Ruling image of Islam

Why Islam has been portrayed (emphasized) in almost all fiqah / seerat books as ruling religion and Muslims as born to rule the world?

If we look at history, due to this portrayal Muslim clergy always found it justified to rule and convert non-Muslims even in conquered areas like India where non-Muslims were in majority. This all has kept Muslims living in denial state. They just want to rule the world without considering the ground realities and without having required abilities.

Why not fiqah / seerat books emphasie on issues like lifestyle of Muslims when they are living in a country as a minority? Prophet (SAW) and Muslims lived in Makka as minority for 13 years (out of 23 years of prophet hood).

Re: Ruling image of Islam

while its interesting that the muslims from the regions like subcontinent claim to be better(real) muslims then those "rulers"

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sorry, but what does that mean and what link it got with the discussion?

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maybe i got it wrong but, bolded part implies muslim rulers, especially Arabs, converted the non-muslims of India forcefully. interesting and contradicting part is, majority of muslims of the subcontinent today, are claiming that we are better(real)
muslims then those "rulers"

Re: Ruling image of Islam

Best answer to your query on behalf of Ajazali is:

Bakay Ja raha hoon baikhudi may kiya kiya
Kuch na samjhay khuda karay koyiee

:)

Re: Ruling image of Islam

It is wrong assumption that Islam is portrayed by true Muslim scholars or any fiqh as ruling religion or assumes that Muslims are born to rule the world.

Islam (as well as Quran) does not justify forced rule over any non-Muslim area, any non-Muslims, aggressive Jihad, or encourages forces conversion of non-Muslims.

If Islam was using forces conversion in conquered areas, than India today would have been Muslim majority. Even if forces conversion was not adopted, rather encouragement of conversion with incentive was adopted than also India would have been Muslims majority, as lower caste would have easily accepted Islam. Surprisingly, in India, it was not lower caste but in most cases upper caste Hindus adopted Islam, and that shows no forced or encouraged conversion.

As for why Islam (or Islamic literature) does not talk about Muslims living as minority, then there is reason for it.

In Islam, there is no concept of boundary, son of soil, or belonging to a country. All these concepts are un-Islamic (in ideal situation). That means, if there is an area where Islam is ruling religion, then it becomes incumbent for Muslims to migrate to that area and live under Islamic rule (obviously, if that is practically possible). Similarly, it becomes incumbent for Muslims of that area to accept Muslims from other areas to live with them as equal citizen of that area without any discrimination (obviously, if that is practically possible).

First Muslim state came into existence was Madina, 13 years after Prophet (SAW) started preaching Islam. Once this Muslim state came into existence, it became incumbent for Muslims to migrate there and fight to keep that state Islamic. With time, boundary of Islamic state increased, and that mean, no concept for Muslims living in non-Islamic state.

With existence of Islamic state, and obligation to migrate there for any Muslim living outside Islamic state, and obligation for Muslims of Islamic state to welcome migrating Muslims as equal citizen of that Islamic state to live there without any discrimination, there was no need to think about Muslims living in non-Islamic state as Minority, hence no work on this situation (on situation that Muslims living in un-Islamic state under non-Islamic rule as Minority).

Actually, it was first time when India came under British rule that large number of Muslims started living in state ruled by non-Muslims, and worse situation is today, when due to financial or whatever selfish reasons, Muslims are migrating to non-Muslim states (Christian west) to live (that is completely against Islam and against instructions of Allah to Muslims in Quran).

Re: Ruling image of Islam

apki takleef se andaza lagaya ja skta hai ke mera point valid hai

Re: Ruling image of Islam

you missed the word 'CLERGY' in the paragraph. Clergy wanted to kill or convert non-Muslims, but it was due to political acumen of rulers that there views were ignored to great extent.

Re: Ruling image of Islam

:)

Muqawwee123: Brother ... one should know that with these ayahs in Quran and similar ayahs at various places in Quran, Once a Muslim state exists (that happened when Madina became Muslim state), there is no need for a Muslim to live in non-Muslim state as minority, under non-Muslim laws ... hence no need for scholars or anyone to write on how a Muslim should live in non-Muslim state ruled by non-Muslims and under non-Islamic laws:

Quran Surah 8 … Ayah 72-74:

Those who believed, and adopted exile, and fought for the Faith, with their property and their persons, in the cause of Allah, as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid,- these are (all) friends and protectors, one of another. As to those who believed but came not into exile, ye owe no duty of protection to them until they come into exile; but if they seek your aid in religion, it is your duty to help them, except against a people with whom ye have a treaty of mutual alliance. And (remember) Allah seeth all that ye do.
**
The Unbelievers are protectors, one of another:** Unless ye do this, (protect each other), there would be tumult and oppression on earth, and great mischief.

Those who believe, and adopt exile, and fight for the Faith, in the cause of Allah as well as those who give (them) asylum and aid,- these are (all) in very truth the Believers: for them is the forgiveness of sins and a provision most generous.

Re: Ruling image of Islam

There were discussions on GS last month about the Muslims living in west celebrating Xmas and other western festivals. Our Muslim historians do talk about migration to Habsha, but they don't cover social interaction of Muslim minority with majority (Christian) there, because it does hit their agenda somewhere. The attitude of Muslims during first 13 years of Nabawwut is said to be not-applicable now, as Islam got ruling position after migration to Medina. Why not stay of Muslims in Makkah portrayed as an example for Muslims living as minority across the world?

Re: Ruling image of Islam

hanji, momin bad ikhlaaq nahi hota.

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Once Islamic state got established, many things changed including 'possibility of Muslims to live in non-Muslim countries'. Migration to Habsha was in era of pre-Islamic state.

Actually, before Islamic state was established (in Madina), even Jihad (Jihad with Sword ... or qattal) was not there neither many Islamic laws.

Re: Ruling image of Islam

which clergy suggested or practised this, for example ?
I mean to ask any example where clergy have killed non-muslims after accepting not the offer to convert/revert?

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Bhai jaan, may nay kab kaha kay may Momin hoon? Yea tou Allah hee jaan sakta hay.

As far as I am concerned, I only claim that I am Muslim, with all flaws a human can have. :)

Re: Ruling image of Islam

add one more thing, persisting with those "flaws"

Re: Ruling image of Islam

During Altamsh period, the discussion raised whether Hindus be killed or converted to Islam forcibly. A delegation of clergy came to the king with these demands. He replied that Islam doesn't allow to convert someone forcibly and if we want to kill all Hindus, we don't got such resources. If Hindu population opt to rebel, we can't stand them. This is all rational politics more than secular values, which was also followed by Akbar. Altamash was the person who made her daughter Raziya Sultan emperor of Delhi.

Ghayas u din Balban never allowed clergy to interfere in state matters and used to say openly that state matters are subject to rationality and compromises. When Balaban's sons started learning, he was suggested that princes should be taught fiqah ( jurisprudence) and sarf o nahv, but rejected the suggestion by saying 'give molvis gifts and rewards and ask them to leave'. He made his sons learn 'Aadab u Salatin' and 'Tasur u Salatin' imported from Turkey dealing with politics.

The letters of Shah wali ullah and Sarhandi are also not good examples for inter-religion harmony and equality.

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Brother, what I remember, in shair I wrote, the word used is Janoon (pagal-pan) but I replaced the word with bai-khudi (without sense of realization) takay aap bura na mano ... ab agay may kiya kar sakta hoon ... koshish karta hoon kay 'flaws' per control rakhun? :)

Re: Ruling image of Islam

But with the change of circumstances, Muslims migrating to west (for whatever reasons and compulsions) are now facing same kind of social problems as Muslims who migrated to Habsha. Why Muslims were not taught how to live their lives in such circumstances? If we claim that Islam is universal and for all the periods to come, there should be some guidelines (established from the events during Prophet's own period). No?

Re: Ruling image of Islam

banda e nacheez behad mashkoor hai es ehsaan k leay

Re: Ruling image of Islam

Actually, there is. One should live with non-Muslims the way Muslims were living with non-Muslims in Madina that takes into account religious differences.

In Madina, the constitution Prophet (SAW) gave is called, Messaq-e-Madina. After reading the constitution, from my understanding, the given constitution was secular in nature, allowed people following their religion independent of state interference. In Madina, citizens (Muslims and non-Muslims) were having social relationship with each other and respecting religions as well as religious sentiments of each other, interacting with each other sensitively.

Prophet (SAW) not only recognized all living in Madina as equal citizen, but each person was judged according to their religious beliefs, as long as judgment does not interfere with others rights.

Thus, a Muslim living in secular countries can live partially according to Islamic principles, still, for Muslims to live with non-Muslims under non-Muslims rule is not what Islam encourages.