fast performance of prayer), moving eyes around like a fox and the sitting like monkeys ( i.e. to sit on thighs)." (Imam Ahmad & at-Tayalisi) The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: " The worst thief is the one who steals from his own prayer." People asked, 'Messenger of Allah! How could one steal from his own prayer?' He (SAW) said: "By not completing its rukoo' and sujood." (At Tabarani & al-Hakim).

To complete rukoo' is to stay in that posture long enough to recite 'Subhana rabbiyal Adtheem' three times, SLOWLY, and 'Subhana rabbiyal-a'ala' three times, SLOWLY, in sujood. He (SAW) also announced: "He who does not complete his rukoo' and sujood, his prayer is void." (Abu Dawood & others)

Mistake 6 : Counting tasbeeh with the left hand

The Prophet (SAW) used to count tasbeeh on the fingers of his right hand after salah. Ibn Qudamah (RA) said: " The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used his right hand for tasbeeh." (Abu Dawood). The above hadeeth indicates clearly that the Prophet (SAW) used only one hand for counting tasbeeh. No Muslim with sound mind would imagine that the Prophet (SAW) used his left hand for counting tasbeeh. Aa'ishah (RA) said that the Prophet (SAW) used his left hand only for Istinjaa', or cleaning himself after responding to the call of nature. He never used it for tasbeeh. Yasirah (RA) reported: The Prophet (SAW) commanded women to count tasbeeh on their fingers.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "They (the fingers) will be made to speak, and will be questioned (on the Day of Resurrection. )" (At-Tirmidhi) ... The above Hadeeth indicates that it is preferable to count tasbeeh on the fingers of the right hand than to do so on masbahah (rosary). Mistake 7 : Crossing in front of a praying person.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) warned: "Were the one who crosses in front of a praying person to know the consequences of doing so, he would have waited for *forty better than to cross in front of him." (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim). *The forty in the tradition may be day's months or even years. Allah knows best. Common Errors in Prayer That MUST Be Avoided - Please inform your near and dear ones to take care of the above.

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Fatwas Given By Islamic Scholars On Israel Product

Shaykh Yusuf Al Qaradawi
(Egypt / Qatar)

"Each riyal, dirham …etc. used to buy their goods eventually becomes bullets to be fired at the hearts of brothers and children in Palestine. For this reason, it is an obligation not to help them (the enemies of Islam) by buying their goods. To buy their goods is to support tyranny, oppression and aggression."

20 Muharram 1423 AH

4 April 2002

Question: Are we allowed to buy items from Israeli sources, even though this money may be used to help the Jewish "war machine"?

Answer by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:

It is Jihad to liberate the Islamic lands from those who attack or conquer them. These are enemies of Islam. This Jihad is an absolute obligation and a sacred duty; firstly on the people of that land. If the Muslims of that land can't offer sufficientresistance, then Muslims of neighboring countries are obliged to assist. If this is still not sufficient then all the Muslims of the world must assist.

Palestine is the land of the first Qiblah of the Muslims, the land of Isra' and Mi`raj, the land of Al-Aqsa and the blessed territory. The conquerors are those with the greatest enmity to the believers, and they are supported by the strongest state on earth - the USA, and by the world Jewish community.

Jihad is obligatory against those who take land and expel the inhabitants, spill the blood, violate the honor, destroy the houses, burn the fields, and corrupt the land. Jihad is the first obligation of all obligations, and the first duty of the Ummah. Muslims are commanded to do this, first those from the land in question, after that their neighbors, and finally all Muslims. We must all be united against the aggressors. We are united in Islam, including unity of belief in the Shari`ah, unity of belief in the Qiblah, and also united in pain and hope. As Allah Almighty says: "Verily this Ummah of yours is one Ummah." (Qur'an, 21:92). Allah Almighty also says: "Surely the believers are a single brotherhood." (Qur'an, 49:10). There is a Hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that states: "The Muslim is the brother to the Muslim, he can't oppress him, he can't give him up, he can't let him down." [Transmitted by Muslim].

Now we see our brothers and children in Al-Aqsa and the blessed land of Palestine generously sacrificing their blood, giving their souls willingly in the way of Allah. All Muslims must help them with whatever power they have. (See the Noble Qur'an, 8:72).

If people ask in the name of religion we must help them. The vehicle of this support is a complete boycott of the enemies' goods. Each riyal, dirham …etc. used to buy their goods eventually becomes bullets to be fired at the hearts of brothers and children in Palestine. For this reason, it is an obligation not to help them (the enemies of Islam) by buying their goods. To buy their goods is to support tyranny, oppression and aggression. Buying goods from them will strengthen them; our duty is to make them as weak as we can. Our obligation is to strengthen our resisting brothers in the Sacred Land as much as we can. If we cannot strengthen the brothers, we have a duty to make the enemy weak. If their weakness cannot be achieved except by boycott, we must boycott them.

American goods, exactly like "Israeli" goods, are forbidden. It is also forbidden to advertise these goods. America today is a second Israel. It totally supports the Zionist entity. The usurper could not do this without the support of America. "Israel's" unjustified destruction and vandalism of everything has been using American money, American weapons, and the American veto. America has done this for decades without suffering the consequences of any punishment or protests about their oppressive and prejudiced position from the Islamic world.

The time has come for the Islamic Ummah to say "NO" to America, "NO" to its companies, and "NO" to its goods, which swamp our markets. We are eating, drinking, wearing and riding whatever America produces.

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Video - The Name of Allah SWT

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Video - Al Asma ul Husna (99 Names of Allah)

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Refining the notion of governance

Good governance, in Islam, has a more refined description than the Western notion of ‘the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented’.

It is to be duly noted that one of the distinctive features of the religious, intellectual and scientific tradition of Islam is the utmost care given to the correct and precise connotation and denotation of terminologies, a feature rendered possible by the root system of the Arabic language.

As such, it is commonplace in this tradition for the conceptual content of a science, or an art, to have its most appropriate terminological form.

Good governance, being a topic of great relevance as much as a concept that points to a particular activity or process, cannot therefore be an exception to the aforementioned rule on terminological precision.

As it is a composite term, a clear understanding of its true meaning draws mainly on what is meant by its two singular terms “good” and “governance”.

Whereas neither of these two notions, “good” as well as “governance,” is new – in fact, they are as ancient as human society – we cannot deny that in the contemporary context, good governance has been much discussed in Western academic circles.

And as is widely perceived, the West, through its many representatives and agencies, has been championing its cause.

Muslims who are interested in addressing the foregoing cannot, therefore, avoid attending to the way, or ways, it has been understood and defined by their Western counterparts.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, for instance, describes “governance” as “the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)”.

I personally do not think that any enlightened Muslim will have fundamental objections to this description of governance.

But what I think can be done is to offer a more refined description of it.

And such a refinement will come in the form of tadbir, as both theoria and praxis, as discussed in IKIM Views, Oct 28.

To recapitulate, one’s tadbir of any matter, or affairs, basically points to one’s act of relating it to its end or result. And insofar as human logic grants, such an act of relating can be either mental or extra-mental, intellectual or practical.

Hence, its descriptions in the religious, intellectual and scientific tradition of Islam as:

> “The mental act of looking into the consequences of the affairs so that a praiseworthy result will be obtained” (al-Baydawi, d. 791H);

> “The act of examining the outcomes by means of knowing what is good” as well as “the act of putting matters into effect in accordance with the knowledge of what will follow in the end” (al-Jurjani, d. 816H); and,

> “one’s disposing of, or reflection, pertaining to the outcome of an affair” (al-Tahanawi, d. 1158H).

At the very least, such descriptions demonstrate that governance is not simply about “the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)” but also about the substance of the decision-making, i.e. the end, the outcome, the result, and the consequence.

It is to be noted here, that goals or objectives, despite their being related in many respects to ends or outcomes, are not really synonymous. For not every aim will result in an outcome and, likewise, not every outcome achieves the intended aim.

On this account, therefore, there are some elements of unknowability about goals as something yet to be realised in the future, whereas outcomes, when referring to past events that are well documented, are more factual.

Nevertheless, Muslims strongly believe in God’s Pattern of Recurrent Acts (the Sunnatullah) which apart from appearing in the various forms of the cause-effect correlation, is manifested in history, especially as the rise and decline of nations and civilisations.

Granted the regularity of this Pattern of Recurrent Acts, it is partly to the past outcomes that our noetic observations should be directed in order to not only derive some meaningful lessons and useful insights with regard to the future, but also to avoid repeating similar mistakes, facing much the same pitfalls, and being trapped in essentially the same quagmire.

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