When Socrates was brought before the Athenian assembly and charged with the crime of corrupting the youth, the charge that he was really convicted of was that of not doing “politics”.
Contrarily he had given his life in service to the community; in his own words he had advised them, each and all, and on more than one occasion to pay heed to their moral and ethical wellbeing over their gaining an unfair advantage- one over another.
He had taken this course contrary to his own apparent wellbeing, because he perceived a greater good in it and stayed that course beyond the judgment of death that was enforced on him.
Solon said that a fortunate man is one who dies happy. Socrates died happy.
Society often persecutes the one who seeks the good of the community whilst avoiding a political mindset; one who does not massage egos, and doesn’t work through cliques of people; being open instead to all, and one, and gives himself in the service of all, and not just the few.
This is what we witnessed when Corbyn failed in the election. It was not a failure of vision, rather it was too much vision for too many people.
It was a failure in “politics”, that he was not politic enough or rather more telling, that politics had not grown past the days of Socrates.
But it had, and it can again.
Because that is not the society that we, as Muslims, aspire to. The society that we aspire to, was one that the Messenger (saw) moulded.
Imagine if you will a society that safeguarded even the Munafiq- those that professed belief only to gain an advantage (the hypocrites who we know will be assigned the the lowest part of hell). Where their names were recorded and yet kept safe from common knowledge, to the extent that when they died the believers gathered to pray over them.
Read the expedition of Tabuk.
Where Kab bin Malik (ra) remained behind, and was of those who back slide.
How the Messenger (saw) and the believers imposed a boycott on him. Not so much as a punishment, but more so that revelation might come down concerning him. *1
And the delight that they had, and the wish that he might be exonerated by Divine writ, when it happened and that heartfelt openness of a community as one.
For whilst the hypocrites came and made their usual excuses, and were not hindered from doing so.. it was for the believers both a trial and an exposition of what should and could be.
That even Wahshi who slew Hamza (ra), the beloved uncle of the Messenger (saw) was accepted into the fold and granted forgiveness. *2
That is the openness that Islam ushered in to the human experience. *3
And that example will stand the test of time.
What I have said here is my considered opinion. If it is wrong then that wrong belongs to me.
Knowledge is sought through study and contemplation, not via lectures, nor speeches, nor this above.
*1 the Messenger (saw) said of him that if he had asked me, then I would have prayed for forgiveness for him.
However the community of believers, there, ever sought connection to God’s Grace, and Kab wished to be exonerated by God Himself.
And it’s also clear that the Messenger also so wished it, and fervently prayed that revelation might descend exonerating him.
Read the verses revealed concerning him.
*2 Wahshi took the Shahadah with the
Messenger (saw), and was asked that he not present himself before him again as the pain of recollection was too great for him (the Messenger (saw)) to bear.
*3 A benchmark of Sunni Muslim Civilisation is and was the extent to which we would go to to preserve that openness.
The Seljuk Turk princes would ride out to open plains and remain there until the sun set, free from their cumbersome courtiers, in order to allow complainants full access to them - and none would be hindered from approach.
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