Contribution of Islam to the world's civilization

Let us remember our great and glorious heritage by briefly surveying what Islam has already contributed to the world's civilization, education, culture and to scientific development.

Unlike Christianity where Religion and Science are two separate elements, the study of Science has always been compatible with Islam.

Many young Muslims are discouraged when they see the poor standard of living of Muslims throughout the world and their limited opportunities. They also know the undeveloped status of technology within the Muslim countries in comparison with the West. From these observations, they immediately leap to the conclusion that the Muslim countries are ‘backward’, because Islam cannot adapt itself to the changing conditions; cannot assimilate new knowledge. Some even go so far as to say that Islam is actually against progress and against scientific advancement. However, those Muslims who have studied the later part of Islamic history will know that this is a complete fallacy and misconception.

Let us do a brief review of the contribution of Islam to civilization as we know it.

Trigonometry, Sine, Tangent, Co-Tangent

The Arabs developed these functions in trigonometry and Ibn Moosaa's work Hisaab-Al Jab-Wal Muqaabala (The Calculation of Integration and Equation) presented 800 examples in the 8^th century CE. His work was translated from Arabic into Latin and until the 16th century CE, it was Europe's main textbook on the subject. 

Algebra and Geometry

Muhammad bin Moosaa Al-Khawaarizmi is considered to be one of the founders of Algebra. The word ‘Algorithm’ or 'Algorizm' is a corruption of his name or the name of the town Khwaarizm (Kheva), in what is now Uzbekistan, where he was born. He adopted the use of ‘cipher’ (zero), that was devised in India some centuries earlier, a numeral of fundamental importance, leading up to the so-called arithmetic of positions and the decimal system. The very word ‘zero’ is a derivative of the Arabic ‘sifr’ or ‘cipher’. His pioneering work on the system of numerals is well known as "Algorithm," or "Algorizm." In addition to introducing the Arabic numerals, he developed several arithmetical procedures, including operations on fractions.

Another great mathematician was Omar Khayyaam, who offered to the world geometric and algebraic solutions of the second degree. Naseeruddeen wrote the treatise on quadrilateral trigonometry, as well as plain and spherical geometry.

Physics and Chemistry

Kamaaluddeen examined the refraction of sunlight in raindrops and offered an explanation of the genesis of primary and secondary rainbows. The story of the invention of the pendulum and the presentation of a water clock to Emperor Charlemagne by Haaroon Ar-Rasheed is well known.

The great historian Gibbons wrote in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Volume 5) that the science of chemistry owes its origin and improvements to the Muslims.

Science of Mechanics

The development of the science of mechanics in Islam is an act of genius. Moosaa bin Shaakir described one hundred pieces of mechanical equipment in his book of artifices. Other outstanding Muslim treatises included Al Kitaab Fi Ma`rifat Al-Hiya Al-Handasiyyah (The Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Geometrical Contrivances) by Abul Fiaz bin Al Raz and Al Kitaab Meezanal-Hikmah (The Book of Balance and Wisdom) by Al-Khazini. He also did work on accurate weighing, and determination of the specific gravity of substances.

Camera Obscura

In the field of optics, Camera Obscura was invented by Ibn Haytham in 1038 CE.

Theory of Relativity

Qaadhi Abu Bakr had developed the theory of relativity in the 8^th century CE in terms of time and space by means of mathematical equations and astrophysics. Imagine, Einstein was not even born in the Western world, who propounded the same theory of relativity much later in the 20^th century CE.

Geography

As far as geography was concerned, Muslim scientists established that the world was round in the 9^th century CE, and the first map of the globe was made during the Caliphate of Ma’moon.

Paper Making

This was one of the earliest skills attained by the Muslims. As early as the 8^th century CE, high quality paper was being manufactured in Samarqand. Egypt was known to have its first paper mill in the year 900 CE. The earliest Arabic manuscript written on paper that has been discovered is the Ghareeb Al Hadeeth by Abu ‘Ubayed, dated 837 CE. It can be seen in Holland preserved in the library at the University of Leyden.

Advances in Industry

Under Islamic rule, Spain was an industrial center. It was one of the wealthiest and most thickly populated of the European countries. Muslims were leading in weaving wool, producing silk, pottery, jewelry, leather and perfume industry. In the Middle Ages, world trade was commanded by Muslims and Baghdad Bukhaara and Samarqand remained centers for world fairs until the 16^th century CE. The Bayt Al-Hikmah at Cairo contained two million books, the library at Tripoli contained some three million, but this library was burned down by the Christians during the first Crusade.

 Miracles of the Quran

Let us consider the hundreds of scientific facts mentioned in the Holy Quran. For example, the fact that the earth was previously a part of the sun and after its separation, it became a habitable place for humankind, as mentioned in chapter 21, verse 30. That matter is made up of sub-atomic particles (chapter 10, verse 61). That the embryo in the mother's womb in enclosed by three epithelial coverings (chapter 39, verse 6). That each human being has a unique fingerprint (chapter 75, verse 4) etc. There are thousands of other scientific facts in the Holy Quran.

Regrettably, today the West is at its peak and we have lagged behind so far. However, our downfall is not due to Islam, as the West would like us to believe, but due to our sheer neglect of Islamic principles. We must realize that Islam is undeniably the most progressive religion, which is in fact a way of life with a very wide scope.

Of course, life is a very hard struggle. However, struggle is an inbuilt instinct of human nature. Struggle is a way but not an accomplishment or attainment in itself. We should make an effort and struggle but at the same time make Du'aa. This is where Tawakkul, i.e. trust in Allah comes because destiny supersedes thought. We must trust in Allah for our betterment, because if success depended merely upon one’s personal struggle, then nobody in the world would be unsuccessful. Furthermore, struggle is itself predestined by Allah. Man should do his best, then leave the rest to Allah, Most High.  - islamweb.net

The Spirituality of Hajj: Tawaf

 

Tawaf and sa’y are two major components of Hajj carried out one after another. Tawaf is an act of circumambulating or walking around the Ka’bah in an anti-clockwise motion. Seven circles or circuits are to be accomplished.

Tawaf and sa’y represent the dynamism of life and its multidimensionality.

Tawaf is derived from the root word “tafa” which means “to go from one place to another”, “to circle”, “to travel through”, “to roam”, and “to traverse and explore”. Ta’if is a person who performs tawaf around the Ka’bah, and tawwaf a person who travels a lot and continuously move about.

Tawwaf is an epithet given to Dhul Qarnayn, a legendary king who traversed the earth from the west (the setting of the sun) to the east (the rising of the sun).

Tawaf and sa’y are about vitality and perpetuation. Tawaf indicates both the earthly and cosmic energy and movement, while sa’y, predominantly, stands for the former.

Tawaf’s movement is circular, which suggests unity, totality and infinity. It likewise implies the ongoing significance and power associated with the whole of creation and how everything is integrated into one.

In its capacity as the House of God, Ka’bah represents divinity. It is the source of all ontological meaning and consequence. It is likewise the source of all physical and spiritual life. A person should stay as close to the Ka’bah as possible – at once physically during tawaf and figuratively besides it – so as to draw on its munificence and use it as a means of approach unto its Owner.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that in each of the seven heavens there is a ka’bah which is frequented by the angels. The Ka’bah of the first heaven is called Bayt al-‘Izzah and that of the seventh heaven is called al-Bayt al-Ma’mur.

Tawaf on earth, it follows, replicates scenes and ambiances from the heavens. It joins the universal chorus. To some, tawaf as well evokes the angels’ surrounding and circling of the Throne of Allah, “glorifying and praising their Lord” (al-Zumar, 39:75).

Performing Tawaf

A person performing tawaf becomes part of the existential reality and purpose. He is constantly reminded of them and of his close relationship with them. Tawaf starts at the Ka’bah’s corner with the Hajar al-Aswad (Black Stone) and ends there. It is affirmed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the Black Stone was sent by Allah to the earth from Paradise.

Starting tawaf while facing the Black Stone, kissing it, if possible, or touching it with one’s hands, or pointing in its direction, and saying a supplication, reminds a pilgrim of his heavenly origins. He too, like the Black Stone, originated in Paradise. Moving then around the Ka’bah alludes to one’s life trajectory which must unfold within the vicissitudes of everyday life, but which cannot be so distracted thereby that one might be pulled away from his orbit in relation to the Ka’bah (divinity).

A pilgrim’s completion of each of seven circuits by arriving at the point of the Black Stone encourages a pilgrim to make sure that he and his life-story end again in Paradise. His journey should be like a circuit around the Ka’bah: from heavenly origins to the heavenly conclusion. Returning to Paradise – like returning to the Black Stone – would mean that a person’s life has come full circle. He ended where he had started.

That is why circling and circle as a geometric pattern also imply inclusiveness and focus. They suggest continuous progress towards success. Failure is not an option, nor partial success. These are antitheses of dynamism, stability and permanence.

The Black Stone

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that after descending from Paradise, the Black Stone was whiter than milk (or snow), then it was rendered black by the sins of the children of Adam.^[1] The destiny of man is the same. He too arrived from Paradise pure and with a clean slate. However, he blackened himself with the sins for which he and nobody else is responsible. Now what remains is that man works on bettering his state and reputation in order to facilitate his return to Paradise. The first step is repentance and the washing away of the sins as much as possible, followed by turning over a new leaf.

And there is no better place to start doing so than the sanctuary of Makkah with its Ka’bah, and no better occasion than Hajj and tawaf as one of its first and foremost rites. The Black Stone itself can play a role. It was for a reason that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that touching the Black Stone removes sins. He in addition said regarding tawaf: “Whoever performs tawaf around this House seven times and he keeps track of it, then it is as if he freed a slave.” Also:

“One foot is not put down, nor another raised (in tawaf), except that Allah removes a sin from a person and records a good merit for him”.^[2]

The Ka’bah

The Ka’bah furthermore is like the sun and people are like stars revolving around it and floating, each in an orbit. The movement is progression from what a person is and what he intends, yet ought, to be. In all positions and during all times, a person maintains a steady distance with the Ka’bah or with Allah. The distance depends upon the path that a person has chosen in the system. The tawaf area (mataf) is like a magnetic field with the Ka’bah (the entire orb of divinity) in the centre. People are iron particles.

A person is attracted to the Ka’bah, but he does not rush towards it, or tries to enter it. He lets the Ka’bah enter him instead. His heart becomes the receptacle for the Ka’bah; yet his heart becomes a ka’bah. The interior of the Ka’bah is virtually empty. Thus, a person’s entering it will not change anything, neither in connection with the Ka’bah nor with the person himself. But the Ka’bah’s entering and conquering of one’s heart will mean the world for him.

According to Ali Shariati: “You do not touch the Ka’bah nor do your stop there. Everyone encircles the Ka’bah collectively. The movement is as one unit, one group of people. There is no individual identification, that is, as being a man or woman, nor black or white! It is the transformation of one person into the totality of a ‘people’. All of the ‘I’s’ join and become a ‘We’, establishing the ummah (community) with the aim of approaching Allah.”^[3]

He likewise said: “If you remain in the state of self-centeredness, you are not really a part of the tawaf circle. You will be like a visitor standing at the bank of a river, but not in it. Those who are detached from themselves are alive and moving collectively. Those who are not separated from themselves are stagnant and dead.”^[4]

---

[1] Al-Tirmidhi, Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Book 9, Hadith No. 70.

[2] Ibid., Book 9, Hadith No. 153.

[3] Ali Shariati, Hajj: Reflections on Its Rituals, (Chicago: Kazi Publication, 1978), p. 34.

[4] Ibid., p. 35.

About Dr. Spahic Omer

Dr. Spahic Omer, an award-winning author, is an Associate Professor at the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He studied in Bosnia, Egypt and Malaysia. In the year 2000, he obtained his PhD from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in the field of Islamic history and civilization. His research interests cover Islamic history, culture and civilization, as well as the history and theory of Islamic built environment. He can be reached at: spahico@yahoo.com.

-aboutislam.net

HAJJ - THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME (PART 2 OF 2): THE RITES OF ABRAHAM

 Just after sunset, the mass of pilgrims proceeds to Muzdalifah, an open plain about halfway between Arafat and Mina.  There they first pray and then collect a fixed number of chickpea-sized pebbles to use on the following days.

Before daybreak on the third day, pilgrims move en masse from Muzdalifah to Mina.  There they cast at white pillars the pebbles they have previously collected, a practice associated with the Prophet Abraham.  As pilgrims throw seven pebbles at each of these pillars, they remember the story of Satan’s attempt to persuade Abraham to disregard God’s command to sacrifice his son.

Throwing the pebbles is symbolic of humans’ attempt to cast away evil and vice, not once but seven times - the number seven symbolizing infinity.

Following the casting of the pebbles, most pilgrims sacrifice a goat, sheep or some other animal.  They give the meat to the poor after, in some cases, keeping a small portion for themselves.

This rite is associated with Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son in accordance with God’s wish.  It symbolizes the Muslim’s willingness to part with what is precious to him, and reminds us of the spirit of Islam, in which submission to God’s will plays a leading role.  This act also reminds the pilgrim to share worldly goods with those who are less fortunate, and serves as an offer of thanksgiving to God.

As the pilgrims have, at this stage, finished a major part of the hajj, they are now allowed to shed their ihram and put on everyday clothes.  On this day Muslims around the world share the happiness the pilgrims feel and join them by performing identical, individual sacrifices in a worldwide celebration of ‘Eid al-Adha, “the Festival of Sacrifice.”  Men either shave their heads or clip their hair, and women cut off a symbolic lock, to mark their partial deconsecration.  This is done as a symbol of humility.  All proscriptions, save the one of conjugal relations, are now lifted.

Still so journing in Mina, pilgrims visit Mecca to perform another essential rite of the hajj: the tawaf, the seven-fold circling of the Kaaba, with a prayer recited during each circuit.  Their circumambulation of the Kaaba, the symbol of God’s oneness, implies that all human activity must have God at its center.  It also symbolizes the unity of God and man.

Thomas Abercrombie, a convert to Islam and a writer and photographer for National Geographic Magazine, performed the hajj in the 1970’s and described the sense of unity and harmony pilgrims feel during the circling:

“Seven times we circled the shrine repeating the ritual devotions in Arabic: ‘Lord God, from such a distant land I have come unto Thee....  Grant me shelter under Thy throne.’  Caught up in the whirling scene, lifted by the poetry of the prayers, we orbited God’s house in accord with the atoms, in harmony with the planets.”

While making their circuits pilgrims may kiss or touch the Black Stone.  This oval stone, first mounted in a silver frame late in the seventh century, has a special place in the hearts of Muslims as, according to some hadeeth, it is the sole remnant of the original structure built by Abraham and Ishmael.  But perhaps the single most important reason for kissing the stone is that the Prophet did so.

No devotional significance whatsoever is attached to the stone, for it is not, nor has ever been, an object of worship.  The second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, made this crystal clear when, on kissing the stone himself in emulation of the Prophet, he proclaimed:

“I know that you are but a stone, incapable of doing good or harm.  Had I not seen the Messenger of God kiss you - may God’s blessing and peace be upon him - I would not kiss you.”

After completing the tawaf, pilgrims pray, preferably at the Station of Abraham, the site where Abraham stood while he built the Kaaba.  Then they drink of the water of Zamzam.

Another, and sometimes final, rite is the sa’y, or “exerting.”  This is a reenactment of a memorable episode in the life of Hagar, who was taken into what the Quran calls the “uncultivable valley” of Mecca, with her infant son Ishmael, to settle there.

The sa’y commemorates Hagar’s frantic search for water to quench Ishmael’s thirst.  She ran back and forth seven times between two rocky hillocks, al-Safa and al-Marwah, until she found the sacred water known as Zamzam.  This water, which sprang forth miraculously under Ishmael’s tiny feet, is springs from the same well from which pilgrims drink today

These rites performed, the pilgrims are completely deconsecrated: They may resume all normal activities.  They now return to Mina, where they stay up to the 12th or 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.  There they throw their remaining pebbles at each of the pillars in the manner practiced or approved by the Prophet.  They then take leave of the friends they have made during the Hajj.  Before leaving Mecca, however, pilgrims make a final tawaf round the Kaaba to bid farewell to the Holy City.

Usually pilgrims either precede or follow the hajj, “the greater pilgrimage,” with the umrah, “the lesser pilgrimage,” which is sanctioned by the Quran and was performed by the Prophet.  The umrah, unlike the hajj, takes place only in Mecca itself and can be performed at any time of the year.  The ihram, talbiyah and the restrictions required by the state of consecration are equally essential in the umrah, which also shares three other rituals with the hajj: the tawaf, sa’y and shaving or clipping the hair.  The observance of the umrah by pilgrims and visitors symbolizes veneration for the unique sanctity of Mecca.

Before or after going to Mecca, pilgrims also avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the hajj or the umrah to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the second holiest city in Islam.  Here, the Prophet lies buried in a simple grave.  The visit to Medina is not obligatory, as it is not part of the hajj or umrah, but the city - which welcomed Muhammad when he migrated there from Mecca - is rich in moving memories and historical sites that are evocative of him as a Prophet and statesman.

In this city, loved by Muslims for centuries, people still feel the effect of the Prophet’s life.  Muhammad Asad, an Austrian Jew who converted to Islam in 1926 and made five pilgrimages between 1927 and 1932, comments on this aspect of the city:

“Even after thirteen centuries [the Prophet’s] spiritual presence is almost as alive here as it was then.  It was only because of him that the scattered group of villages once called Yathrib became a city and has been loved by all Muslims down to this day as no city anywhere else in the world has ever been loved.  It has not even a name of its own: for more than thirteen hundred years it has been called Madinat an-Nabi, ‘the City of the Prophet.’  For more than thirteen hundred years, so much love has converged here that all shapes and movements have acquired a kind of family resemblance, and all differences of appearance find a tonal transition into a common harmony.”

As pilgrims of diverse races and tongues return to their homes, they carry with them cherished memories of Abraham, Ishmael, Hagar, and Muhammad.  They will always remember that universal concourse, where poor and rich, black and white, young and old, met on equal footing.

They return with a sense of awe and serenity: awe for their experience at Arafat, when they felt closest to God as they stood on the site where the Prophet delivered his sermon during his first and last pilgrimage; serenity for having shed their sins on that plain, and being thus relieved of such a heavy burden.  They also return with a better understanding of the conditions of their brothers in Islam.  Thus is born a spirit of caring for others and an understanding of their own rich heritage that will last throughout their lives.

The pilgrims go back radiant with hope and joy, for they have fulfilled God’s ancient injunction to humankind to undertake the pilgrimage.  Above all, they return with a prayer on their lips: May it please God, they pray, to find their hajj acceptable, and may what the Prophet said be true of their own individual journey:

“There is no reward for a pious pilgrimage but Paradise.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

-islamreligion.com

READ PART 1 OF 2 : HAJJ - THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME (PART 1 OF 2): THE DAY OF ARAFAH AND ITS PREPARATION

HAJJ - THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME (PART 1 OF 2): THE DAY OF ARAFAH AND ITS PREPARATION

 

The hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, a central duty of Islam whose origins date back to the Prophet Abraham, brings together Muslims of all races and tongues for one of life’s most moving spiritual experiences.

For 14 centuries, countless millions of Muslims, men and women from the four corners of the earth, have made the pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of Islam.  In carrying out this obligation, they fulfill one of the five “pillars” of Islam, or central religious duties of the believer.

Muslims trace the recorded origins of the divinely prescribed pilgrimage to the Prophet Abraham.  According to the Quran, it was Abraham who, together with Ishmael built the Kabah, “the House of God”, the direction toward which Muslims turn in their worship five times each day.  It was Abraham, too who established the rituals of the hajj, which recall events or practices in his life and that of Hagar and their son Ishmael.

In the chapter entitled “The Pilgrimage”, the Quran speaks of the divine command to perform the hajj and prophesies the permanence of this institution:

“And when We assigned for Abraham the place of the House, saying ‘Do not associate Anything with Me, and purify My House for those who go around it and for those who stand and bow and prostrate themselves in worship.  And proclaim the Pilgrimage among humankind: They will come to you on foot and on every camel made lean By traveling deep, distant ravines.’” (Quran 22:26-27)

By the time the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, received the divine call, however, pagan practices had come to muddy some of the original observances of the hajj.  The Prophet, as ordained by God, continued the Abrahamic hajj after restoring its rituals to their original purity.

Furthermore, Muhammad himself instructed the believers in the rituals of the hajj.  He did this in two ways: by his own practice, or by approving the practices of his Companions.  This added some complexity to the rituals, but also provided increased flexibility in carrying them out, much to the benefit of pilgrims ever since.  It is lawful, for instance, to have some variation in the order in which the several rites are carried out, because the Prophet himself is recorded as having approved such actions.  Thus, the rites of the hajj are elaborate, numerous and varied; aspects of some of them are highlighted below.

The hajj to Mecca is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation upon male and female adults whose health and means permit it, or, in the words of the Quran, upon “those who can make their way there.”  It is not an obligation on children, though some children do accompany their parents on this journey.

Before setting out, a pilgrim should redress all wrongs, pay all debts, plan to have enough funds for his own journey and for the maintenance of his family while he is away, and prepare himself for good conduct throughout the hajj.

When pilgrims undertake the hajj journey, they follow in the footsteps of millions before them.  Nowadays hundreds of thousands of believers from over 70 nations arrive in the Mecca by road, sea and air every year, completing a journey now much shorter and in some ways less arduous than it often was in the past.

Till the 19th century, traveling the long distance to Mecca usually meant being part of a caravan.  There were three main caravans: the Egyptian one, which formed in Cairo; the Iraqi one, which set out from Baghdad; and the Syrian, which, after 1453, started at Istanbul, gathered pilgrims along the way, and proceeded to Mecca from Damascus.

As the hajj journey took months if all went well, pilgrims carried with them the provisions they needed to sustain them on their trip.  The caravans were elaborately supplied with amenities and security if the persons traveling were rich, but the poor often ran out of provisions and had to interrupt their journey in order to work, save up their earnings, and then go on their way.  This resulted in long journeys which, in some cases, spanned ten years or more.  Travel in earlier days was filled with adventure.  The roads were often unsafe due to bandit raids.  The terrain the pilgrims passed through was also dangerous, and natural hazards and diseases often claimed many lives along the way.  Thus, the successful return of pilgrims to their families was the occasion of joyous celebration and thanksgiving for their safe arrival.

Lured by the mystique of Mecca and Medina, many Westerners have visited these two holy cities, on which the pilgrims converge, since the 15th century.  Some of them disguised themselves as Muslims; others, who had genuinely converted, came to fulfill their duty.  But all seem to have been moved by their experience, and many recorded their impressions of the journey and the rituals of the hajj in fascinating accounts.  Many hajj travelogues exist, written in languages as diverse as the pilgrims themselves.

The pilgrimage takes place each year between the 8th and the 13th days of Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Muslim lunar calendar.  Its first rite is the donning of the ihram.

The ihram, worn by men, is a white seamless garment made up of two pieces of cloth or toweling; one covers the body from waist down past the knees, and the other is thrown over the shoulder.  This garb was worn by both Abraham and Muhammad.  Women dress as they usually do.  Men’s heads must be uncovered; both men and women may use an umbrella.

The ihram is a symbol of purity and of the renunciation of evil and mundane matters.  It also indicates the equality of all people in the eyes of God.  When the pilgrim wears his white apparel, he or she enters into a state of purity that prohibits quarreling, committing violence to man or animal and having conjugal relations.  Once he puts on his hajj clothes the pilgrim cannot shave, cut his nails or wear any jewelry, and he will keep his unsown garment on till he completes the pilgrimage.

A pilgrim who is already in Mecca starts his hajj from the moment he puts on the ihram.  Some pilgrims coming from a distance may have entered Mecca earlier with their ihram on and may still be wearing it.  The donning of the ihram is accompanied by the primary invocation of the hajj, the talbiyah:

“Here I am, O God, at Thy Command!  Here I am at Thy Command!  Thou art without associate; Here I am at Thy Command!  Thine are praise and grace and dominion!  Thou art without associate.”

The thunderous, melodious chants of the talbiyah ring out not only in Mecca but also at other nearby sacred locations connected with the hajj.

On the first day of the hajj, pilgrims sweep out of Mecca toward Mina, a small uninhabited village east of the city.  As their throngs spread through Mina, the pilgrims generally spend their time meditating and praying, as the Prophet did on his pilgrimage.

During the second day, the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims leave Mina for the plain of Arafat where they rest.  This is the central rite of the hajj.  As they congregate there, the pilgrims’ stance and gathering reminds them of the Day of Judgment.  Some of them gather at the Mount of Mercy, where the Prophet delivered his unforgettable Farewell Sermon, enunciating far-reaching religious, economic, social and political reforms.  These are emotionally charged hours, which the pilgrims spend in worship and supplication.  Many shed tears as they ask God to forgive them.  On this sacred spot, they reach the culmination of their religious lives as they feel the presence and closeness of a merciful God.

The first Englishwoman to perform the hajj, Lady Evelyn Cobbold, described in 1934 the feelings pilgrims experience at Arafat.

“It would require a master pen to describe the scene, poignant in its intensity, of that great concourse of humanity of which I was one small unit, completely lost to their surroundings in a fervor of religious enthusiasm.  Many of the pilgrims had tears streaming down their cheeks; others raised their faces to the starlit sky that had witnessed this drama so often in the past centuries.  The shining eyes, the passionate appeals, the pitiful hands outstretched in prayer moved me in a way that nothing had ever done before, and I felt caught up in a strong wave of spiritual exaltation.  I was one with the rest of the pilgrims in a sublime act of complete surrender to the Supreme Will which is Islam.”

She goes on to describe the closeness pilgrims feel to the Prophet while standing in Arafat:

“...as I stand beside the granite pillar, I feel I am on Sacred ground.  I see with my mind’s eye the Prophet delivering that last address, over thirteen hundred years ago, to the weeping multitudes.  I visualize the many preachers who have spoken to countless millions who have assembled on the vast plain below; for this is the culminating scene of the Great Pilgrimage.”

The Prophet is reported to have asked God to pardon the sins of pilgrims who gathered at Arafat, and was granted his wish.  Thus, the hopeful pilgrims prepare to leave this plain joyfully, feeling reborn without sin and intending to turn over a new leaf. - islamreligion.com

The Relationship between Religion and Science

 

Areas of knowledge are represented in the two worlds of the seen and the unseen, or the physical world and the metaphysical world. Man uses all the available tools and methods in his search for knowledge, including innovations and devices which expand the scope of his senses' perception. It is unquestionably known that senses have limited capabilities. Man has been working to promote these capacities by the aid of scientific devices which helped to expand the scope of his senses' perception. Nevertheless, his knowledge remains limited to the capabilities of these devices, which are also necessarily limited. Consequently, human knowledge – which is obtained through senses and devices – remains limited with regard to the seen world and constitutes a small portion of overall knowledge. That is because the area where man lives as well as the areas he has managed to discover in our solar galaxy represent only a drop in a huge sea. 

The knowledge man obtains in the physical world depends on the methodology of knowledge through the senses, which is governed by time and place within the framework of what is possible.

As for the world of the unseen, man's knowledge in this regard depends on authentic reports which come from a source that has absolute knowledge, and which exceeds the limitedness of the senses and goes beyond the limits of time and place. This source is Allah Almighty.

Man's knowledge in the physical world is his seeking to discover the norms of Allah in His creation. Consequently, a certain scientific fact can never contradict a certain religious fact for both of them come from Allah Almighty. These are His signs in the horizons, and those are His signs in the revelation. Allah Almighty says (what means):

• {We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness?} [Quran 41: 53]

• {And those who have been given knowledge see that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, and it guides to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.} [Quran 34: 6] - islamweb.net

THE SLAUGHTER OF LIVESTOCK (PART 2 OF 2): THE ISLAMIC RULING CONCERNING STUNNING

 

Although there is no specific prohibition of stunning prior to slaughtering of animals in Islam, it remains, after certain studies, that refraining from stunning is always best, due to the following reasons.

Pain

Islam is a religion which encourages its followers to show mercy to all of creation.  It prohibits inflicting unnecessary harm to animals.  Even during time of slaughtering, the Prophet said:

“And when you slaughter, then slaughter in the most perfect of manners.” (Saheeh Muslim)

He commanded that one sharpen their knives before slaughtering.

“Sharpen your knives, so that you make it easy for the slaughtering animal.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The epitome of mercy and compassion to animals is that he said that one should never sharpen their knives in their presence, nor slaughter one animal in the presence of another.

“He commanded that we sharpen our knives and [slaughter] out of the sight of other animals.” (Ahmad)

In another narration:

“The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, passed by a man who was sharpening his knife while had his foot on one side of the face of a sheep (holding it to the ground), and it  was looking up at him.  The Prophet said: ‘Couldn’t you have done this beforehand?  You wish to kill it many times.’”[1] (al-Mundhiri)

In order to be effective, CBP stunning must be performed by highly trained personnel, and specific cartridge strengths must be used.  If this is not the case, or if the pistol is not positioned correctly, the animal will have to endure the pain of being shot incorrectly, and then will have to face the pain of being shot again, or the claimed pain (although not true) of being knifed while conscious.  If the animal were to have been slaughtered without CBP, there would have been none or minimal pain felt by the animal.  In a 1996 report, the Scientific Committee of the European Commission said that, “In 5 to 10% of cattle, captive bolt stunning is not applied correctly,“ which according to VIVA (Vegetarian International Voice for Animals), translates to 230,000 cattle in the UK alone.  FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare association) reported “In the course of our slaughterhouse visits, we have frequently examined carcass heads to check the site of bolt penetration.  In our view, there were far too many cases where penetration had not been at or near the recommended position and also evidence of a considerable number of double shots (i.e. indicating that the first shot had missed its proper target).”

The same may be said for electric head-only stunning.  The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) says “There is increasing scientific evidence that some animals that are stunned electrically using tongs regain consciousness before they die from loss of blood.”  The reasons behind this are either an inefficient electric current being passed through the animals’ brain during stunning or the animals begin to regain consciousness if the time interval between stunning and sticking exceeds a period of 20 seconds.

VIVA explains this saying that the stun caused by the electric head-only technique lasts between 20 and 40 seconds whereas the interval between stunning and knifing is as high as 70 seconds for sheep.  This means that there are around 5 million sheep that regain consciousness after being electrically stunned before they die of blood loss.

Research done at Bristol University has also shown that after an electric stun, sheep may not be able to feel pain; they do, however, experience periods of full awareness.  Furthermore, there is no evidence that the loss of consciousness is immediate, and some people, like neurophysiologist Dr. Harold Hilman, believe that stunning is extremely painful, pointing out that the electrocution of prisoners is used as a torture method in some countries.  The animals cannot express this pain by crying out or by moving since the massive electric current paralyzes them.

Inadequate stunning also occurs in water bath stunning, especially with ducks and geese, as they tend to raise their heads when entering the water bath and their heads are therefore not fully immersed in the water.  Another problem with this method is that, although the aim of this method is to induce cardiac arrest, “many birds are improperly stunned and recover consciousness before slaughter,” according to the RSPCA.  This is also the case for sticking, as animals may regain consciousness prior to death.

The pain felt by any living being through suffocation, as in the case of gassing, is clear to any person and need not be detailed.

What can be observed is that although these methods are supposedly meant to reduce pain, the result is that the animal actually undergoes more pain, both from the initial stunning and from the following actions if stunning is performed inadequately.  Again, causing unnecessary pain to animals is prohibited in Islam.

Health

Removal of Blood:

It is clear that the removal of the maximum amount of blood before death of the animal is crucial to the purity of the meat.  In the various methods of stunning, animals may undergo cardiac arrest after stunning, either unintentionally, such as electric head-only stunning, or intentionally, such as electric water bath stunning, in which enough electricity is used to ensure cardiac arrest of poultry.  From the results of the experiment of the German University was that the hearts of animals stunned by CBP stopped beating earlier as compared to those of the animals slaughtered according to the Islamic method resulting in the retention of more blood in the meat.  Stunning also causes ‘salt and pepper’ hemorrhage where the small blood vessels rapture, and blood leaks into the meat tissue.  All these techniques cause the blood to remain in the vessels, encouraging the spawning of microorganisms.

Contamination of Meat

There is a rising concern that stunning may be a factor in the spread of mad cow’s disease from cattle to humans, as it was discovered in recent research carried out at Texas A&M University and by Canada’s Food Inspection Agency, that a method called pneumatic stunning (which is the firing of a metal bolt into the cow's brain followed by a pulverizing burst of 150 pounds of air pressure) delivered a force so explosive that it scattered brain tissue throughout the animal.  This news is disturbing since the brain tissue and spinal cord are the most infectious parts of an animal with mad cow disease, which causes fatal Swiss cheese like holes in the brain of the infected animal.  It is more disturbing to find out that around 30 to 40 percent of American cattle are stunned by pneumatic guns.

It was found by an experiment conducted by Gregory and Whittington in 1992 and published in Research in Veterinary Science under the title of Inhalation of Water During Electrical Stunning in Chickens that “chickens can and do inhale water during electric stunning in a water bath.  No remedy for this is available at the moment.”  It was also noticed that birds may defecate while being stunned and so live birds may inhale water fouled by feces at stunning, thus making their meat unhygienic as the fluids may leak out of the lungs and cause contamination.

Fear of Death

In many of these stunning techniques, animals die before they are slaughtered, either unintentionally, such as CBP and electric head-only stunning, or intentionally, such as gassing.  This, according to Islam, renders the meat unlawful for human consumption, as it enters the category of carrion meat.

Conclusion

The legislations of the religion come from a Divine source, the Creator of all that exist, One Whose knowledge of His creation is infinite.  This fact necessitates that all things mandated by God in the religion are done so from this Divine Knowledge, and therefore must be ultimate in all ways.  Analyzing the legislations mandated and recommended in the religion of Islam will definitely come to show that indeed they are the best and most suitable to any given circumstance, and that they have a common denominator, the maximization of benefits and reduction of harm.  As some people classify the Islamic method of slaughter to be cruelty to animals, the reality shows facts quite the opposite.  Accusations of animal cruelty should very rightly be focused on those who do not use the Islamic way of slaughtering, but prefer to use those methods which cause pain and agony to the animal and could also very well cause harm to those consuming the meat. - islamreligion.com

READ PART 1 - THE SLAUGHTER OF LIVESTOCK (PART 1 OF 2): MODERN TECHNIQUES OF SLAUGHTERING

Sources:

Is Islamic Slaughtering Cruel to Animals?  Dr. Aisha El-Awady

Is Stunning Animals Really Humane?  Dr. Aisha El-Awady

Going for the Kill. Juliet Gellatley BSc (Zoology)

Sentenced to Death. Rebecca Smith

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Meaning that sharpening the knife in the presence of the animal was equal to killing it.

THE SLAUGHTER OF LIVESTOCK (PART 1 OF 2): MODERN TECHNIQUES OF SLAUGHTERING

 

Although much less complicated and tedious that Jewish Keshrut, or Jewish dietary laws, Islam does legislate certain rules and regulation in regards to diet.  All legislations which deal with this worldly life in Islam are based upon the precept of maximizing benefits and reducing harm, and if the harm of anything exceeds the benefits that might be gained from it, it is generally prohibited in Islam.  God says:

“They ask you about wine and gambling.  Say: In them is much sin, and also some benefit for people.  But its sin is greater than its benefit...” (Quran 2:219)

For this reason, Islam has mandated certain observances in regards to the slaughter of animals to benefit from their meat, and these mandates are legislated due to an intrinsic harm which would result if they were not to be followed, most of which deal with health, as well as alleviating pain inflicted upon the animal.

The Islamic Method of Slaughtering

One of the main legislations in regards to the permissibility of meat is that it must be slaughtered according to the mandates of the religion.  Forbidden is any type of animal if it dies of natural cause, strangulation, due to a violent blow, a headlong fall, by the goring of horns, and that which has been partially eaten by wild animals.  Rather, in order for meat to be made permissible to eat, it must be slaughtered by a cut through the neck, reaching through the trachea, esophagus, the jugular veins and carotid arteries, without severing the spinal cord.

This method is indeed the most humane method to slaughter an animal to make use of its meat.  This is also the only method endorsed by the congress of the United States of America, as mentioned in section 1901 and 1902 (b), Chapter 48, Title 7, in which is written the following:

The Congress finds that the use of humane methods in the slaughter of livestock prevents needless suffering; results in safer and better working conditions for persons engaged in the slaughtering industry; brings about improvement of products and economies in slaughtering operations; and produces other benefits for producers, processors, and consumers which tend to expedite an orderly flow of livestock and livestock products in interstate and foreign commerce.  It is therefore declared to be the policy of the United States that the slaughtering of livestock and the handling of livestock in connection with slaughter shall be carried out only by humane methods.

No method of slaughtering or handling in connection with slaughtering shall be deemed to comply with the public policy of the United States unless it is humane.  Either of the following two methods of slaughtering and handling are hereby found to be humane:

(a)  in the case of cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock, all animals are rendered insensible to pain by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical or other means that is rapid and effective, before being shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut; or

(b)  by slaughtering in accordance with the ritual requirements of the Jewish faith or any other religious faith that prescribes a method of slaughter whereby the animal suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of the brain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid arteries with a sharp instrument and handling in connection with such slaughtering.[1]

As can be seen above, this method of slaughtering ensures the least amount of pain is felt by the animal at the same time rendering the meat safe to eat.  The swift cutting of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerves in the brain responsible for pain, and thus the animal does not feel pain.  The movements and withering that happen to the animal after the cut is made are not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscles deficient in blood.  This movement is also essential in forcing the maximum amount of blood from the body, which is extremely important in order to purify the meat, as remaining blood acts as a medium for microorganisms, in addition to meat remaining fresher for a longer period of time.  Also crucial to this factor is the severance of the trachea, esophagus, and the jugular veins in conjunction with the carotid arteries, which cause a rapid gush of blood to flow from the system.  Severance of the spinal cord, however, may lead to cardiac arrest, causing the stagnation of blood in the blood vessels due to the damage of nerve fibers leading to the heart.

Does the Animal Feel Pain in This Method?

In a study entitled Attempts to Objectify Pain and Consciousness in Conventional (captive bolt pistol stunning) and Ritual (halal, knife) Methods of Slaughtering Sheep and Calves’, carried out by Professor Wilhelm Schulze and his colleague Dr. Hazim at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover University, Germany, several electrodes were surgically implanted at various points of the skull of all animals, touching the surface of the brain.  After the animals were allowed to recover for several weeks, some animals were slaughtered in the Islamic manner mentioned previously, by the cutting of the trachea, esophagus, the jugular veins and carotid arteries.  Other animals were stunned first before slaughtering.  During the experiment, an electroencephalograph (EEG) and an electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded the condition of the brain and the heart of all animals during the course of slaughter and stunning.  The following results were recorded:

1.    The first three seconds from the time of Islamic slaughter as recorded on the EEG did not show any change from the graph before slaughter, thus indicating that the animal did not feel any pain during or immediately after the incision.

2.    For the following 3 seconds, the EEG recorded a condition of deep sleep - unconsciousness.  This is due to the large quantity of blood gushing out from the body.

3.    After the above-mentioned 6 seconds, the EEG recorded zero level, showing no feeling of pain at all.

4.    As the brain message (EEG) dropped to zero level, the heart was still pounding and the body convulsing vigorously (a reflex action of the spinal cord) driving a maximum amount of blood from the body thus resulting in hygienic meat for the consumer.

Modern Stunning Techniques Used Prior to Slaughtering

Critics of Islamic and similar Jewish procedures in slaughtering animals oppose the fact that 1902 (a) is not implemented, which calls, though optionally, that animals be stunned before their throats be cut.  This is based on the claim that stunning renders the animal insensible to pain, although the more favorable opinion is that it renders the animal easier to control in mass factory-like slaughter houses.  Some modern means of stunning are the following:

Mechanical Methods:

·                    Captive Bolt Pistol (CBP): This stunning method is widely used for all farmed animals and rabbits.  Gun powder (cartridge), compressed air and spring under tension drive bolts through the skull of animals.  This type of stunning is widely used for all farmed animals.  It is called ‘captive’ since the bolt is shot out of the barrel but remains attached to the pistol.

·        Concussion stunning.  A mechanically operated instrument delivers a blow to the brain and concusses the brain.  Used for cattle, sheep, calves, rabbits.

·        Free bullets.  Used for animals difficult to handle such as wild pigs, bison, deer, horses or in emergencies.

After stunning animals may be pithed, involving inserting a rod into the cavity made by the bolt to destroy the lower portion of the brain and the upper spinal cord.  In all these methods, unconsciousness is caused either by penetration of the skull which causes brain damage or by causing a concussive blow to the brain without penetration.  After stunning the animal undergoes sticking which cuts off the blood supply to the brain.  After animals are stunned and stuck, they are bled, and it is the bleeding that causes death.  The industry requires that the heart should remain beating as long as possible after sticking to ensure that as much blood as possible is removed from the flesh and blood vessels.  This apparently maintains the quality of the meat and its keeping potential.

Electric Stunning

·        Head-Only Stunning: Cattle, sheep, goats and ostriches are all stunned using this method.  The technique involves the application of a pair of electric tongs on either side of the animal’s head.  An electric current is then passed through the brain and this supposedly leads to the temporary loss of consciousness.

·        Cardiac arrest stunning: Used for cattle, sheep, pigs, rabbits and goats.  An electric current is either sent through the head and body at the same time to span the brain and heart or is sent though the head first and then across the chest or through the head and body at the same time.

·        Water Bath Stunning: This is a widely used method of stunning for chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.  In this method, birds are shackled upside-down on a moving conveyor belt that takes them to the electric water bath.  The birds’ heads are to supposedly be immersed in this water causing their electrocution.  In recent years, the strength of the electric current has been raised to ensure the death of the birds by cardiac arrest.

Gassing

Birds may be stunned using CO2 and Argon gas while they remain in their crates.  Pigs are also gassed using CO2.

Sticking

In this method a knife is stuck into the animal’s throat or neck causing brain death from the rapid loss of blood supply to the brain.

Does the Animal Feel Pain in This Method?

Studies have shown that stunning the animal with the mentioned techniques put the animal through unnecessary pain.  Concerning CBP, the study at the German University showed the following result for stunned animals:

1.    The animals were apparently unconscious soon after stunning.

2.    EEG showed severe pain immediately after stunning.

3.    The hearts of the animal stunned by CBP stopped beating earlier as compared to those of the animals slaughtered according to the Halal method resulting in the retention of more blood in the meat.  This in turn is unhygienic for the consumer.

Although the animals were rendered unconscious, they felt severe pain from the stunning, a factor not present in the Islamic manner. -islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1](http://assembler.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode07/usc_sec_07_00001901----000-.html)