About this blog

In recent times a plethora of misconceptions, misrepresentation and myths have been forged about Islam
and Muslims. Many western influentials from politicians, policymakers to judges have taken it upon
themselves to undermine the Islamic beliefs, values and rules so to make it palatable to their
egotistic minds and the secular liberal thoughts.

This blog is dedicated:-

1. To argue the point for Islam in its belief and systems and to refute the misconceptions.
2. To expose the weakness and contradictions of all forms of secularism.

19 Jun 2009

Prophet Muhammad (saws) established a complete State

Madinan society was not simply a loose gathering of Muslims; it had a structure and coherency to it. The Messenger (saw) established a political structure to regulate the affairs of society. They assisted him in running the affairs of State and ensuring that the Shariah laws governed society. For the Muslim Ummah today, it is a blueprint for the structure of an Islamic State.


Head of State (Imam) - The Messenger of Allah (saw) had been de facto Head of State from the two pledges. Legally this was sealed by the Sahifa document. The Messenger of Allah (saw) ruled over both Muslims and non-Muslims and he (saw) managed their affairs from the first day he (saw) set foot in Madinah. Once the Islamic State was founded He (saw) set about forming an Islamic society in which the welfare of the people was properly catered for. Acting in his capacity as a statesman he (saw) signed treaties with the Jews, with Banu Dhamrah and Banu Madlaj; later treaties were signed with Quraysh and with the people of Ayla, al-Jarba' and Uzrah.


Assistants to the Imam - The Messenger of Allah (saw) chose Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra) as his two assistants. Al-Tirmidhi narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "My two ministers among the people of the earth are Abu Bakr and Umar."


The meaning of the phrase "my two ministers" means my two assistants; this is what the word Wazir (minister) linguistically means in Arabic. As for the word 'minister', which people currently refer to, this is a Western term which represents a rather different meaning, i.e. the one who heads a department and rules over it. This is different from the Islamic ruling system's definition. Indeed the assistant, who the Messenger of Allah (saw) called minister (Wazir), does not become a specialist in one specific department like a minister because he is an assistant with powers of attorney for whom the Khalifah or Imam can assign any general task; he should not therefore specialise in one single department.


Armed Forces Commander and Armed Forces - The army, which was under the Amir of Jihad's auspices was effectively under the control of the Messenger of Allah (saw). In the coming years the Messenger of Allah (saw) would appoint commanders to lead certain expeditions; on one occasion he (saw) appointed Abdullah Ibn Jahsh (ra) at the head of a reconnaissance mission to Quraysh. On another occasion the Messenger of Allah (saw) appointed Abu Salma Ibnu Abdil Asad (ra) as the commander of a regiment of one hundred and fifty men, and he (saw) gave him its banner. This regiment contained some of the best Muslim heroes, among who were Abu Ubayda Ibn al Jarrah (ra), Sa'ad Ibn Abi Waqqas (ra) and Usayd Ibn Hudhayr (ra).


Wali's (Governors) - As the State expanded, the Messenger of Allah (saw) looked after the affairs of the people in his role as politician and chief administrator of the Islamic State by appointing a Wali (governor) in every sector and an 'amil (administrator) in every town so as to help solve problems and ensure the smooth running of the society in accordance with the revelation which he (saw) received. For example, he (saw) appointed 'Utab ibn Usayd as Wali (ra) over Makkah shortly after its conquest and once Badhan ibn Sasan (ra) embraced Islam he was appointed Wali of Yemen. Mu'adh ibn Jabal al-Khazraji (ra) was appointed as Wali over al-Janad and Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As (ra) was appointed 'amil over San'a. Allah's Messenger (saw) also appointed Zayd ibn Lubayd ibn Tha'labah al-Ansari (ra) as Wali of Hadramut, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (ra) as Wali of Zabeed and Aden, and 'Amr ibn al-'As (ra) as Wali of 'Oman. At home Abu Dujanah (ra) was appointed the 'amil of Madinah.


The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Amru Ibnu Hazm (ra) to Yemen to hold down the post of general governor in charge of ruling and finance as prescribed in the book handed to him by Allah's Messenger (saw) and Furwa Ibnu Sayl (ra) was appointed by Allah's Messenger (saw) as administrator ('Amil) over the tribes of Murad, Zubayd, and Mudhhaj.


The Messenger of Allah (saw) would appoint the most exemplary Muslims as governors whom he would command to teach the deen to those who accepted Islam and to receive from them the sadaqah. In most instances he (saw) would assign the task of collecting the funds to the Wali as well as ordering them to bring to the people the glad tidings of the arrival of Islam, culturing them with the Qur'an and making them understand the deen. He (saw) would instruct the Wali to be gentle and lenient in the face of truthfulness and harsh in dealing with rebellion and injustice, and to prohibit people from referring to the tribes and clans if there were agitations amongst them, so that their reference was to Allah (swt) alone without any other associate.

Judiciary - The Messenger of Allah (saw) appointed judges to settle people's disputes. He (saw) appointed 'Ali (ra) as judge over Yemen and 'Abdullah ibn Nawfal (ra) as judge over Madinah. He (saw) also appointed Mu'adh ibn Jabal (ra) and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (ra) as judges in Yemen as well. He (saw) inquired from them, "What would you judge by?" They replied, "If we do not find the judgment in the Book nor in the Sunnah we shall use analogy and exact a judgment." He (saw) approved of that method. The Messenger of Allah (saw) did not content himself solely with appointing judges; he (saw) also established complaints tribunals (madhalim) to deal with complaints concerning judges and Walis alike. He (saw) appointed Rashid ibn 'Abdullah (ra) as Amir of the judiciary and the complaints tribunals, with powers to supervise the cases brought before such tribunals.


Administration - The Messenger of Allah (saw) managed all aspects of people's affairs. He appointed registrars, who were like the Heads of departments of State; 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) was the Scribe for treaties, al-Harith ibn 'Auf (ra) was in charge of the Messenger of Allah's (saw) official stamp, Mu'ayqeeb ibn Abi Fatimah (ra) was secretary of the booties, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (ra) was in charge of assessing the crops and fruits throughout Hijaz, Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam (ra) was Secretary of Sadaqah, al-Mughira ibn Shu'bah (ra) was given the task of writing all the loan agreements and transactions, and Sharkhabeel ibn Hasanah (ra) was employed as the writer of messages which were sent to various kings.


He (saw) would appoint for every department a secretary or director regardless of the number of departments. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent 'Abdullah ibn Ruwahah (ra) to the Jews of Khaybar to assess their crops and fruits and collect their dues.


Majlis Ash-Shura (consultation body) - The Messenger of Allah (saw) did not establish a permanent one in his lifetime, but he did consult the Muslims whenever he deemed fit. Thus he (saw) gathered the Muslims on the day of Uhud and consulted them on several other occasions. However, as well as gathering the Muslims for consultation, He (saw) would summon some of his companions on a regular basis and consult them; they were regarded as leaders, such were Hamza, Abu Bakr (ra), Ja'afar (ra), Umar (ra), 'Ali (ra), 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (ra), Salman (ra), Ammar (ra), Hudhayfah (ra), Abu Dharr (ra), Al-Muqdad (ra) and Bilal (ra). They were like his (saw) council, i.e. Shura Council, for he (saw) consulted with them on a regular basis.


Accountability within the Government - The Messenger of Allah (saw) would check on the governors and administrators and monitor their work. He (saw) would listen to reports about them. He removed al-'Ala' ibn al-Hadrami, the 'amil of Bahrain, because a delegation of 'Abd Qays complained about him. He (saw) would check the administrators' collections and assess their revenues and expenditures. In one instance he (saw) appointed one man to collect the Zakat and when the man returned he said, "This is for you and this has been given to me as a present." Upon hearing this, Allah's Messenger (saw) said, "What is it with the man? We appoint him to work on what Allah has entrusted in us, and he says this is for you and this is a present given to me? Won't he stay in his parents' home and see if he gets any presents? If we appoint someone to do a job and pay him for it, anything he takes besides that would be ill gained."


The Messenger of Allah (saw) established this comprehensive structure that helped facilitate and execute the affairs of State. This structure was critical in the establishment of Islam as a way of life. This type of structure must be adhered to and adopted when establishing the Islamic State. Information concerning all these details of the structure of the Islamic State has been transmitted from generation to generation via tawatur (collective testimony). The Messenger of Allah (saw) held the post of Head of State from the very first day he arrived in Madinah, until his (saw) death. Abu Bakr (ra) and 'Umar (ra) were his two assistants. The Sahabah (ra) agreed after his (saw) death on the obligation of appointing a Khalifah to follow him as the Head of State only, not in the Message, nor as a Prophet, for he (saw) was verily the seal of Prophets.


[Extracted from the book ‘From Darkness into Light’ by Salim Fredericks, Ahmer Feroze]
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What they said...

“Islam represented the greatest military power on earth…It was the foremost economic power in the world…It had achieved the highest level so far in human history, in the arts and sciences of civilization...Islam in contrast created a world civilization, poly-ethnic, multiracial, international, one might even say intercontinental.”





[Bernard Lewis, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Orientalist and Historian, 2001]





"There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts…the civilization I'm talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600… Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage"





[Carly Fiorina, ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard, 2001]





"For the first three centuries of its existence (circ. A.D 650-1000) the realm of Islam was the most civilized and progressive portion of the world. Studded with splendid cities, gracious mosques and quiet universities where the wisdom of the ancient world was preserved and appreciated, the Moslem world offered a striking contrast to the Christian West, then sunk in the night of the Dark Ages."





[Lothrop Stoddard, Ph.D (Harvard), American political theorist and historian, 1932]





"Medieval Islam was technologically advanced and open to innovation. It achieved far higher literacy rates than in contemporary Europe;it assimilated the legacy of classical Greek civilization to such a degree that many classical books are now known to us only through Arabic copies. It invented windmills ,trigonometry, lateen sails and made major advances in metallurgy, mechanical and chemical engineering and irrigation methods. In the middle-ages the flow of technology was overwhelmingly from Islam to Europe rather from Europe to Islam. Only after the 1500's did the net direction of flow begin to reverse."





[Jared Diamond, UCLA sociologist and Author, 1997]



"No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity and endeavour so many and so varied races of mankind. The great Muslim communities of Africa, India and Indonesia, perhaps also the small community in Japan, show that Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of the East and west is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an indispensable condition."





[Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb, Professor at Harvard University, 1932]





“The Muhammadan Law which is binding on all -- from the crowned head to the meanest subject is a law interwoven with a system of the wisest, the most learned and the most enlightened jurisprudence that ever existed in the world.”





[Edmund Burke, British Statesman and Philosopher, 1789]





"The Exile here is not like in our homeland. The Turks hold respectable Jews in esteem. Here and in Alexandria, Egypt, Jews are the chief officers and administrators of the customs, and the king’s revenues. No injuries are perpetuated against them in all the empire. Only this year, in consequence of the extraordinary expenditure caused by the war against Shah Tahmsap al-Sufi, were the Jews required to make advances of loans to the princes."





[David dei Rossi, Jewish Traveller 17CE, quoted by Norman A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands]





"The notable religious tolerance towards Christians and Jew under Muslim rule had given way to the uncompromising zealotry of Spanish Inquisition. Jews and Muslims thus fled Spain with large numbers of Jews immigrating to the Ottoman Empire which was known for its tolerance to the Jews."





[Graham Fuller, Author and former CIA, 1995]





“If there is much misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilization owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure, which stems, I think, from the straightjacket of history, which we have inherited. The medieval Islamic world, from central Asia to the shores of the Atlantic, was a world where scholars and men of learning flourished. But because we have tended to see Islam as the enemy of the West, as an alien culture, society, and systems of beliefs, we have tended to ignore or erase its great relevance to our own history”





[Charles Philip Arthur George, HRH The Prince of Wales, 1993]





"...Not being subject to the Sharia, Jews and Christians were free to go to their own religious authorities for adjudication of disputes; but in many cases they went instead to the [Muslim] Qadi"





[Richard W. Bulliet, Professor of History and Author, 2004]





"Here in the land of the Turks we have nothing to complain of. We possess great fortunes; much gold and silver are in our hands. We are not oppressed by heavy taxes and our commerce is free and unhindered. Rich are the fruits of the earth. Everything is cheap and each one of us lives in freedom. Here a Jew is not compelled to wear a yellow star as a badge of shame as is the case in Germany where even wealth and great fortune is a curse for a Jew because he therewith arouses jealousy among the Christians and they devise all kinds of slander against him to rob him of his gold. Arise my brethren, gird up your loins, collect up your forces and come to us."





[In his book 'Constantinople', Philip Mansel quotes a rabbi in Turkey writing to his brethren in Europe where they were facing increasing persecution after 1453]





"Praise be to the beneficent God for his mercy towards me! Kings of the earth, to whom his [the Caliph’s] magnificence and power are known, bring gifts to him, conciliating his favour by costly presents, such as the king of the Germans, the king of the Gebalim, the king of Constantinople, and others. All their gifts pass through my hands, and I am charged with making gifts in return. (Let my lips express praise to the God in heaven who so far extends his loving kindness towards me without any merit of my own, but in the fullness of his mercies.) I always ask the ambassadors of these monarchs about our brethren the Jews, the remnant of the captivity, whether they have heard anything concerning the deliverance of those who have pined in bondage and had found no rest."





[Hasdai Ibn Shaprut (915-990 CE) Jewish physician, chief minister of Islamic Caliphate in Cordova, 'The Jewish Caravan']





"In Baghdad there are about forty thousand Jews, and they dwell in security, prosperity, and honour under the great Caliph [al-Mustanjid, 1160-70 CE], and amongst them are great sages, the Heads of the Academies engaged in the study of the Law…’"





[Benjamin of Tudela, Rabbi in Baghdad in the year 1168 CE, 'The Jew in the Medieval World']





"Those Eastern thinkers of the ninth century laid down, on the basis of their theology, the principle of the Rights of Man, in those very terms, comprehending the rights of individual liberty, and of inviolability of person and property; described the supreme power in Islam, or Califate, as based on a contract, implying conditions of capacity and performance, and subject to cancellation if the conditions under the contract were not fulfilled; elaborated a Law of War of which the humane, chivalrous prescriptions would have put to the blush certain belligerents in the Great War; expounded a doctrine of toleration of non-Moslem creeds so liberal that our West had to wait a thousand years before seeing equivalent principles adopted.





[Leon Ostorog, French Jurist]





"The debt of our science to that of the Arabs does not consist in startling discoveries or revolutionary theories; science owes a great deal more to Arab culture, it owes its existence"





[Robert Briffault, Novelist and Historian, 1928]





"The only effective link between the old and the new science is afforded by the Arabs. The dark ages come as an utter gap in the scientific history of Europe, and for more than a thousand years there was not a scientific man of note except in Arabia"





[Oliver Joseph Lodge, Writer and Professor of Physics, 1893]





“Thus, when Muslims crossed the straits of Gibraltar from North Africa in 711 and invaded the Iberian Peninsula, Jews welcomed them as liberators from Christian Persecution.”





[Zion Zohar, Jewish scholar at Florida International University, 2005]







“Throughout much of the period in question, Arabic served as the global language of scholarship, and learned men of all stripes could travel widely and hold serious and nuanced discussions in this lingua franca. Medieval Western scholars who wanted access to the latest findings also needed to master the Arabic Tongue or work from translations by those who had done so.”





[Jonathan Lyons, Author, Writer and Lecturer, 2009]