One only need look at the Nazi’s brutal holocaust of the Jews earlier last century, or the more recent genocide in the former Yugoslavia, to see how ‘ethno-religious’ groups can suffer so terribly at the hands of racists. However, quite often, religion can itself be blamed for racial oppression.
Judaism though originating in the Middle East, is regarded as a Western religion, but the almost complete assimilation of Jews into all levels of Western society actually betrays Judaism’s exclusionist reality. Indeed, the God of the Old Testament is portrayed as an exclusive god of the Israelites:
‘There is no god in all the earth, but in Israel.’ * [Kings 5:15]
And while most Christians are overwhelmingly non-Jews, Jesus as the last of the Israelite prophets was sent to none but the Jews. In the Bible he is reported to have said:
‘I have not been sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’* [Matthew 15:24]
And likewise, every other prophet was sent exclusively to his own people, every prophet that is, except Muhammad.
Say (O Muhammad): O People! I am the Messenger of Allaah sent to you all. [Surah Al-A’raaf 7: 158]
As he (peace be upon him) was Allaah’s (i.e. God’s) final Messenger to mankind, Muhammad – salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s – message was a universal one that had the capacity to unite not only his own nation, the Arabs, but all the peoples of the world.
And We have sent you (O Muhammad) but to the whole of mankind as a giver of glad tidings and a warner, but most people have no knowledge. [Surah Saba’ 34:28]
to be continued Insha’Allaah ta’aala ….
[This message has been edited by Sentinel (edited November 05, 2001).]
One of the earliest converts to Islaam was an Abyssinian slave named Bilaal. Traditionally, black Africans were lowly people in the sight of Arabs who thought them to be of little use beyond entertainment and slavery. When Bilal converted to Islaam, his master had him brutally tortured in the scorching desert until Abu Bakr, the Prophet – salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s – closest friend, rescued Bilaal by buying his freedom. Muhammad – salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – appointed Bilaal as mu’athin (caller to prayer), and the call to prayer proclaimed from minarets in every corner of the world today echoes the exact same words pronounced by Bilaal. Thus a one time despised slave achieved one of the highest positions of honour in becoming the first mu’athin of Islaam.
Ancient Greece is accredited with being the birth place of democracy. However, Greece was a democracy only for its free citizens – the majority of its population, being slaves, were denied the right to vote for their ruler. Yet Islaam ordained that a slave could himself be ruler! The Prophet – salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – ordered:* “Stick to obedience (i.e. ‘Obey your ruler’) even if he is an Abyssinian slave.” * [Narrated by Ahmad]
Once Hazrat Bilaal (ra) entered the a group of people where Hazrat Omar (ra) was also present! Seeing Hazrat Bilal (ra) coming their way, Hazrat Omar (ra) stood up, and welcomed him saying 'Syedna Bilal'
You guys seem very knowledgeable on the topic of religion. I actually am writing a paper on the different theories of creation brought forth by different religions. I wanted to know what the belief in Islam is in reference to the creation. I am only asking you this because I am not a Muslim and any additional help from anyone would be appreciated. Thanking you in advance.
Mary
A book which i'm sure you'll find very useful for your research:
The Purpose of Creation by Dr. Bilal Philips (PhD Theology, University of Wales, UK)
This small, yet simple and comprehensive (and i think also discusses some theory) book is available in the UK and the Americas.
Also, you may find of significance a thread in this forum posted by Mr Xtreme titled, *"Does Religion Contradict Science? Part 1 *
[If you scroll down a little on the main page of this forum where all the topics are listed, it will be found]
I shall recall the second part to it in a day or two.
Hope this proves useful.
regards
[This message has been edited by Sentinel (edited November 06, 2001).]
Like most of his countrymen, Salman was raised a devout Zoroastrian, but after an encounter with some Christians at worship in their Church, Salman accepted Christianity as ‘something better’. As a Christian, Salman travelled extensively in search of knowledge. His journey took him from the service of one learned monk to the next, the last of whom said to him:
“Oh son! I don’t know of anyone who is on the same (religion) as we are. However, the time of the emergence of a prophet will shade you. This prophet is on the religion of Abraham.”*
The monk then proceeded to describe the prophet, his character and where he would appear. Salman immigrated to Arabia, the land of the prophecy, and when he heard about and met Muhammad (peace be upon him), he immediately recognised him from his teacher’s descriptions. Salman’s long search for the Truth was finally over and he embraced Islaam.
Salman became renowned for his knowledge and was in fact the first person to translate the Qur’aan into a foreign language, Persian. Once, whilst the Prophet (peace be upon him) was amongst his companions, the following verse was revealed to him:
It is He (Allaah) Who had sent amongst the illiterates (i.e. the Arabs) a Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst themselves … and (also to) others (i.e. non-Arabs) amongst them who have not yet joined them. [Qur’an 62:2-3]
Allaah’s Messenger placed his hand on Salman and said: *“Even if faith were near Pleidas (the highest star), a man from amongst these would surely attain it.” *
One such man was Imaam Muhammad Isma’eel of Bukhara (then a predominately Persian city). His famous collection of hadeeth (Prophetic narrations) entitled* ‘As-Saheeh’, was unanimously declared by the scholars of Islaam to be *‘The most authentic book after the Book of Allaah.’
Blonde-haired and fair complexioned Abu Yahya Suhayb was born into the luxurious house of his father, a client governor for the Persian Emperor. Whilst still a child, Suhayb was captured by a Byzantine raiding party to be eventually sold into slavery in Constantinople [The Byzantine, or East Roman Empire was finally brought to an end when its ancient capital, Constantinople, was conquered by the young Ottoman Sultan, Muhammad al-Fatih, in 1453 CE. The conquest was a watershed in world history, marking the end of the Middle Ages as well as a fulfilment of a prophecy of the Prophet (peace be upon him)].
Suhayb eventually escaped from bondage and fled to Makkah, a popular place for asylum, where he soon became a prosperous merchant nick named* ‘Ar-Roomi’* (the Roman) due to his Greek tongue and Byzantine up-bringing. When Suhayb heard Muhammad preach, he was at once convinced of the truth of his message and readily embraced Islaam. Like the rest of the early Muslims, Suhayb was persecuted by the idolatrous Makkans and had to trade all his wealth in exchange for safe passage to join the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Madeenah. When Suhayb finally arrived at Madeenah, the Prophet delighted to see him, greeted him thrice:* ‘Your transaction has been fruitful. O Abu Yahya. Your transaction has been fruitful.”* Allaah had informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) of Suhayb’s exploits even before they were re-united:
And there is the kind of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allaah. And Allaah is full of kindness to His servants. [Qur’aan 2:207]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) loved Suhayb a great deal and described him as having preceded the Byzantines to Islaam. Suhayb’s piety and standing among Muslims was so high that when Caliph ‘Umar was on his death-bed, he selected Suhayb to lead the Muslims whilst they were choosing a successor.
The Jews were another nation that pre-Islamic Arabs held in contempt. Many Jews and Christians had been expecting a new prophet to appear in Arabia during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Jews from the Levite tribe in particular had settled in large numbers in and around the city of Madeenah. However, when the much-anticipated prophet came not as a Hebrew son of Israel, but as an Arab descendent of Ishmael, the Jews rejected him. Except that is, for a few like al Husayn bin Salam. Al-Husayn was a learned rabbi and leader of the Madeenah Jews, but was denounced by them when he embraced Islaam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) re-named al-Husayn, ’Abdullaah, meaning ‘the Servant of Allaah’ and during his own life time, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave Abdullaah the glad tidings that he was destined for Paradise. Abdullaah addressed his tribesmen, saying: ‘* O assembly of Jews! Be conscious of Allaah and accept what Muhammad has brought. By Allaah, you certainly know that he is Allaah’s Messenger and you can find prophecies about him and mention of his name and characteristics in your Torah. I for my part declare that he is the Messenger of Allaah. I have faith in him and believe that he is true. I know him.’*
Allaah revealed the following verse about Adullaah:
** … and a witness from the children of Israel testifies that this Qur’an is from allaah like (the Torah). So he believed while (most of) you (Jews) are too proud (to believe).** [Qur’an, 46:10]
Thus in the ranks of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) companions could be found Africans, Persians, Romans and Israelites; representatives of every then-known continent. The Prophet said:* ‘Indeed my friends and allies are not the tribe of so and so. Rather, my friends and allies are the pious – wherever they may be.’* [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]
This point was further emphasised by the Prophet when he said:* ‘There is truly no excellence for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for a white man over a black man, nor for a black man over a white man; except through piety.’* [Ahmad]
O humanity! We have created you from a single male and female and have made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another (not that you may have pride over one another). Verily the most honourable of you in the sight of Allah is the one most pious. [Qur’an 49:13]
The brotherhood that Islam calls for was championed by Muhammad’s companions after him, including his immediate temporal successors: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali (collectively known as the four Rightly Guided Caliphs). When the companion ‘Ubaida ibn as-Samit, led a Muslim delegation to Muqawqis, the Christian Patriach of Alexandria, Muqawqis exclaimed:* ‘Get this black man away from me and bring another to talk to me.’* He said to ‘Ubaida’s comrades:* ‘How can you be content that a black man should be the foremost among you? Is it not more fitting that he be below you?’ ‘Indeed no’, they replied, ‘for although he is black as you see, he is still the foremost among us in position, in precedence, in intelligence and in wisdom, for blackness is not despised among us.’*
Verily, the Believers are but brothers (to one another). [Qur’an 49:10]
The spread of nationalism, with its separating of Muslims along ethnic, linguistic and tribal lines, is an evil and divisive innovation in Islam. Allah says in His Book:
Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your tribe, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving hard in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision. And Allah guides not a rebellious people. [Qur’an 9:24]
In fact, the Muslims in and of themselves constitute one nation:
Thus we have made you (believers into) a justly-balanced nation. [Qur’an 2:143]
The Prophet said:* ‘Whoever leaves off obedience and separates from the Jam’ah and dies, (then) he dies a death of jahaliyyah (i.e. pre-islamic ignorance and disbelief). And whoever fights under the banner of the blind, becoming angry for nationalism or calling to nationalism or assisting nationalism and dies, (then) he dies a death of jahiliyyah.’* [Muslim]
While those who disbelieved placed in their hearts pride and haughtiness – the pride and haughtiness of jahiliyyah, Allah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers. [Qur’an 48:26]