223- Major Themes of the Holy Qur’an: 2 (Series: Inviting Reflections)

The new emerging political scenario, at the international level, particularly the one year’s long siege of more than eight million Muslims in Indian held Kashmir and the worst situation faced by Muslims in Palestine and Rohingya people--the Muslim population of Myanmar, the International Reaction from the International forums of basic rights and from other world religions towards atrocities have proved the Arabic dictum: " ???????? ????? ???????" (The non-believers are one Millat (against Muslims). Some of them could not erase Crusading Fervor from the canvass of their minds---as held by Karen Armstrong. She has very rightly pointed out that the inclusion of an epic: Song of Roland, composed in the first crusades and sung by the worriers while invading Muslim lands, in the curricula at secondary level in some Western countries speaks volumes about the selective morality of the new-colonial powers. (Please see for details: Holy War by Karen Armstrong, 1992, pp. 22-25). Some Neo-Colonial powers are invading Muslim lands under pretext of their national interests. Some others are doing the same in the name of “justice” and “national interest”.

The most important theme which is reflected continuously in the whole Qur’anic text is: “Respect for the Human Beings”, be they are rich or poor, rulers or the down trodden, Muslims or Non-Muslims, parents or distant relations, neighbors or passers-by, old or infants---without any consideration of creed, color and race. Allah says:                         

"???????? ?????????? ????? ?????" (We (Allah) have honored the sons of Adam).  Surah: 17, Verse: 70. No pre-Islamic civilization guaranteed respect and basic rights to human beings which Muhammad, peace be upon him, gave in his address at Hijjah al-Wada’ (The Farewell or Departing Pilgrimage) centuries before the Magna Carta. Usually Magna Carta is taken to be the first document on Basic Rights, whereas the Holy Qur’an had centuries before announced the exaltedness and respect of human life and honor, regardless of their creed, colour and race.

In the following, we give here a portion of the Last Address of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as reported in a hadith by Ahmad bin Humbal in his Musnad:

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "O people! Indeed, your Lord is one and your father is one. Indeed, there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a white over a black, nor a black over a white, except by taqwa. Have I conveyed the message?" They replied, "You have conveyed it, Messenger of Allah!" Then he said, "What day is this?" They replied, "A sacred day." Then he said, "What month is this?" They replied, "A sacred month." Then he said, "What city is this?" They replied, "A sacred city." He said, "Allah has made your blood and your property (the narrator said, 'I don't know if he said "and your honor" or not') as sacred as this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours. Have I conveyed the message?" They replied, "You have conveyed it, Messenger of Allah!" He said, "Let whoever is present tell whoever is absent."

The Holy Qur’an dismisses all discriminations between people by claiming Unity of Mankind. Allah says:

"????????? ???? ??????? ????????? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????????" (He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate). Surah: 39, Verse: 6.

The Holy Qur’an further acknowledges the right of a person to profess any religion by claiming:

"??? ????????? ??? ????????"  (Let there be no compulsion in (professing) religion ) Surah: 2, Verse: 256.

After the advent of Islam new rules for peace and war were introduced which were never practiced before. The minorities and the subjects of the Islamic state from other religions were taken as equal citizens, and thence, justice was dispensed. In this regard, an example should suffice to understand the conduct of an Islamic state. Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, a known scholar of the twentieth century, retrieved a letter of a Syrian Priest, from the Vatican Library, who wrote to his counterpart during the reign of Second Caliph ‘Umar bin Khattab R.A. in which he says that the Caliph has bestowed many favors on us. He has given us land to build a Church as well as money for its construction and we are leading a happy life here. (Please see: Khutbat e Bahawalpur, pp. 312-313) It should be noted that at that time a big number of Christians was residing in Syria as now we find a good percentage of Christian Arabs in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, ordained the believers that in the wars, women, children, and the old people should not be killed. Any crops or houses should not be burnt, and trees should not be cut. The privacy of the people should be respected. These new parameters had never been practiced before. Moreover, within the whole society, the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave a right to live to everybody particularly to those newly born girls who were being buried alive by the tribes of Banu Kindah and Banu Tamim. (Please see for details: Al-Tabarani’s Al-Mu’jam; and Al-Tirmadhi).

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also accorded the right to choose a profession and the right of movement to all the citizens of the state. The most important thing to note is that the Prophet, peace be upon him, trained a generation that was the true embodiment of the Qur’anic teachings. The Caliph ‘Umar awarded and inflicted punishment on a son of a Governor of a Province, for misuse of power, and asked him:

"???? ???? ?????????????? ??????? ?? ???? ???????????? ???????????? ????????" (Since when you have enslaved the people? The mothers, when they give birth to the people- they give birth to the free (honorable) citizens). Please see for detail: Ibn Hisam al-Hindi, Muntakhab Kanz al-‘Ummal, v. 4, p. 420