*OUR FORMER NATIONS*
"History is written by the winners" tells of an adage that tends to justify the European fixation with their own history as being the primary shaper of how history unfolded, and will unfold.
That the Nation State, even despite it's falling into the despicable depths of Fascism that rose on the World Stage during the two essentially European World Wars, is the greatest and most efficient means of social organisation.
That is their constant assertion.
That mankind has progressed through many other poorer forms of social organisation, and has hit upon its best in the Nation State.*1
But in the Quran we are constantly reminded of the Nations that preceded ours in terms of their lineage down from Ibrahim (as), the father of the Prophets.
That our history is not one of accident, nor based upon the frailties of human thought that led to the rise of Fascism and its mass murder on industrial scales.
But our history is one of divine decree.
Indeed the Quran declares that Jacob (as), whose other name is Israel, being the father of the twelve tribes on his death bed called his twelve sons to him and advised them to believe in the God of Ibrahim (their great grandfather), Ismail (their grand uncle) and Isaac (their grandfather), and not to die except in a state of Islam and as Muslims.
That the Children of Israel from the first were Muslims, as were the first Christians, but the first Nation later angered God, and the second invented lies against Him. *2
And so the Children of Israel figure greatly in the Quran because they afford us with ready examples of the pitfalls that can befall us, the exercise of power, and the opportunities that await us.
Indeed no one could have imagined that an Arabian Prophet, Muhammed (saw), could have had the impact on World History that he did. And when you engulf yourself in our history, then you will see it as nothing short of a series of miracles.
Indeed the only person who foresaw his impact, was none other than himself. Recall that at the battle of the trench as he smashed a boulder that no one else could break, sparks flew and the Messenger (saw) when asked said that he could see the gates of Sana, in the Yemen, the Palaces of Persia, and the court of Heracliues, the Roman Emperor.
And that when the Muslims were beseiged by the whole of Arabia.
And so if our history is one of being defined by divine decree, did it change past the first few generations that the Messenger (saw) said were the best of generations?
And if so are there parallels in the history of the Children of Israel that we can use to inform us about the Ways of God, and His Sunnah?
Indeed when we recall the latter portion of the Hadith that tells us of the seventy-three sects then we would know that the stories in the Quran about the former Nations are there as instruction for us.
And that God's sunnah and ways affect us all, all three of the Abrahamic faiths, and are there to be deliberated upon.
When Musa (as) extended his sojourn with the Most Gracious we have the first instance of a sect appearing within the religion of Musa (as), and therefore within our religion, even whilst he yet lived.
An Isarelite called Samiri made a golden calf and cajouled the Children of Israel to worship it.
When Musa (as) confronted Harun (as), he said essentially that he did not want for the Unity of them to be broken.
*FIFTY YEARS ON*
The early 70s saw Colonel Gaddafi bring together the whole of the Muslim World at a symposium to deliberate on what he called "the third way", away from the Western ideologies of Communism , on the one hand, and Capitalism, on the other, in what he termed "Socialist Islam".
The delegates at the conference roundly rejected that concept stating that Islam is in no need of neither a prefix, nor a postscript- being as it were fully complete.
In that conference there was a Saudi delegation, and many other representatives of Muslim political agencies. From the UK, Kalim Siddiqui represented us and gave us a glimpse of that time in his book "In pursuit of the power of Islam" (1996).
It appears from our standpoint today that the Muslims of that era were engaged with the reality of Islam as a power that required expression in order to right our wrongs.
This can be dramatically felt in Kalim Siddiqui's book.
There he states that the impetus for this fevour was the publication of Syed Qutb's, banned treatise - "Milestones" (on the path to a political Islam).
The reality is that at that time even the Arab World was more united than it is today, in terms of it's idea that Islam could be a uniting force, and even in their help for one another with for example King Faisal turning off the petrol to Israel during the 1973 Egypt-Israel conflict.
And today that unity has vanished, and the thought of Islam providing a backbone towards a political unity has likewise vanished. Today the reality is that we are more disunited than ever before- especially so when you consider that prior era.
It is as if the Muslim fixation with unity has bourne no healthy fruit. Not then, and if we are true, then not even now.
Then how can we expect to continue with a program of action that has not yielded desired results, even though it appeared more likely to in the 70s, than it is today?
Isn’t it the height of folly to think that continuing to do the same thing would produce different results?
Indeed the argument of Harun (as) is normally stated as that he wanted for unity. But maybe the reality was that he felt that he had not the authority to deal with the issue of the appearance of that ungodly sect amongst the Children of Israel.
When we recall that instance, then we should recall God's Messenger's response. *3
We have a similar instance within the Christian faith where we all can agree that it was the need for unity of creed that caused that Nation to falter and go astray and ascribe divinity to Jesus (as), and to the idea of a Trinitarian god.
They did not learn from the Story of Musa (as), and how he dealt with that first sect.
Likewise within our own history we have that al-Ashari was first of the Mutazalite School of thought and that with the gaining credence of the Atari Innovation in Belief, formulated a “middle of the ground” school so as a compromise for the sake of Unity.
Most Muslims today hold the Ashari view, and with its predominance, have never questioned whether it be true.
But the methodology that was used in the formulation of that school is wrong, and without any basis in our religion.
Should Musa (as) have sat with the Samiri and formulated a middle way?
Were the delegates at the council of Nicea that changed the creed of the Christians so that it would appeal more broadly to most Romans, right?
When God in our scripture calls us a middling Nation what does that mean?
That we should always look for compromise? That there is always a middle ground to be had to the advantage of all?
*THE MIDDLING NATION*
We, as a Nation, believe in the decree of God.
And we are willing to be the actors to fulfil it.
We should not feel the need to compromise with any man, or idea, when it is wrong.
The Middling Nation means then that we are as a Nation middling between the two former ones, the first fixated with the Law, and the second all heart and no brains. We recognise the Law as being paramount, but the Law is only a means to bring us closer to God, and we are all heart believing in the Decree of God and firmly trusting in Him. And we believe that the Quran is our guide book, sent to instruct us with nuance and intelligence.
*NO COMPROMISE ON THE TRUTH*
And we reject resoundingly the innovation of the Athari that had never before raised its ugly head amongst the Muslims, until that time:
That God is transcendental, above His Creation. And that He does not resemble it, but His creation is a sign of both His perfection and His greatness. That there is a non-reflexive relationship there.
That the creation is perfect, how much more perfect the Creator and Sustainer of it all must be.
And He is above His creation, without anything comparable.
And we reject the Ashari innovation, that sought to find a middle ground, and instead saw us as a Nation ignore the great boon that had been bestowed upon us with the Quran:
That argued that the Quran is part of Allah t’ala Asma wa Sifaat, His Names and Attributes, and that in essence according to the Ashari creed of ‘bi la khayf’ we should not deliberate upon it, and solely accept it. *4
Instead we adopt the first and prior creed in which the Quran is God’s gift to Mankind, His greatest proof- there to be deliberated upon, wrestled with and it is a source that stretches our intelligence. What a blessing.
And we reject the sectarianism that raised its ugly head within our Nation with the holding of the head of the fourth school in honour.
We are a people who rely on God, in full submission. And we reject those that make the religion more than it is, thinking that thereby they are more holy.
*QADR’ALLAH*
We cannot and will not divorce ourselves from God’s intervention, even as the Children of Israel have done so in their saying that "God's Hands are tied", for we as a Nation firmly believe that God is the real actor in each our affairs, that His Nima' is ever present and close, precisely because we as a Nation are charged with fulfilling His will.
Indeed God does state in the Quran, and our Messenger (saw) did emphasize to us, the need for unity, lest our power depart.
To stick to the Jamaa' is the most important of our political and social concepts, that helps to prevent us slipping into schism, disunity and then thinking that we are superior to others.
And this is what happened to us with the appearance within us of the Athari innovation, and with the rise to predominance of the fourth school.
And one of His Sunnah's is that when He raises one such true person upon the World Stage, and within us, then He likwewise raises in acclaim one false person- to give us all the ready chance to choice. (S Furqan)
For Abu Haneefa (rm) fought hard against the Athari innovation. Only for it to be raised to new heights by one who claimed higher credentials of religiosity.
That then there will inevitably rise amongst us, enemies of God within our own ranks that cannot be in doubt. And on those occassions unity is not the action endorsed by God. But we must purge them from our ranks, and fight against them and their false ideas even as we are commanded to fight against the hypocrites in the Glorious Recitation.
And then God's help and His decree is close when we fear not any other except Him.
*THE SWORDS OF GOD*
And are merciful to the believers.
Relenting to them when they return to true faith, even as was the method of Salahuddin Ayyubi (rm)- the one hero of our past that removed the Crusading armies from the Holy Lands.
If God had so wished then He could have made us as one Nation united on the truth. But He raises false people and gives them acclaim to see which of us will remain true.
This much is clear.
And then we must of a necessity after deliberating on the Sunnah of God and His ways, then we must of course deliberate on the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw) who best explained it all.
That the promised liars will not suffer at our hand, nor will we revenge against them. Rather we will have the upper hand, mark them out for who they be, and be courteous to them and never cut them off, on the off chance that they repent and make ammends. Their case lies with God, unless they openly show their true colours and then they will have no protector, neither any helper.
Indeed the decree of God is power that cannot be attenuated. And the Believers they are His Swords.
KNOWLEDGE IS THROUGH DELIBERATION, CONTEMPLATION.
WISDOM THROUGH ACTION.
AND AUTHORITY AND POWER ARE THOSE THAT HE GIVES TO WHOM HE WILL, THE LORD OF THE DECREE.
*NOTES*
*1 here I am not advocating for a Caliphate. For at first the Khalifah was simply a “successor” of the Messenger of God (saw) in regards to his political authority.
Rather the blueprint contained within Quran of an Islamic Society is very broad, and allows for interpretation with each new age of man.
*2 The first Nation denied the Messiah, and attempted to kill him, and the second Nation believed the lies that the first had invented in order to effect their design.
See my blog entitled: Who killed Jesus?
*3 the 11 tribes were commanded to slaughter the one errant tribe of Samiri.
*4 which led to the fall of the Philosopher movement with our civilisation, and the dumbing down of all and sundry, so that we lost our pre-eminence in the Natural Sciences.
