PART TWO: OTHER TOPICS
ANSWER TO A RELIGIOUSLY IGNORANT PERSON
Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) declared: “Every child comes to the world with a pure soul suitable for becoming a Muslim. Later their parents make them irreligious.” This implies that it is necessary to teach Islam to children. Their pure souls are suitable for Islam. A child who has not learned Islam will misunderstand Islam by falling for the lies and slanders of the enemies of religion. He will think that it is retrogressive or vicious. If a person who is religiously unlearned and who has never received any religious instruction or notion of Islam falls into the traps of the enemies of Islam, he will learn quite a different, altogether contrary system instead of Islam. He will fall victim to the poisonous inoculations and shamelessly fabled writings directed to him. He will not find peace in this world. And he will be drifted towards endless calamities and tortures in the next world.
Every Muslim, even every person, must know how low, how base the slanders which are fabled by the enemies of Islam in order to deceive the youth are. And in order not to drift into calamity by believing these lies, we should comprehend the sublimity of Islam, realize that it helps knowledge, science, morals and health, and that it commands working, advancement, cooperation and mutual love. A wise, vigilant and cultured person, who has understood Islam correctly and well, will not believe in the lies of the enemies of Islam. Seeing that they are religiously ignorant, uneducated, deceived and wretched people, he will pity them. He will wish that they could get rid of that disastrous state and come round to the right course.
We have come across a pamphlet of several pages scribbled shamelessly by such a deceived ignoramus of the religion with a view to spreading the poisonous slanders he had been taught in order to inoculate healthy souls with the spiritual disease that drags him to endless calamity; he wants to corrupt and degenerate good people. Confusing the title of a writer with competence, those who see its content, which slanders truth, goodness and virtue, may think that it is based upon observation on knowledge and that it contains value. To eliminate the sorrow it causes, it has been deemed necessary to write the truth as an answer to the squalid slanders quoted in the following 12 paragraphs. The innocent youth, seeing these base, made-up lies and the truth of the matter, will see clearly the tactics and tricks of the enemies of Islam and will easily identify those block- headed, corrupt-souled disbelievers, who claim to be progressive:
- “The religious thought and method that have interfered in social life are like chains restricting progress in society,” he says.
Answer: Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) declared: “Work for your worldly advantages as if you would never die!” A hadith quoted by al-Imam al-Manawi says, “Al- hikmatu dallat al-Mumin.” (Scientific knowledge is the lost property of the believer. He should get it wherever he finds it!). All men of science, enemies and friends alike, unanimously state that the Islamic religion supports social progress and sheds light on the way to civilization. For example. British Lord John Davenport stated, “No people have ever appeared who respect knowledge and culture more deeply than Muslims do,”[18] and explained with detailed examples and documents that Islam guided societies to progress and prosperity.
In a speech to a very large audience in 1972 Dr. Kris Traglor, an American professor of history at the Technical University of Texas, stated that the source of inspiration and development for the European Renaissance was Islam; that Muslims, coming to Spain and Sicily, had laid the foundations for modern techniques and developments and had taught that scientific progress would be possible only through improvement in chemistry, medicine, astronomy, navigation, geography, cartography and mathematics; and that these branches of knowledge had been brought to Europe from North Africa and Spain by Muslims. He also stressed the contribution of written Islamic knowledge on valuable parchments and papyri as an important link in the development of the modern press.[19] The lies of an immoral, vicious enemy of Islam, who has no share in knowledge except a title, certainly cannot cover up this fact. The sun cannot be plastered with sticky mud.
- “It is necessary,” he says, “to rescue the State from the fetter of religion. To catch up with contemporary Western civilization, establishment of a real secular system is required.”
Answer: In Islam, completely liberal, democratic States based upon knowledge, morals, righteousness and justice have been established. It protects the State against being a plaything in the hands of political swindlers. Capitalists, dictators and servants of communism deem such a free regime as a chain, a fetter, impeding their own acts of cruelty, torture and immorality. Murderers, thieves and dishonest people see justice and criminal codes as chains upon themselves. There is no need to describe the ignorance and idiocy of a disbeliever who uses secularism as a means for expressing his enmity against the religion and who tries to demolish Islam under the camouflage of secularism. What this man wants is not the separation of the religion from the State, but the destruction of the religion. It is obvious that a blockhead who expects the nations or the States’ progress not from knowledge, science, hard work and morals, but instead from the destruction of Islam, which represents all these virtues, and who longs for the West’s immorality, obscenity and egoism, is devoid of not only wisdom and knowledge but also of morals.
- He says, “By anaesthetizing people with Islam’s philosophy of contentment, they expect to turn individuals into a passive state of not demanding their own rights. With the pretext that they will prevent communism, they defend the concepts of slavery and the next world believed in by the people. Contentment is a euphemism for exploitation. Followers of Islam propagate this exploitation.”
Answer: There could be few phrases as absurd as the phrase “Islam’s philosophy of contentment.” We have explained what philosophy means in Endless Bliss and clarified that there is no philosophy in Islam. Such an incorrect phrase shows that the person who uses it knows nothing of Islam or philosophy and that he, by memorizing a number of phrases without being aware of their meanings, makes up many words in order to spread his enmity towards Islam. For centuries the enemies of Islam have been disguising themselves as religious men and have been perpetrating their attacks behind such a mask. But today they attack under the guise of being the master of a profession or art after obtaining a title of position. Those liars who, in order to deceive Muslims, disguise themselves as scientists and present their non-scientific statements as facts are called “impostors of science.” Not only Islam, but also the ethical books possessed by every nation praise contentment. Contrary to what this impostor of science fables, contentment does not mean giving up one’s rights and being idle. Contentment means being content with one’s rights, with what one earns, and not violating others’ rights. Moreover, this does not make people idle, but encourages them to work and make progress. Islam, contrary to this impostor’s falsification, does not defend slavery but commands the emancipation of slaves. Slavery exists not in Islam, but in the regime of a dictatorship and in communism. Heavenly books and Prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam), whose miracles were seen, reported the existence of the next world and wisdom; knowledge and science cannot deny it. The words of this deviated ignoramus, however, is merely emotional and obstinate sophistry. He provides neither a reference nor a scientific basis. Belief in the next world causes order, justice, mutual love and unity in societies and countries. Disbelief in it leads to vagabondage, inactivity, loss of the feeling of responsibility, egoism, discord and hostility. It is certainly good to believe in something useful. It is reasonable and necessary to avoid something unsubstantiated, baseless and vain. Islam rejects exploitation and negligence of human rights. Just as exploitation is a sin, so it is not permissible to approve being harmed. In Islam, ignorance, laziness, neglecting one’s rights and being deceived are not excuses; they are crimes. There is a famous saying that goes, “He who is content with being harmed is not to be pitied.” How can exploitation ever exist in Islam? How can a person with knowledge and reason ever say so? Hasn’t the ignorant person who said so ever heard about the ayats and the various hadiths defending human rights? Not knowing or not having heard of them is not an excuse for him!
- “The East, absorbed in and intoxicated with religion, has become ill. Having iman means slavery,” he says.
Answer: Any reader of history will clearly see the superiorities of the Sahabat al-kiram ('alahimu 'r-ridwan) and the fact that Islam has formed active, studious, equitable and courageous nations. Thousands of examples and millions of books exposing this fact are available. It is a pity that a blind person does not see the sun. Is it the sun’s fault that he does not see it? What is the value of an ignorant, deceived person’s calumniation of this exalted religion, this source of happiness and civilization, which is admired by all wise and cultured men whether friends or enemies? What is said and written reflects its owner. Many people, when they get angry with their enemies, impute their own evil behavior to them. Every container leaks what it contains. So the words of a base person are like him. The object to which these abhorrent imputations are directed is like a diamond that has fallen into the dirt. An evil person’s attacking Islam is not surprising. What is surprising is that some people take these groundless, absurd vilifications as true, believe them and fall into calamity. These slanders are not worth answering. It is useless to try to tell a blind person about the sun’s existence or to tell a person with a sick bile or liver how sweet sugar is. Perfection and superior things cannot be described to sick, dirty souls. Answering them is intended to prevent others from believing them. Medicine is for protecting the patient against death, not for enlivening the dead.
Let us quote two of the millions of passages praising how Islam illuminated the way of civilization. We will select them not from the East, which he slanders and dislikes, but from the West, which he admires. Mocheim [20] said, “It is an absolute fact that scientific knowledge, physics, chemistry, astronomy and mathematics that has spread over Europe since the tenth century was adopted from Islamic schools, especially from Muslims in Andalusia (Spain), who were Europe’s masters. The Romans and the Goths had struggled for two hundred years in order to capture Andalusia; on the other hand, the Muslims conquered the peninsula in twenty years. Going beyond the Pyrenees, they advanced up into France. Muslims’ superiority with respect to knowledge, wisdom and morals was no less effective than their arms.” Lord Davenport said, “Europe is indebted to Muslims today, too. Hadrat Muhammad (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) said, "Dignity, honor and superiority are measured not by property, but by knowledge and wisdom.’ Islamic States have been administered by the most powerful hands for centuries. Muslims’ spreading over three continents has become the most honorable victory in history.”
While an ignorant psychopathic person writes in his pamphlet that the East was absorbed in and intoxicated with religion, these non-Muslim but impartial writers, such as John Davenport, the British Lord, wrote with their reason: “As the Muslims in Andalusia were sowing seeds of knowledge and science in the West, Mahmud al-Ghaznawi was spreading knowledge and wisdom in the East, and his country had become a center for scientists. The Islamic Ruler increased production, and the wealth he had gathered from his resources was used for doing good deeds and for developing the country. As prosperity and civilization made progress in the East, Louis VII of France captured the town of Vitri, set it on fire and burned thirteen hundred people. In those days, civil wars sprinkled death in England, where the land was not cultivated, and everything was destroyed. In the fourteenth century, Anglo-French wars were so tragic, so destructive that history has not seen its like. But in the East, in Muslim countries, Firuz Shah Tughluq III, who became the Emperor of Delhi in 752 A.H. (1351), built fifty barrages and canals, forty mosques, thirty schools, a hundred public lodgings, a hundred hospitals, a hundred public baths, and a hundred and fifty bridges until his death in 790. In India, prosperity and happiness reigned in the country of Shah Jihan. He had 'Ali Murad Khan, an engineer, build the Delhi Canal. Marble fountains with water jets and public marble baths were built in every part of the city. Each house was supplied with water. The whole country enjoyed security.”
- “Religion is an expression of fatalism and contentment. It is an idea pertaining to the next world, which benumbed the oppressed and the hungry. It teaches that, in order to attain the blessings of the next world, it is necessary not to be very desirous of things in this world. The joy and need to live have broken fatalism and contentment and engendered a struggle to earn a better living. Religions are afraid of those who are against the systems that are dependent upon frozen and molded customs. The opium of religion renders a man insignificant, subordinate and without a means to earn a living,” he says.
Answer: Such lies and abominable slanders are not worth answering, for a wise person who knows the truth does not believe them. Yet, though the enemies of Islam are not wise, they are cunning. In order to deceive the youth, they busy them with vain and useless things, give them the drugs that are pleasant for the nafs and suitable for their lust. In this way, they prevent them form learning religious knowledge. To protect the innocent youth, who are preoccupied and benumbed, from believing these lies and from drifting into calamity, it has become necessary to briefly write the truth. A fortunate young person who reads our book Endless Bliss well, will learn Islam correctly and precisely; he will not believe falsifications. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), by stating, “He who has knowledge becomes a Muslim. He who is ignorant will get deceived by the enemies of the religion,” advises us to become well-informed.
It is correct to say that religion is the belief in fate and contentment. But fate, contrary to what this poor ignoramus thinks, does not mean not to work or not to aspire. Qadar means that Allahu ta’ala knows beforehand what people will do, Allahu ta’ala commands men to work. He praises those who work. He declares in the ninety-fourth ayat of the Surat an-Nisa: “Those who perform jihad, work and struggle are higher and more valuable than those who sit and worship instead of performing jihad.” Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, “Allahu ta’ala likes those who earn a living by working.” As it is understood well from historical studies and from the chapter entitled Earning and Trade in the Turkish version of Endless Bliss, Islam is the religion of work and development. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) commanded progress and improvement each day, by saying. “He who has remained in the same grade on two [successive] days or has not made progress has deceived himself.” He also declared, “Do not postpone your work until tomorrow, or else you will perish!” and “Learn foreign languages. Thus you will be safe against the malice of the enemy!”
It is very unfair and base to say that thinking of the blessings of the next world prevents working. The hadiths, “He who earns by working will be shining like the full moon on the Day of Resurrection”; “The scholars’ sleep is worship”; “Earn what is halal and spend it for useful purposes”; “The sins of the person who lends money to his brother-in-Islam will be forgiven,” and “There exists a way which leads to everything. The way leading to Paradise is knowledge,” commands us to earn by working and states that those who earn a living by legitimate methods and spend their earnings on useful things in the world will earn the next world. “Religion prevents people from revolting. Therefore, it is opium,” he says. This nonsense of the author very well explains his lack of understanding concerning religion and civilization. It is obvious that these words are not expressions of knowledge or research. They are nothing but a form of exploitation which is intended to flatter communist leaders in order to obtain a post by means of blind enmity against religion. Those who give their faith away in order to obtain what is worldly are called “impostors of religion.” They have always been wrong and drifted into calamity. Their chiefs, with whom they have tried to ingratiate themselves, have fallen from their positions. Like every mortal being, these chiefs, being judged in the just presence of Allahu ta’ala, whom they disbelieved and resisted obstinately, have rolled down into endless torture. Their flatterers have forgotten about them and, transferring to other parties for their personal advantages, they have begun to worship other mortals.
- “In Arab countries, where the laws of the desert have been dominant, they have been attacking materialism and materialistic philosophy,” he says.
Answer: Formerly, enemies of religion used to memorize a few valuable words from the great men of tasawwuf, write and say them recklessly without understanding their meanings, and pretend to be men of Tariqa to entrap the youth. But now, by memorizing a few of the words of Western men of science and ideas, by holding overcoats and filling the wine glasses of their masters, and by toadying, they get a diploma and seize a post. Playing the part of cultured and learned men of knowledge, they vomit forth their enmity against Islam by means of the words which they have memorized, present them to the youth and attempt to deceive Muslim children by displaying them as the attractive offerings of masons and communists.
Those ignoble people who lack scientific knowledge but have obtained diplomas through unlawful means and who have attacked Islam under the mask of a “scientist” are called “impostors of science.” At one time, one such fake scientist became the authority of a district with the help of his dubious diploma. Seeing that the people did not regard him as a person of consequence, he held a meeting, gathered the villagers and the men of religion, and spewed out such terms as ‘materialistic philosophy,’ ‘modern,’ and ‘illuminated men.’ Seeing that everybody respected men of religion but took no notice of him, he fell into a fit. He uttered base terms exposing his dirty character and evil thoughts. Meanwhile, alluding to men of religion, he said. “He who has not been to Europe is an ass.” The Mufti Effendi, running out of patience, said, “Has your exalted father ever honored Europe with his presence?” When the other deigned to give the reply “No” with a coarse voice, the Mufti Effendi concluded, “Then, your exalted person is an ass through your father,” thus making this authority figure fall into his own trap. The “progressive” and “illuminated” but block-headed and ignorant people, who do not know of the greatness of Islamic scholars or of the famous and honored superiority of the Islamic civilization that fills libraries worldwide, have attacked Islam’s steel fortress with popguns, so to speak, and they have all disgraced and routed themselves.
- “Those who caused the decline in the economy took advantage of the circumstances by suggesting that everyone be content with a fatalist morsel and only a coat. This demonstrates the intoxicating affect of the religion. Civilization means to aspire for more economic prosperity and to struggle for this. But religion broke and benumbed these movements for the development of society with such expressions as contentment with fate, the next world and spirituality,” he says.
Answer: Here is another living picture of toadying, which we have portrayed in the preceding paragraph! What a great lie it is to say that Islamic fighters, who immigrated over three continents in thirty years, defeated the armies of Persia and Rome (the two greatest empires of that time and especially brought the whole Persian Empire to an end), and who won the love of every nation owing to their justice and beautiful morals, were benumbed, drowsy people who were given opium! One who knows even a little history will only sneer and become disgusted at this ignoble, base slander. Islam commands people to work and make progress and promises Paradise to those who become rich and help the poor. If this writer had seen the works of Islamic art, which Europeans and Americans marvel at, and their articles praising Muslim accomplishments in knowledge and science, he would have perhaps been ashamed to scribble these lines. We say ‘perhaps’ for it is a virtue to bear the feeling of shame, and it is out of place to expect shamefulness from a non-virtuous person.
Islam commands Muslims to work and to develop. Contentment does not mean to be content with “only a coat” and sit idly. Muslims are not this way at all. Contentment means to be content with one’s own earnings and not to cast covetous eyes on others’ earnings. It was Islam which brought civilization to Europe, for Islam shows the way to economic prosperity and commands people to work to attain it. The following hadiths, as well as many others, show that the above quoted words are gross fabrications: “The benevolent, the highest of people are those who are more useful to others”; “The best of favors is to give alms”; “The most benevolent of you is the one who supplies people with much nourishment,” and “The most benevolent among you is the one who does not expect anything from others but works and earns his living.”
- “What has handicapped efforts to reach a common civilization in the course of history is the imperative power of religion. The imperative authority of religion, which hinders the purposes of revolutions, should be annihilated,” he says.
Answer: This fake scientist repeats “civilization” and strives to hypnotize young brains with this magical word. He thinks it is civilization to establish enormous, heavy industries and to make electronic machines and nuclear-powered factories as a means to facilitate fornication and using women as diversions. He also wants to become a boss by smuggling foreign exchange, lying, deceit and speculation, or to satisfy bestial desires by living at the expense of the working class. The civilization that the scholars of Islam described and commanded Muslims to attain is “Ta’mir-i bilad wa tarfih-i 'ibad”, that is, it is to develop countries by constructing buildings, machines and factories and to utilize technology and all kinds of revenues for the people’s freedom, welfare and peace. In the twentieth century, only the first of these two aspects of civilization exists. Though the improvements in technology are dazzling, economic and technical discoveries are being used to enslave people, to perpetrate cruelty and torture. Communist states and dictatorial regimes exemplify this. The twentieth century is a century of technology. It is far from being a century of civilization.
This socialist writer is very serious about his desire to annihilate the religion, for Islam prohibits immorality, dishonesty, exploitation, hypocrisy, dictatorship, condemnation and, in short, every kind of bad behavior that gnaws at humanity. A malicious person with a corrupt character certainly does not wish for goodness be done. Lowlife defeatists certainly fear the constructiveness of Islam. This dishonest disbeliever calls history to perjure itself in order to make it believable that Islam has handicapped civilization. If he had a little knowledge of history, perhaps he would refrain himself a little. Even non-Muslim historians admit the fact that Islam has served civilization and has shed light upon modern development in Europe and America.
It is clear that this ignorant impostor of science is not so intelligent or literate as to fable these lies by himself. He strives to belittle Islam by quoting the attacks that have been rightfully directed against Christianity in Europe. But, because he is wrong and because his seeing and understanding as well as his knowledge are inadequate, he makes a mess of it.
It will be pertinent here to write about those who are hostile towards Christianity and why they attack it and to explain that these attacks cannot be directed towards Islam.
Christianity, which lost its divine value altogether during the time of Constantine the Great, became a means for political advantages. The clergy opened bloody wars against non-Christians. They forced everybody to become a Christian blindly. Luther went to extremes in these crazy attacks. He was furiously angry with any religion, any nation that was not Protestant. Missionary organizations, on the other hand, tried to confuse everyone, mislead everyone’s conscience and then propagandized Christianity through new articles each day. Christian attacks, which were compatible neither with knowledge nor with science and which were perpetrated sometimes with bloodshed and sometimes through decent, incurred great hatred towards Christianity in Europe in the eighteenth century. It has been written that priests were deceiving the people, forcing them to believe in superstitions and striving to enslave everybody to their ideas. But this enmity did not remain directed against the Christian religion only. There appeared those who attacked every religion. Instead of seeing that the priests’ evil deeds originated from the defilement and alternation in the religion, they thought it originated from religion. Without studying religions, they attributed the evils inherent in Christianity to religion and attacked religions. One of those who went the furthest in his enmity towards religion was Voltaire. Like Luther, he, too, slandered Islam and, thinking that our Master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was as Luther described him, he spoke ill of him. Without studying Islam, these too, like Christians in general, attacked all religions.
For the first time in the nineteenth century. Von Herder, a German, said that bearing enmity against religions blindly was as wrong as Christianization by force. He put forward the necessity to study religions, particularly Islam. Thus, people in Europe began to understand Muhammad’s ('alaihi 's-salam) life and the astonishing superiorities of the lightsome way shown by Islam for the administration of individuals, families and societies. Carlyle, a British thinker, praised Muhammad’s (alaihi 's-salam) life, moral qualities and accomplishments under the heading A Hero Who is the Prophet in his book The Heroes, which he wrote in 1841. In this book he wrote, “An exalted person who administered hundreds of millions of people for twelve centuries and who caused the establishment of civilized States in the East and in the West could never be a counterfeiter as Luther and Voltaire wrote. A low person cannot realize Hadrat Muhammad’s (alaihi 's-salam) accomplishments. Only a perfect person who possesses faith and morals can give faith to others. Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) was born to exalt mankind. If it had not been so, no one would have followed him. Muhammad’s (alaihi 's-salam) words are true, for a liar cannot establish even a home, let alone a religion.” During the time of Carlyle, there was no reliable Islamic books in Europe. But, with the help of his keen insight and studying, which took many years, he did not believe the lies of the Christians nor of the enemies of religion and was able to see the historical truth. Today, many Islamic books are being translated into European languages, and the misunderstandings, and uncertainties in Carlyle’s historical writings are being clarified.
If Luther’s abominable articles against the Qur’an al-karim and the horrible story fabled by Voltaire about Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) are compared with the article A Hero Who is the Prophet by Carlyle, one will understand well how differently Islam is viewed by fanatical Christians or ignorant enemies of religion and men of knowledge and observation. After Carlyle, the British scholar Lord Davenport in detail explained the beauty of Muhammad’s ('alaihi 's- salam) life and moral character and the fact that the Qur’an al-karim is a source of knowledge that guides people to happiness. He gave responses that silenced those who slandered the Qur’an al-karim and Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam).
As it is seen, today, enemies of Islam, for inciting the fire of slander, receive poison from three sources: the Christian missionaries, those who attack religions blindly like Voltaire, and communists who use people like animals and machines by eliminating every kind of truth and goodness.
- “Religion means to put up with what one has, to accept contentment, sufferings and inequalities. It is to fix the existing limits on a society. It prevents the attainment of a better life that decreases differences between [social] classes and hinders exploitation. This oppression is accomplished with the fear of Hell. Those who suffer are consoled with Paradise. It has killed the personalities of individuals,” he says.
Answer: He wants to inoculate Muslim children with the poisons he has received from the above-mentioned three sources, but he cannot manage it. Today, young people read Islamic books and learn their faith correctly. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) declared: “A person with equal earnings on two [successive] days has suffered a loss. A Muslim must make progress every day.” A wise youth who has heard of this command and carefully reads the command “Forward!” by Hadrat 'Umar, the Caliph of Rasulullah ('alaihi ‘s-salam), will certainly not believe the lies of this ignorant person, who passes himself of for a “progressive” man. Islam does not command the approval of inequalities, but justice and their eradication. The hadith ash- Sharif, “I came during the time of a just ruler,” praises even the justice of disbelievers without holy books. The hadith ash-Sharif written in Al-Manawi and Ad-Dailami declares: “Those who will be the first to enter Paradise are the just judges and the just statesmen.” Does this hadith ash-Sharif command and promote suffering and inequalities or avoiding suffering and inequalities? Our readers’ conscience will certainly answer this correctly, and it will be understood very well how deviated the disbelieving author is and whom he is striving to serve.
Islam commands zakat, lending and mutual help. It informs us that those who do these commands, which abolishes the differences between social classes, will go to Paradise. Not those who suffer pain, but those who resign themselves to the Giver of pain, the Creator, will enter Paradise. Islam is a progressive, dynamic religion that guides everyone to the best life. Islam does not “fix existing limits” but gives freedom to statesmen to keep in step with contemporary conditions of trade, industry, agriculture and war technology, and in applying every kind of scientific discovery for making progress. Allahu ta’ala ordered even His Beloved Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam), the highest and wisest human being in every respect, to “Consult with the Sahabat al-kiram! Hold counsel with them!” Each caliph of Islam had counsellors, councils and men of knowledge. It was not permissible for them to do anything without consulting. There should be no changes or reforms in 'ibadat, but advancement and progress in technology and worldly affairs are commanded. It was for this reason that Islamic States, established anywhere in the East or West, became advanced in every respect. Islam is a religion that facilitates individuality and freedom of idea. Each Muslim is more valuable than the whole world.
- “The religion resulted in internal and external exploitation. Contentment and putting up with fate caused indolence and exploitation. The resources of production were accumulated in certain hands. The great masses were not considered deserving of worldly happiness. The philosophy of ‘a morsel and only a coat’ did away with the strength to live and struggle. Hope for the next world caused suffering and inconvenience,” he says.
Answer: Talking about religion requires at least having a little religious knowledge. By likening Islam to today’s capitalist and communist exploiters, his attacks upon the religion indicate his enmity against Islam, an enmity which is so excessive that it blinds the eyes and covers the intellect with anger. While saying nothing against Western capitalists and cruel communists, who accumulate the means of production in certain hands and exploit the people, his attacking Islam, which commands social equality, is sheer hatred towards Islam and open servility to Russia. Because he does not have any Islamic knowledge, time and again he attacks contentment and belief in qadar. In the name of civilization he talks only about economics and earning money. He does not understand that contentment is a factor that prevents psychiatric diseases, removes incompatibility and hostility, and maintains order in societies. Contentment has expedited Islam’s spreading all over the world and the erecting of monuments of knowledge and science. Do the ayats, “He who works will earn”, and, “Everybody will find [the recompense for] what he does,” and also many hadiths, such as, “Allahu ta’ala likes those who earn by working,” and “Allahu ta’ala absolutely dislikes those young people who do not work,” which are written in Al-Munawi, command Muslims to work and make progress or to be lazy? Are the Umayyad, Abbasid, Ghaznawi, Indian Tamburlains, Andalusian and Ottoman civilizations, which were established by Muslims, indicators of studiousness or indolence? Can a Darwish’s uttering the words “a morsel and only a coat” change the commands of the Qur’an al-karim and the hadiths? The utterance of a Darwish in an ecstatic state is suitable and appropriate for his own state, but it is not the whole of Islam. Belief in the next world engenders not suffering but order and ease for individuals, families and society. History shows clearly that this is so. Islam commands not self-infliction, but the ending of material and spiritual sufferings and the avoiding of inconveniences and sorrows.
- “These countries are still being administered with the laws of the desert,” he says.
Answer: The commands and teachings that are stated in the Qur’an al-karim, which was revealed by Allahu ta’ala and in hundreds of thousands of hadiths arouse admiration within men of knowledge and wisdom from all over the world. In order to explain the superiority and value of these teachings and commands, scholars of Islam have written thousands of books, some of which are cited in this book. Even non-Muslim men of knowledge readily express this truth. Goethe said, “He who reads the Qur’an al-karim for the first time does not derive pleasure, but it attracts the reader to itself afterwards. Later on, it conquers him with its beauty.” Gibbon said, “The Qur’an al-karim reveals not only a belief in Allahu ta’ala and in the next world but also civil laws and criminal codes. It has brought the unchangeable commands of Allahu ta’ala and the laws that govern all the affairs and states of human beings.”
Davenport said, “The Qur’an al-karim regulates religious duties, daily affairs, the soul’s purity, the body’s health, men’s duties and rights upon one another and upon the society, the things that are useful to people and to societies, and the knowledge of morals and punishment. The Qur’an al-karim is a political system. Every state of the living and of the lifeless is regulated. On morals, it is very tidy and very strong. The Qur’an al-karim commands to always be helpful. It strengthens social equality. It exerts a favorable effect on civilization. There can be no behavior as unfair and as ridiculous as to confront, out of stubbornness and hostility, the Qur’an al-karim with ignorant criticism; it is the most valuable book sent by Allahu ta’ala for the benefit and happiness of mankind.”
As it is seen, every wise and reasonable person gets attached to the Qur’an al-karim and respects it as much as he understands it. No immorality, baseness or idiocy can be worse than saying “the laws of the desert” about this holy book.
- “Other Eastern countries have been directing themselves towards a national, Western ideology by throwing away the laws of the desert, and they are becoming conscientious by abandoning the opium of religion,” he says.
Answer: Even non-Muslims express their admiration for Islam, which this ignorant, eccentric writer calls opium. Mocheim said, “No time can be thought to be worse than those black days which obscured Europe during the tenth century. Even the Latin nations, the most advanced of the age, had nothing other than logic in the name of knowledge and science. Logic was thought to be superior to all other branches of knowledge. At that time, Muslims built schools in Spain and Italy. Young European men assembled at these places to learn knowledge. After learning the teaching methods of Islamic scholars, they opened Christian schools.”
The dazzling Islamic civilization, which is written and praised unanimously by the world’s history books, was established by those who followed the Qur’an al-karim. Today, science has progressed and gigantic industries have been established in Europe, America and Russia. Space travel has begun, but in none of these countries has peace of mind been provided. Employers’ prodigality and dissipation and workers’ poverty have not been removed. In communism, the State exploits the people; millions of people work for their food only, hungry and naked as they are; and a cruel, blood-shedding minority live at their expense. They lead a pleasurable life in palaces and commit every atrocity. Since they do not obey the Qur’an al-karim, they cannot attain comfort and peace. To be civilized, it is necessary to imitate them in science and technology, to work and accomplish things as they do, since the Qur’an al-karim and hadiths command us to make progress in science and arts. For example, the hadith reported by Ibn Adi and al-Munawi (rahmat-Allahu ta’ala 'alaihima) declares: “Allahu ta’ala certainly likes His servant who makes progress and has a craft,” and the hadith written in Hakim at-Tirmidi and al-Munawi declares: “Allahu ta’ala certainly likes to see that His servant has a craft.”
Accomplishing solely this, however, does not suffice for being civilized. The blessings that are earned should be shared equitably, and the worker should get the equivalent of his labor. And this justice can be obtained only by following the Qur’an al-karim. Today, Europe, America and Russia are successful in those areas wherein they work in conformity with Islam. However, since the advantages are not distributed in accordance with the principles of justice in the Qur’an al- karim, the people cannot attain comfort and peace, and class conflicts cannot be avoided. Those who do not obey the Qur’an al-karim can never become happy. Those who obey it with or without belief in it, that is, whether they are Muslims or not, get as much benefit from it in this world as the extent of their obedience to it. Those who believe in and obey it get benefit from it both in this and the next worlds; they live in comfort and prosperity in this world and will attain endless felicity, infinite blessings in the next. Both history and daily events show clearly that this word is true. As for those who do not follow the way shown by the Qur’an al-karim, no matter whether they are Muslims or not; the farther away they get from the way it prescribes the worse harm they will suffer and the more disastrous their future will be.
Sakip Sabanci, a well-known Turkish businessman, has revealed that when he was in America for an important heart operation, a Protestant priest employed in that hospital visited him before the operation and said, “Tomorrow, an important operation will be carried out on you. You do not belong to my religion; you are a Muslim. But all of us believe in the same Creator. All of us are His human servants. It is a duty for all of His servants to take refuge in Him at such a delicate time as this. Therefore, I will pray for you tonight.” Sakip Sabanci’s reaction to this was: “I cannot express how much these words of the priest’s moved me and encouraged me.” The following is his article published in a daily on March 8, 1981, with the title “Turning Towards Spiritual Values”.
"It is seen that there are no limits for improvement in science and technology. However, another apparent reality is that improvements in science and technology, increases in material power, and the daily improvements in the standards of living are not sufficient to provide men with happiness.
And above all, after a certain stage is reached, improvements in science and technology and the success in increasing material wealth are perfected by ‘gaining spiritual and moral virtues.’
Now the development called the ‘Japanese Model’ is an open example of this. The aspiration of ‘the Japanese type of export’ and ‘the Japanese type of industry’ is frequently repeated in everyday life in Turkey nowadays.
The Japanese learned how to manufacture cars at giant establishments in the United States of America. In a short time, however, they were able to compete with these establishments in international, and even American markets. They could manage to sell products in a more successful way.
To my belief, there are three reasons for this achievement:
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Technology; 2. Working in a disciplined manner;
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Adherence to traditions and spiritual values.
The transfer of technology from one country to another is possible despite its certain costs or hardships.
But disciplined work, adherence to traditions and spiritual values can never be transferred as soon as they are paid for. Unfortunately, these factors have fallen into a situation of being neglected and slighted in our country.
When we attentively observe our past and compare it with Japan, we see that the Turks have been one of the rare nations of the world in respect to adhering to traditions, maintaining discipline while working and observing spiritual values.
There exists a strong family structure. The members gather around the old one in the family. There is high regard for him, and he is responsible for protecting the young.
The Turk is in a struggle for the sake of his country, flag, religion and chastity. This is a holy fight for him.
In war, he fights ‘in the Name of Allah.’ When starting a new job, he begins with His Name. He entrusts his beloved ones to Allah.
There is a system of manners and traditions regulating the crafts and trades among Turks. Old societies of tradesmen, the guilds, the protecting masters of every craft and master-assistant master-apprentice relations are the examples of discipline established by Turks in the field of trades and crafts.
And for centuries the religion of Islam has been one of the fundamental spiritual values facilitating an attachment among millions of Turks scattered throughout every corner of the world.
While evaluating a profile of our Turkey towards the second half of 1981, there are many advantages in remembering these ‘spiritual values’ we possessed in the past but have neglected in recent times.
We cannot attribute our serious social and political disorder, which we are now trying to get out of, solely to economic reasons.
For our population, which exceeds 50 million and increases by a million every year, we are obliged to provide a country ‘developed according to contemporary civilization’ and ‘a quality of life conformable with human honor.’ However successful we will become, it is apparent that it will be hard to keep the 50 million people happy all the time by only increasing the material means.
It is our most important duty to seek and to put forth spiritual values common to all, values which will bring 50 million together and give a greater sense of determination to work more peacefully, together. To realize unity among 50 million we must apply this training.
Belief in Allah, fearing Him and the religion of Islam are the essentials that will give hope and determination to work for those who have remained helpless concerning material problems.
It has been understood that spiritual development is needed in order for economic development to be useful.
Please remember that the astronaut who landed on the moon had a book of his religion in his pocket.
THIS IS WHAT OUR OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE: To possess technology and the ability to travel to the moon… but, if we do possess this technology and means, we must continue to seek Allah’s Power and Support…
We must maintain our search to make use of the great strength of the Islamic religion by encouraging our new generations to have spiritual values. We are obliged to lay stress on religious education as a spiritual support in schools. Before much more time is lost, we should start a sufficient religious educational program in our schools.
Adherence to traditions will result in greater mutual tolerance about thoughts and actions and produce greater mutual love and respect, which we greatly need. It will minimize and calm mutual opposition and help in the establishment of internal peace. Thus, a more authentic and stronger social establishment will result.
Otherwise, it is very hard to make happy and govern masses of men who are devoid of spiritual values and traditions. Social order will not be easily established in such a society.
In the Qur’an al-karim, it is stated: ‘Do not get slack; do not worry. If your belief is firm, you will certainly succeed.’
Today we hear and read that people all over the world are trying to know one another more closely and now look from a different point of view at many of the things they used to refuse. Let me give you a simple example: Americans used to claim that there were many cruel rules in Islam and put forth the thief’s hands being cut off as the principal one from among them. We were astonished and could not help smiling at the recent proposal of Douglas Huff, an American Senator from the State of Illinois, who, upon the rapid increase in cases of robbery in his State, said that it shall be passed as a law that the hands of the thieves should be cut off as it is done in Muslim countries. The Senator wrote in his proposal, ‘This might strike you as cruel. But I cannot think of another solution. I think God imposes upon His servants a from of punishment that is appropriate. Those who commit a crime should fear Him.’ As you see, men get closer to the rules of Islam day by day. There is every reason for the Islamic religion, the latest from of the religions calling upon One Creator, to be the world religion.
We repeat that religion is a treasure of energy that protects us from doing harmful and evil actions, blocks our ambitions, nourishes and purifies our souls, makes us -by disclosing our good habits- kind and helpful human beings who obey our elders, prohibits us from rebelling and disobeying the laws, gives hope and encouragement to us to achieve our goals, consoles us when we fail, lessens our sufferings, fills us with strength and hope to live, opens and leads us to the way of Allah by making us exact and perfect men, in summary, enables us to attain peace in this world and endless bliss in the next.
We must embrace our religion, obey its commands and prohibitions, and realize its value. But we must strictly avoid using it in simple, worldly affairs or for base, personal advantages. This blessed country and this holy religion were harmed much on account of impostors who deceived the people for the sake of their own personal ambitions and ugly purposes by saying. ‘The religion is being lost.’ They forced everyone to rebel.
Religious and scientific impostors have caused much damage to the happiness of this country, of our nation. Impostors of religion, using the religion as a means for their personal benefits and political purposes, pushed forward nonreligious things as if they belonged to the religion. At the same time, impostors of science, again for their own personal and political purposes, endeavored to destroy the youth’s belief in the religion and, for this end, put forth their non-scientific, destructive and divisive words to be accepted as scientific knowledge by the youth. Impostors of religion, pretending to be religious men, exploited the people’s adherence to their religion, while impostors of science, pretending to be scientists and showing off their diplomas in science, exploited the people’s confidence in scientific knowledge. We must be fully aware of the tricks of these impostors of religion and science.
In recent times, too, there have appeared some hypocrites who want to use the religion and science as a tool for politics. It has been discovered that most of the anarchists and bandits, who have been caught with their bombs, telescopic guns, antitank rockets and transmitting and receiving radio-sets have turned out to be the impostors of science at universities. The rest are workers, male or female students deceived by them. As we read in newspapers about the treacheries and murders put into practice or will be practiced by these tens of thousands of impostors of science, we understand in horror and consternation what a terrible calamity or doom they were leading our country towards. We do not know how to thank the commanders who, responding to the nation’s call for help, stopped this terrible course and rescued us from this catastrophe. Day and night we pray for the good of the Pashas who protected us. We will not have expressed thanks enough for the great blessing we have attained, even if for every moment we performed a prostration of thanksgiving towards our Rabb, who sent them to preside over us! May endless thanks be expressed to our Rabb for this very great blessing!
The religion and science are two very necessary, very useful aids for men. Scientific knowledge prepares the means and causes that are necessary for peace, prosperity and civilization. The religion facilitates the usage of these means for peace, prosperity and civilization. Communists have founded giant industries, enormous factories, dazzling rockets, and satellites with the help of the scientific knowledge they stole from Germany and America. Yet, only science exists in them; there is no religious component. That is why they use scientific products to torture their people, to attack others, and to raise rebellions and revolutions in other parts of the world. They are turning every place into dungeons. Their advancement in science results not in civilization but in savagery. Peace, prosperity and human rights are violated. Millions of people are put into destitution for the sake of a minority’s pleasure. For this reason, we must endeavor to learn the real religion and to be true Muslims.
See what the Qur’an al-karim says about true Muslims:
‘Know well! There is no fear for the friends of Allahu ta’ala. They will not be troubled!’ (Sura Yunus, 62 nd ayat)
Let us believe in the rules of Islam, that is, the commandments and prohibitions of Allahu ta’ala. By obeying these rules, our dear readers, we shall be able to help one another, help our country attain peace, prosperity and happiness.
FOOTNOTES
[18] Hadrat Muhammad and the Qur’an, Part 2, Chapter 2; London.
[19] Weekly periodical, The Muslim World, Pakistan, August 26, 1972
[20] Jean Mocheim, German theologian and historian, died in 1169 (1755)
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