God’s Preservation of the Sunnah : Traveling for the Purpose of Seeking Hadeeth

 

Another unique phenomenon that appeared and assisted in the preservation of the Sunnah was the traveling in search of hadeeth, in order to check the sources and gather more hadeeth together.  Among all of the different religious communities of the world it has been only the Islamic nation that has been blessed with two particular characteristics that have saved it from losing its original and pure teachings.  These two unique characteristics are the use of the Isnad, which has just been discussed, and the journeys undertaken in search of hadeeth, that shall presently be discussed.  The great desire for religious knowledge among the Muslims led individuals to travel, on their own, for months at a time simply to collect or confirm just one saying of the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  It was this devotion to hadeeth and willingness to sacrifice any aspect of this worldly life that greatly helped in the complete preservation of the hadeeth of the Prophet.  M. Zubayr Siddiqi has written:

All these various generations of “Traditionists” displayed marvelous activity in the pursuit of hadeeth.  Their love for the subject had been profound.  Their enthusiasm for it knew no bounds.  Their capacity to suffer for the sake of it had no limit.  The rich among them sacrificed riches at it’s alter; and the poor among them devoted their lives to it in spite of their poverty.[1]

Why was this desire for knowledge so great among these early Muslims? No one can answer this question completely but there must have been many reasons for this strong desire.  These reasons must have included the following:

(a)   The knowledge of hadeeth was known by these pious souls to lead them to the practice of the Prophet and, furthermore, they knew that by following his footsteps they would become closer to God.

(b)  The Quran and the Prophet both stressed the virtues and importance of attaining knowledge.  God says:

“…Say: Are those who are knowledgeable equal to those who are not knowledgeable?...” (Quran 39:9)

Also:

“…The knowledgeable among His bondsmen fear God alone…” (Quran 35:28)

Among the Prophet’s many statements on this topic are:

“Whoever goes out along a path in search of knowledge, God makes a path to Paradise easy for him…”[2] (Saheeh Muslim)    

The Prophet also said,

“When the son of Adam dies all of his good deeds come to an end except three: a perpetual charity, beneficial knowledge [he left behind from which people gain some benefit] and a pious child who supplicates for him.”[3] (Saheeh Muslim)  

  The early scholars recognized the importance of attaining knowledge and they also recognized that no knowledge is better than knowledge about the Creator.  Therefore, they did their best to learn the teachings of His Prophet.

Examples from the early years will give a clearer picture of these journeys in search of hadeeth.  In reality, however, traveling in search of hadeeth can be said to have begun during the time of the Prophet himself.  That is, even at that time, people would come from outside of Madinah to ask the Prophet about specific matters.  In some cases, they would come to the Prophet to verify what has been reported by the Prophet’s representatives.  In al-Bukhari and Muslim it can be seen that the other Companions looked forward to such an event.  This was because, as Anas stated, they were prohibited from asking the Prophet too many questions, so they would look forward to the coming of an intelligent Bedouin who traveled to come to the Prophet to ask him specific questions.

The following examples are of Companions who traveled in order to verify hadeeth that they themselves heard from the Prophet.[4]

Imam al-Bukhari recorded in his Sahih that Jaabir ibn Abdullah traveled for one month to get a single hadeeth from Abdullah ibn Unais.  In a version recorded by al-Tabaraani, it states that Jabir said, “I used to hear a hadeeth on the authority of the Prophet about retribution and the one who narrated that hadeeth [directly from the Prophet] was in Egypt, so I bought a camel and traveled to Egypt...”[5]

The Companion Abu Ayyoob traveled all the way to Egypt to ask Uqba ibn Amr about one hadeeth.  He told Uqba that only he and Uqba were left who had heard that particular hadeeth directly from the Prophet.  After hearing the hadeeth his business was completed in Egypt and he returned to Madinah.

One of the Companions traveled to visit Fadhala ibn Ubaid and told him that he came not to visit him but only to ask him about a hadeeth that they had both heard from the Prophet and the Companion was hoping that Fadhala had the complete wording of the hadeeth.[6]

From the stories of the Companions one can conclude that they traveled in search of hadeeth for basically two reasons:

(a)   To hear a hadeeth from a fellow Companion concerning which they did not have the honor of hearing it themselves directly from the Prophet, thereby adding to their knowledge of hadeeth.

(b)  To confirm the wording and/or meaning of a hadeeth that they and other Companions had heard directly from the Messenger of God.  Thus even the Companions were constantly checking, rechecking and safeguarding the purity of the hadeeth that they narrated.

In the era of the students of the Companions (termed ‘Followers’), the desire and willingness to travel in order only to hear or confirm a hadeeth of the Prophet did not diminish.  Madinah, having been the home of the Prophet for many years, the home of the Sunnah and the city where many of the Companions resided after the Prophet’s death, was probably the main center of attraction, but, in fact, any place where it was known a particular hadeeth could be heard would attract “travelers.”

Many examples could be given.  Al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi has written an entire work on the subject of traveling in search of hadeeth.  His work is entitled Al-Rihla fi Talab al-Hadeeth (“Travels in Search of Hadeeth”).  What makes this work even more interesting is that it is not simply concerned with scholars traveling to learn hadeeth.  This was done by almost every scholar in the history of Islam.  Indeed, if a scholar did not travel that was usually pointed out as something strange, as the norm was to travel.  However, this book, as pointed out by the editor of the work Noor al-Deen Itr, is about travels in search of just one hadeeth and not hadeeth in general..![7]

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]M. Z. Siddiqi,  Hadeeth Literature: Its Origin, Development, Special Features and Criticism (Calcutta: Calcutta University Press, 1961), p. 48.

[2]Saheeh Muslim.

[3]Saheeh Muslim.

[4]For more examples see Akram Dhiyaa Al-Umari, Buhooth fi Tareekh al-Sunnah al-Musharrifah (Beirut: Muassasah al-Risaalah, 1975), pp. 203f.

[5]Ibn Hajar says that this version has a good chain. Cf., ibn Hajar, Fath al-Baari, vol. 1, p. 174.

[6]This incident was recorded by Abu Dawood.

[7]See Noor al-Deen It’s introduction to al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi, al-Rihlah fi Talab al-Hadeeth (Beirut: Daar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1975), p. 10.

God’s Preservation of the Sunnah : The Companions’ Understanding of Their Heavy Responsibility

 

Introduction: The Sunnah and Its Place in Islam

The Sunnah refers to the actions, statements and way of life of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  It is an essential aspect of the entire system of Islam.  God Himself in the Quran has ordered Muslims to take the Prophet as their role model and to listen and obey his words.  The Sunnah is the ultimate normative practical expression of Islam.  It is also the definitive explanation of the Quran itself.  Without it there can be no true understanding of how to implement Islam.[1]

The Prophet’s Sunnah was preserved in what is known as the hadeeth literature.  The question of the preservation of the Sunnah and the hadeeth is actually an issue concerning the preservation and purity of the religion of Islam itself.  This issue becomes even more important given the fact that, unfortunately, many have a false conception of how the hadeeth were preserved and, therefore, they do not possess full confidence in the authenticity of the hadeeth of the Prophet.

Some of the Means by Which God Preserved the Sunnah

God, through humans, used many means by which He preserved the Sunnah.  Some of these aspects are unique to the Muslim nation.  Most importantly, these means of preservation were followed from the earliest times, without any interval available for the original material and sayings to be lost.

Some of the factors and means that contributed to the preserving of the Sunnah include the following:

The Companions’ Understanding of Their Heavy Responsibilities

It is clear in the Quran that the earlier peoples had distorted, tampered and generally failed to minutely preserve the message that they received.[2]  The Companions of the Prophet understood that the Prophet Muhammad was the final messenger sent for humankind and that the task of preserving his teachings would fall upon their shoulders.  It was up to them to make sure that what happened to the previous prophets’ teachings would not happen to the Prophet Muhammad’s message.  Additionally, the Prophet himself impressed upon them the fact that they had the responsibility of taking from the Prophet and conveying to others.  For example, the Prophet told them, in front of the throngs of the people at the time of pilgrimage:

“Let the one who is present inform the one who is absent.  Perhaps the one who is present may convey it to one who can grasp it more than he can.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

This instruction from the Prophet can be seen in a number of his statements, some of which have been narrated from numerous Companions.  For example, the Prophet said:

“May God make radiant the man who has heard what I said and has preserved it in his memory until he conveys it to another.  Perhaps the one he conveyed it to has a better understanding than him.”[3]

The Prophet also warned them in a very stern fashion about conveying anything from him which may not be correct.  Using the Arabic word kadhab, which in the dialect of the Prophet did not mean “to lie” but meant to convey something which is not correct, the Prophet stated:

“Convey from me, even if it is just a verse.  And narrate [stories] from the Tribes of Israel and there is no harm.  And whoever falsely attributes something to my authority shall take his own seat in the Hell-fire.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

It seems that the Prophet stated that warning on a number of occasions, as those words have been recorded from the Prophet by over fifty Companions.[4]

Thus, the Companions realized that they had to be very careful in their narratives.  They understood the warning stated above concerning one who falsely attributes something to the Prophet as applying to one who does so intentionally as well as unintentionally.  In a report recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, the Companion al-Zubair was asked why he did not narrate as many hadeeth as some of the others did.  He replied, “As for me, I never parted from him [that is, the Prophet].  However, I heard him say, ‘Whoever falsely attributes something to me shall take his own seat in the Hell-fire.’”  Commenting on this statement, ibn Hajar[5]  noted that al-Zubair was obviously not speaking about himself forging something in the Prophet’s name.  Instead, he feared that if he narrated a lot, he would make mistakes.  And those mistakes would put him under the warning mentioned in that hadeeth.[6]

Anas ibn Maalik also said, “If I did not fear that I may make a mistake, I would narrate to you some of the things I heard from the Messenger of God.  However, I heard him say, ‘Whoever falsely attributes something to my authority shall take his own seat in the Hell-fire.’”[7]  This, once again, implies that Anas, a Companion, understood that the threat stated in that hadeeth also applies to the one who makes unintentional mistakes while narrating hadeeth.

In reality, some of the Companions, like Abu Hurairah, continued to study and memorize the hadeeth they learned from the Prophet.  Therefore, they did not have as much to fear with respect to making mistakes.  On the other hand, those who were not dedicated to such study had more to fear because their memories may fail them when they narrated from the Messenger of God.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]This author has discussed in great detail the position and role of the Sunnah in Islam in his The Authority and Importance of the Sunnah (Denver, CO: Al-Basheer Company, 2000).

[2]The Quran itself refers to the distortion of the earlier books by the previous peoples as well as their attempts to conceal some of the revelation.  See, for example, Quran 5:14-15 and 4:46.

[3]See Abdul Muhsin al-Abbaad, Diraasat Hadeeth Nadhara Godu imraan Sama Muqaalati...: Riwaayah wa Diraayah (no publication information given), passim.

[4]Cf., Sulaimaan al-Tabaraani, Turuq Hadeeth Man Kadhaba Alayya Mutamadan (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islaami, 1990), passim.

[5]One of the most noteworthy commentators of Saheeh Al-Bukhari – IslamReligion.com

[6]Ahmad ibn Hajar, Fath al-Baari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari (Makkah: Maktabah Daar al-Baaz, 1989), vol. 1, p. 201.

[7]This narration was recorded by al-Daarimi.  According to Abdul Rahmaan al-Birr, its chain is sahih. Cf., Abdul Rahmaan al-Birr, Manaahij wa Adaab al-Sahaabah fi al-Taallum wa al-Taleem (Al-Mansoorah, Egypt: Daar al-Yaqeen, 1999), p. 183.

The Journey into the Hereafter : The Unbeliever and Hell

 

Hell will receive the faithless with its fury and roar:

"…and We have prepared for those who deny the Hour, a Blaze.  When it [Hellfire] sees them from a distant place, they will hear its fury and roaring." (Quran 25:11-12)

When they near it, they will anticipate their shackles and their destiny as fuel:

"Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a blaze." (Quran 76:4)

"Indeed, with Us are shackles and burning fire." (Quran 73:12)

Angels will rush at God’s command to seize and shackle him:

"Seize him and shackle him." (Quran 69:30)

"…and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved." (Quran 34:33)

Bound in chains…

"…a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits." (Quran 69:32)

…he will be dragged along:

"When iron collars will be rounded over their necks, and the chains, they shall be dragged along." (Quran 40:71)

While they are being tied down, chained, and dragged to be thrown into Hell, they will hear its rage:

"And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Hell, and wretched is the destination.  When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a [dreadful] inhaling while it boils up.  It almost bursts with rage...." (Quran 67:6-8)

Since they will be driven from the great plain of gathering, naked and hungry, they will beg the inhabitants of Paradise for water:

"And the companions of the Fire will call to the companions of Paradise: ‘Pour upon us some water, or from whatever God has provided you.’  They will say: ‘Indeed God has forbidden them both to the disbelievers.’" (Quran 7:50)

At the same time the faithful in Paradise will be received with honor, made comfortable, and served with delicious banquets, the disbeliever will dine in Hell:

"Then indeed, you, the stray, the deniers, will be eating from trees of zaqqoom and filling your bellies with it." (Quran 56:51-53)

Zaqqoom: a tree whose roots are in the bottom of Hell and which branches into its other levels; its fruit resembles the heads of the devils:

"Is that (Paradise) better as hospitality or the tree of zaqqoom?  Indeed, We have made it a torment for the wrongdoers.  Indeed, it is a tree issuing from the bottom of the Hellfire, its emerging fruits as if it was heads of the devils.  And indeed, they will eat from it and fill with it their bellies." (Quran 37:62-66)

The wicked will have other food to eat as well, some that chokes,[1]  and some like dry, thorny bushes.[2]

"Nor any food except from the (foul) discharge of wounds; none will eat it except the sinners." (Quran 69:36-37)

And to wash down their melancholy meals, an extremely cold mix of their own pus, blood, sweat and wound discharge[3]  as well as boiling, scolding water which dissolves their intestines:

"…and are given to drink scalding water that will sever their intestines." (Quran 47:15)

The clothing of the denizens of Hell will be made of fire and pitch:

"...but those who disbelieved will have cut out for them garments of fire." (Quran 22:19)

"Their garments of liquid pitch and their faces covered by the Fire." (Quran 14:50)

Their sandals,[4]  bed, and canopies will likewise be made of fire;[5]  a punishment encapsulating the entire body, from heedless head to transgressing toe:

"Then pour over his head from the torment of scalding water." (Quran 44:48)

"On the Day the punishment will cover them from above them and from below their feet and it is said: ‘Taste what you used to do.’" (Quran 29:55)

Their punishment in Hell will vary according to their disbelief and other sins.

"By no means!  He will surely be thrown into the Crusher.  And what can make you know what is the Crusher?  It is the fire of God, [eternally] fueled, which mounts directed at the hearts.  Indeed, it [Hellfire] will be closed down upon them.  In extended columns." (Quran 104:5-9)

Every time the skin will burn through, it will be replenished with new skin:

"Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses – We will drive them  into a Fire.  Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment.  Indeed, God is ever Exalted in Might and Wise." (Quran 4:56)

Worst of all, the punishment will keep increasing:

"So taste [the penalty], and never will We increase you except in torment." (Quran 78:30)

The psychological effect of this punishing chastisement will be tremendous.  A chastisement so severe that its sufferers will cry out for it to be multiplied on those who led them astray:

"They will say: ‘Our Lord, whoever brought this upon us – increase for him double punishment in the Fire.’" (Quran 38:61)

The daring will make their first attempt to break out, but:

"And for them are maces of iron.  Every time they want to get out of it from anguish, they will be returned to it, and [it will be said]: ‘Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire!’" (Quran 22:21-22)

After failing several times, they will seek assistance from Iblees, the Great Satan himself.

"And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded: ‘Indeed, God had promised you the promise of truth.  And I promised you, but I betrayed you.  But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me.  So do not blame me; but blame yourselves.  I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid.  Indeed, I deny your association of me [with God] before.  Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.’" (Quran 14:22)

Giving up on Satan, they will turn to the angels guarding Hell to get their torment reduced, even if just for a day:

"And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell: ‘Supplicate your Lord to lighten for us [even] one day from the punishment.’" (Quran 40:49)

Awaiting the response for as long as God wills, the guards will come back and ask:

"‘Did there not come to you your messengers with clear proofs?’  They will say, ‘Yes.’  They (Hell’s keepers) will reply: ‘Then supplicate yourselves, but the supplication of the disbelievers is nothing but (an exercise in) futility.’" (Quran 40:50)

Losing hope in the reduction of punishment, they will seek death.  This time they will turn to the Hell’s Chief Keeper, the angel, Malik, pleading to him for forty years:

"And they will call: ‘O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!...’" (Quran 43:77)

His curt rebuttal after a thousand years will be:

"…Indeed, you will remain." (Quran 43:77)

Eventually, they will return to He Whom they refused to turn to in this world, asking for one last chance:

"They will say, ‘Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray.  Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers.’" (Quran 23:106-107)

God’s respond will be thus:

"Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me." (Quran 23:108)

The pain from this response will be worse than their fiery torment.  For the disbeliever will know his stay in Hell will be for an eternity, his omission from Paradise absolute and final:

"Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit wrong  – never will God forgive them, nor will He guide them to a path except the path of Hell; they will abide therein forever.  And that, for God, is easy." (Quran 4:168-169)

The greatest deprivation and sorrow for an unbeliever will be spiritual: he will be veiled from God and will be deprived of seeing Him:

"No!  Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned." (Quran 83:15)

Just like they refused to "see" Him in this life, they will be separated from God in the next life.  The faithful will jeer at them.

"So Today, those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers, on adorned couches, observing.  Have the disbelievers [not] been rewarded [this Day] for what they used to do?" (Quran 83:34-36)

Their total despair and grief will culminate when death is brought in the form of a ram and slaughtered in front of them, so they know no refuge will ever be found in a final dissolution.

"And warn them, (O Muhammad), of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded; and yet they are heedless, and they do not believe!" (Quran19:39)

- islamrelion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Quran 72:13.

[2]Quran 88:6-7.

[3]Quran 78:24-25.

[4]Saheeh Muslim.

[5]Quran 7:41.

Are we “born to be free”? : What God Wants from Us

 

Each of the prophets, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, taught that what people chose to do with respect to belief in God and obedience to His will made a very great difference to the final outcome of their affairs.  Humans have a tremendous ability to love and be kind, or to hate and be destructive.  This means that although they may have all been born with souls of equal worth, they do not remain equal.  Freewill is actually the most difficult of God’s gifts to understand or appreciate.  The point of freewill is to make sense of human morality - without it there is no such thing as good or evil conduct, for we should simply be automatons.

If we cannot make real free choices then judgment cannot apply to us - it would be totally against justice.  Whenever people are not free to make choices, then they cannot be held responsible.  Aishah recorded that the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, made it clear that those whose freedom or intellect was limited - for example, those too young or too ignorant, or whose balance of mind was disturbed - could not be held morally responsible for their actions, either in a shari’ah court of law, (or a UK court, for that matter), or in the judgment to come.

So, what about the Muslim concept of al-Qadr, the key doctrine of God’s complete and final control over the fulfillment of events, or Destiny?  How does one balance the idea of God knowing absolutely everything with the idea of freewill?  If God knows in advance everything that will happen, then surely a person’s life must be entirely predestined?  Furthermore, if God does not intervene to stop particular things happening, then one can say that He alone is responsible for them.  This is linked to the problem of evil.  Who is responsible for evil, if God is ultimately responsible for everything?  A thief might plead innocence, because he was surely predestined to steal, and therefore how can it be his fault?

Many people think that all Muslims are fatalists, who believe that since ‘everything is written’, and that God knows everything in advance - therefore it must all be predetermined.  No human brain has actually been able to untangle this problem totally - certainly not mine - but the whole business of God sending Messengers with revelations surely indicates that humans are expected to listen, and then make choices, and then adjust their lives accordingly (Quran 6:91; 23:73).  God in fact revealed:

“Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11)

This certainly seems to indicate that humans have the power to change through their own freewill, and these decisions alter their fates.  It must be true that God does know everything and every possibility, but humans do not.  Therefore, if a human chooses a particular thing, there will be a particular outcome leading to a particular conclusion.  If the human chooses a different course of action, then the outcome and conclusion will be different.  If you choose to swallow a whole bottle of painkilling tablets, you will die this afternoon; but if you choose to swallow only two, it may cure your migraine and you may live to be a hundred.  God, knows all the possible outcomes but He leaves the choice to you.  We cant understand it, but God can - His ‘intelligence’ is millions of times greater and totally different from ours.

The real truth lies in the realm of al-Ghayb [matters which lie beyond human perception].  All that believers can do is to ask for guidance along our path of life.  We may not be able to see the road way into the distance, but we can pray that God will show us the next step, one step at a time.  If it were impossible for people to choose because their futures and destinies were already fixed, not only would God be unfair instead of just, but there would also seem to be very little point in us even trying to live good lives.  Fatalism leads to despair and helplessness, defeatism, and hindering people from making any effort to improve either their own lot or the lot of those around them.

What does God want for us?  He wants us to achieve happiness and success.  He wants us to find true freedom.  If true freedom brings happiness, then it seems things are not quite as many folks think.  I might be very happy to be free to have a relationship with a different partner every week, or to stuff myself with tasty but unhealthy food, or to spend a fortune on clothing or jewelry or pop CDs, or to smoke, or stay out late worrying my parents, or avoid chores or homework, or have a laugh at my enemies, or earn lots of money perhaps dishonestly, or be famous and admired by lots of people.  Surely these are the things that make people happy?

How simple it would be if that were so.  It’s so easy for Satan to fool people - the way that leads to destruction is so tempting and enjoyable.  But stop and think.  Many of the richest and most powerful people in the world are the loneliest.  People who stuff themselves get all the problems and misery of being overweight.  Those who are lazy and avoid learning and training in their youth wake up to the realities of failed lives later on.  Smokers puffing away contentedly behind the bike-sheds will die young of cancer or heart failure - to the great grief of those who love them.  People who are promiscuous usually end up with heartbreak for themselves and the children they later neglect, abandon (usually the young fathers) or kill in abortion (the young mothers).

True happiness is to look after that which God has loaned to us and entrusted to our safe-keeping for such a brief time - our bodies, our families, our talents, our sensitivity towards others.  This means not being free to give in to our lusts and desires, the things we know very well will hurt us and others in due course.  But here’s the odd thing - the person who gives up that kind of selfish freedom and agrees to be God’s servant will always be truly free.  They will know that they have done their best; their consciences will be clear, their inner persons confident and full of hope, and they will never be slaves to their own selves, or to any other person or thing. - islamreligion.com

Interest and its Role in Economy and Life : The Islamic Solution

 

The Islamic Solution

The Islamic solution to the issue of interest rests upon two basic principles:

(1)  If an individual wishes to lend money to another in order to help the latter, this act must be based on “brotherly principles” and it is absolutely unacceptable to charge any interest in such a case.  It is not helping another individual to put him into a cycle of debt where he has to pay more than what they borrowed.  This principle applies as well to Islamic international relations.  If this important principle were applied today, countries would truly give “aid” and assistance to other countries, rather than sucking them into a pattern of dependency and debt burden.

(2)  If an individual wishes to use his money to make more money, then he must be willing to put his money at risk.  In other words, he cannot guarantee for himself a fixed return (whose amount keeps growing over time) regardless of the result of the investment that his money is used for.  If he puts his money at risk, he is deserving of some share of the profits.  However, this also means that he must accept losses if losses occur.  This is a system that is based on justice.  It also has numerous benefits to it.  The one who invests becomes concerned about the results of his investment and cannot demand his “pound of flesh” regardless of what may occur to the debtor.

This Islamic solution works for individuals as well as for society as a whole.  Banks are essentially financial intermediaries.  They take money from those who have excess money (savings) and turn it over to those who need money for investment purposes.  Interest is not necessary for such a system to work.  The bank and its depositors (shareholders) invest, rather than simply loan, their holdings.  The money is put at risk and the return to the depositors will be based on the amount of profits made in the respective investments.  Under normal circumstances of a growing economy, if the bank is big enough and it diversifies its portfolio, the bank is virtually “guaranteed” a positive return on its total investments.  Thus, those who invest their money with the bank will also receive a positive return on their money without it being guaranteed or fixed ahead of time.

Numerous “Islamic” financial institutions have been set up throughout the world today.  They have been established on the principle of avoiding interest and some of them have flourished.[1]

Conclusions

For the most part, “modern civilization” has decided to turn its back on Divine Guidance (mostly due to the experience in the West with Christianity) and have attempted to construct their own economic systems, political systems, international laws and so on.  When doing so, though, they have to admit that they are attempting something that is beyond their means.  The social sciences are very different from the physical sciences.  There are no labs in which humans can be entered to determine what may be the best results under different scenarios (and even that would have to assume that humans will always react the same under the same circumstances).

In the realm of economics, the first thing that may come to mind is the collapse of the theories of socialism and communism.  One should, though, also take a closer look at capitalism and how far its reality is from what it is supposed to be.  The early capitalist theorists envisioned a theory that would lead to “the best of all possible worlds.”  However, their theories were based on assumptions that never were and will never be fulfilled.  They assumed perfect competition, perfect knowledge, free trade and so forth.  Once these assumptions are violated, which they inevitably are, they do not lead to the “best of all possible worlds.”  Instead, they easily lead to a world of exploitation, wherein the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.  One of the diving forces behind this system is the institutionalization of interest.

God has blessed humans with the guidance of the Quran—a book that has been minutely preserved since its revelation.  This book contains the guidance that humankind needs to lead a successful life in both this world and the Hereafter.  It is therefore no surprise that this book absolutely prohibits and condemns interest in the strongest fashion.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]For more details on the theoretical and practical workings of such institutions, see El-Gousi, pp. 199-247; Frank E. Vogel and Samuel L. Hayes III, Islamic Law and Finance: Religion, Risk, and Return (The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1998), pp. 181-295.

Arrogance and Tyranny will not Remain Unpunished

 

The Quran is a book of guidance.  It is a road map to success and eternal happiness, a gift from the Creator to the creation.  It is a book full of signs; God calls them evidences, proofs and lessons.  They prove the existence of God and warn humankind of a Day of Judgement, when each one of us will stand before God weighed down, or held high, by our deeds.

One of the most manifest signs is the story of Moses[1].  It is a story that holds many lessons for humankind.  One part of the story in particular has intrigued people for centuries – the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians.  All three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam tell relatively the same Moses story, however Quran is able to fill in details and correct misinterpretations.  While all versions include the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh, Quran tells us that Pharaoh’s body will be preserved for all time, as a sign.

“So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you! And verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our signs.” (Quran 10:92)

When Pharaoh had power, wealth, good health and strength he refused to acknowledge God.  He denied the signs and condemned himself.  At the last minute, as the waves crashed over him and his heart constricted in fear, Pharaoh acknowledged God.  Pharaoh’s arrogance fell away, but alas it was too late, he saw death approaching and cried out to God with fear and horror.  Renowned Islamic scholar Ibn Kathir describes Pharaoh’s death.

“The curtain fell on Pharaoh’s tyranny, and the waves threw his corpse up to the western seashore.  The Egyptians saw him and knew that the god whom they worshipped and obeyed was a mere man who could not keep death away from his own neck.”

God calls it a sign for those “who come after”

Many of the Pharaoh’s of Egypt behaved as if they were gods.  If a Pharaoh reigned for thirty years there was a ceremony called a Sed festival where the king was officially turned into a god.  Many Pharaoh’s especially those who reigned during what is known as the Second Kingdom built numerous monuments and statues to themselves.  Some, particularly Amenhotep III and Ramses II wanted to leave a mark, a reminder of their great strength, wealth and divinity.

(God said to Moses), “Go to Pharaoh; verily he has transgressed all bounds (he is arrogant and too proud and has refused to believe in God).  And say to him: “Would you purify yourself (from the sin of disbelief by becoming a believer)?” (Quran 79: 17 & 18)

Then he (Pharaoh) gathered his people and cried aloud, “I am your lord, most high.  “So God seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression.  Verily, in this is an instructive admonition for whosoever fears Allah. (Quran 79: 24 & 25)

Pharaoh said: “O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me.  So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a lofty tower in order that I may look at (or look for) the God of Moses...” (Quran 28:38)

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt were known for their excesses, their beliefs in multiple gods and at times their cruelty and oppression of slaves, and ordinary citizens.  When a human being believes himself to be a god, he is arrogant and tyrannical, yet as in this case of the Pharaoh of Moses (whoever he may, or may not have been) who was at the height of his arrogance, God was still willing to forgive him.  He sent sign after sign and proof after proof of His existence, but Pharaoh chose to live as if there was no tomorrow.  Pharaoh chose to reject the offer of forgiveness and for him and those like him, there is always a tomorrow and inevitably a judgement.

Go you and your brother with My signs and do not, you both, slacken and become weak in My Remembrance.  Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, verily he has transgressed (all bounds in disbelief and disobedience and behaved as an arrogant and as a tyrant).  And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (God). (Quran 20: 43&44)

The signs sent by God to Pharaoh were meant to be a reminder, but he rejected those signs out of his arrogance and became one of the losers.

We are able to look at the preserved body of a Pharaoh, any pharaoh, and be reminded of God’s words.  We can also look at the behaviour of people today, who behave as if they were 21st century pharaohs and remember how God punished the pharaohs of the past.  The end result of Pharaoh is a reminder for all of humankind.

It reminds us that those who knowingly choose not to worship God in the manner He rightly deserves, risk never being guided to the right path.  How many signs will God send?  One, one million? Is it worth giving up eternal bliss for moments of happiness based on arrogance and ego? In the Hall of Mummies, in the Cairo Museum lie a group of men and women who just may have discovered the answer.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1](http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/3366/)