Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Their Rights

Companions of the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and their Rights

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The importance of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the history of Islam and for the Muslim community is enormous. This first generation of Islam is really very unique and remarkable in the sense that they are the eye-witnesses of the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet (peace be upon him); they are the ones who met the Prophet (peace be upon him) personally and saw everything happened; they are the eye-witnesses of the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him); through them we got the text of the Qur’an; they are the ones who collected the text of the Qur’an during the life of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq; they are ones who did the second writing of the text of the Qur’an during the life of the third Caliph Osman and finally, they are the ones who presented the Qur’an to the Ummah as one Book. Thus, this first generation, the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is very important for us, for the Muslim community. This is one of the reasons, the Islamic Cultural Centre, London in cooperation with the Daw’ah Office in the UK held a Seminar recently.

Seminar on the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh)
A one-day Seminar on the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and their Rights, organised by the Islamic Cultural Centre, London in cooperation with the Maktab-e-Daw’ah, the Daw’ah Office in the UK, was held at the Library Hall of the Centre, on Saturday, the 26th of February, 2011. The Seminar was attended by the respected guests Professor Dr. Ghazi Makki, the Cultural Attache of Saudi Arabia and Yasser Shaban, a Counsellor at the Embassy of Egypt; Abdul Aziz Al-Harbi, Dr. Al-Hazmi and Dr. Sayyid from the Daw’ah Office in the UK and other brothers and sisters.

There were two sessions: in the first session under the chairmanship of Shaikh Saad Al-Jloud, there were two speakers; Dr. Ahmed Al-Dubayan and Shaikh Haitham Haddad who spoke on the ‘Reading in the Traditions of Ancestors’ Scholars about the Companions (RAA) and their Rights’ and ‘The Relationship between the Companions and the Family of the Prophet (pbuh)’ respectively. In the second session under the chairmanship of Shaikh Khalifa Ezat, there were again two speakers such as Shaikh Sultan Fayad Al-Hassan and Shaikh Mohammed Abd Al-Hadi Afdal who spoke on ‘The Superiority of the Mothers of Believers (RAA) in general and Mother of Believers Ayesha in Particular’ and ‘The Mother of Believers Ayesha’s Participating in narrating the Prophet’s (pbuh) Traditions’ respectively.

Welcome address by Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan
While welcoming the respected guests and other brothers and sisters, Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan mentioned about the importance and speciality of the Seminar. Dr. al-Dubayan said, “When we talk about the first generation, we closely talk about the biography of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh), i.e. we talk about the history of the Qur’an; we talk about the Sunnah al-Sharifa; we talk about the beginning of our faith, ISLAM.”

“Our Seminar today is about the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh), Shahaba and Their Rights. This is very important because it is really a very fundamental piece of Islamic education for the young generation to know more and more about the first generation of Islam,” mentioned Dr. Al-Dubayan.

Speaking about the first generation of Islam, Dr. Al-Dubayan mentioned, “They are the eye-witnesses of the Qur’an and the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet (pbuh); they are the eye-witnesses who met the Prophet personally and saw everything happened whatever we read in the paper about the Prophet (pbuh). It is very simple to say that they are the model for us; they are the models we have to follow; they are the generations, as I said, who conveyed the message from the Prophet (pbuh) to the next generation which we call historically tabeyeen and the next generation after them which we call tabe tabeyeen.”

While explaining the objective of the Seminar Dr. Al-Dubayan mentioned, “Recently we find some books, some articles, some people who try really unobjectively to criticise this generation and they try to minimise what we know about their rights and what attitude we have to have towards them as a first generation of the Prophet (pbuh). I am saying unobjectively because I myself read some of these articles, some of these books which talk about the companions, written by some Orientalist and by some people in the modern times from the Muslim themselves either from the Muslim countries or from the Muslim communities. They really missed lot of the principles without understanding many objective things.”

“It is very very important for every Muslim and every Muslimah to know more and more about the Shahaba, the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) and to know about their rights and to know how we should deal with this Hadith which actually we find in our Islamic heritage about the Prophet (pbuh) and about the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). Of course, when we talk about the Companions, we don’t mean only men; we mean also women. We have few thousands of women; they were the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh),” mentioned Dr. Al-Dubayan.

First Session
In the first session under the chairmanship of Shaikh Saad al-Jloud, there were two speakers as I mentioned earlier; the first speaker was Dr. Ahmed Al-Dubayan who spoke on the “Reading in the Traditions of Ancestors’ Scholars about the Companions (RAA) and their Rights.’ The second speaker was Shaikh Haitham al-Haddad, well-known in the Muslim community and a member of the Shari’ah Council who spoke on ‘The Relationship between the Companions and the Family of the Prophet (pbuh)’.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Dubayan
Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan started with the first question: Who is the Companion of the Prophet (pbuh)? He dealt with this question elaborately and said, Muslim historians have different opinions and Muslim scholars have also different opinions especially among the Ahle-Hadith about the definition of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). “But I think the best one, most of them have accepted that any Muslim who had met the Prophet (pbuh) and then died as a Muslim, is a Companion even if he met the Prophet (pbuh) even may be for one hour or two hours; he will be considered as one of the Prophet’s companion,” Dr al-Dubayan said.

Who are the Companions?
Dr. Al-Dubayan also elaborated by saying, “Every Muslim, who met the Prophet (pbuh) even for short time, is considered to be one of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh). This is actually for men and women together; so we have shahabis and shahabians, the male and female companions.”

Dr al-Dubayan also raised another question: How many companions we have? This is a very good question and sometimes we used this question to ask the younger generation at the secondary school: How many companions we have? Dr. Al-Dubayan said, “Actually we don’t have one book or one record in which we have all the records of the names of the companions or if we go to the biography of the Prophet (pbuh) or if we go to the collections of the Hadiths or Traditions of the prophet (pbuh).” Of course, at the end of his speech, he has given some statistical information about one of the biggest collections of the companions.

Their Classification
Dr. Al-Dubayan classified the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) into two groups: those who narrated the Hadiths and those who have only their names. Dr. Al-Dubayan elaborated this point saying, “If we read the biography of the Prophet (pbuh), for example, the battle of Badr, or the battle of Uhud, we find some names of the Companions in these two battles but we don’t find any Hadith from them. Either they were not at the beginning or they died early, so the next generation did not have enough time to talk to them or take Hadith from them or they were young. Whatever, actually we find some names but we do not find their names in the Hadith.”

Their Exact number
Going back again to the question Dr. Al-Dubayan raised earlier about the number of Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). There were different estimated figures about this. Quoting of the greatest Muhaddeshins, who said when the Prophet (pbuh) died there were more than 100,000 who saw him, met him and listened to him, men and women. Dr. Al-Dubayan also mentioned there is another Tradition from him, who said when the Prophet (pbuh) died; there was 114,000 Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). The person, who talked to the Imam, asked him, ‘Who are they’? ‘Where are they’?”

It is a big number, 114,000. Where are they? Then the Imam said, ‘These are the people of Madinah, people of Makkah, people of the villages between Makkah and Madinah and between who came from the desert and between Makkah and Madinah and met Prophet (pbuh) and those who conducted with him the Farewell Pilgrimage. There were more than 100,000; they listened to him, they saw him especially when the Prophet (peace be upon him) standing in Arafat and delivered the famous speech, the Sermons on the Mount of Arafat, the Farewell speech, which we all know in the history. So all those people who met him we can estimate the number 114,000,” mentioned Dr. Al-Dubayan.

Then Dr. Al-Dubayan mentioned that the names of the Companions themselves were kept in the Seerah of the Nabubiyah, in the Prophet’s biography. He mentioned that the first book or biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was written by Muhammad ibn Ishaaq, who died in 151 AH. which is 768 according to the Gregorian calendar; i.e., in the 8th century. He is the first one who actually collected all the Ruayat or Traditions about the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as one collection. Of course there were many before; but they were really separate traditions to collect this as one story, Muhammad bin Ishaaq who started to do this.”

These are the reasons, maintained Dr. Al-Dubayan, Muslims love and respect the Companions. There is no doubt that the message of the Qur’an is the last message, the last revelation from Allah the Almighty. We believe that the Qur’an is the last book revealed to Mankind. Allah the Almighty said in the Qur’an He is going to protect this Qur’an and He will guarantee the continuity of this. Dr. Al-Dubayan said, “The first generation of the Companions were very straightforward, they were honest, reliable. Without them, the continuity of the Message is not possible.”

Another point which Dr. Al-Dubayan wanted to make clear is about the Companions. There is a wrong notion about Ahle Sunnah and Ahle Jamaah. “We don’t believe that Shahabas are masumin, they are protected from doing sin; no. They are human beings. They can have a mistake,” said Dr. Al-Dubayan and mentioned, “What the Ahle Sunnah said is that Shahabas are all straightforward and we love them; we respect them but we don’t say that they cannot commit sin. This is not correct; this is wrong. And this misunderstanding many of the writers has especially in the modern times.”

Speaking about his attitude to the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Dr. Al-Dubayan said “two things, their straightforwardness and our mahabbah, the appreciation and love that we have for all of them. Allah the Almighty rewards them for the things they have done for all of us; because without them, we will never be able to have the Qur’an; as we have it today; and the Sunnah as we have it today; and this clear picture that we have about the Prophet (pbuh) today.”

Shaikh Haitham Haddad
The next speaker of the First session was Shaikh Haitham Haddad who spoke on the Relationship between the Companions and the Family of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Shaikh Haitham said, “We need to understand this topic because many Muslims and Orientalist attacked the Companions by claiming that there was tension and dispute between the Companions (RA) themselves. They capitalised on the dispute that took place after Ali ibn Abu Talib (RA) between some of the Companions and the camps of Ali ibn Abu Talib and the camps of Ayesha (RA).”

Shaikh Haitham through many narrations demonstrated how much love the Companions had among themselves and how much the Companions used to love and had love for the members of the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him). “We have seen from many narrations the nature of relationship between all Companions and even in particular the respect the Companions used to show, in particular, to the family members of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Then Shaikh Haitham mentioned about some sects who focussed on the relationship between Abu Bakr (RA) and Omar al-Khattab (RA) in particular with Fatema (RA) and in particular the relationship between Abu Bakr and Ali ibn Abu Talib (RA).. Again after quoting many narrations, Shaikh Haitham said, “There are many narrations and we can go on talking about those narrations I mean the statement from the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).”

Islam, Democracy and Modernity in Indonesia

Islam, Democracy and Modernity
In Indonesia

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country in the world. Around 85% of its 230 million populations are Muslims. Indonesia is also the largest economy in South East Asia. It has been widely seen as a remarkable model of democracy with its fourth largest population in the world. Its three consecutive free and fair direct presidential elections is a clear proof of that achievement. Its economy has also been deemed as showing a fast growth with many analysts considering Indonesia as one of the emerging economy powers.

An International Seminar on Indonesia’s Future Political Landscape was held at Inmarsat Conference Centre, London on 19th January. There were mainly two sessions: First on Political Islam in Muslim Countries and the West and the second session was on Challenges Facing Indonesian Political Parties. The Seminar was addressed by Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham, Lutfur Rahman, Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Mr. Lutfhi Hasan Ishaaq, the President of the Prosperous and Justice Party of Indonesia and Mr. Anis Matta, Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament and other Members of the Indonesian Parliament as well as other important political party figures.. ,

The international seminar was started with the issues which were addressed were: how do the people in the West and Muslim countries perceive political Islam? Is political Islam really a threat to democracy and the West? What are the achievements and contributions of political Islam to the societies in the West and in the Muslim countries?

Interview with the Deputy Speaker
Of Indonesian Parliament
Before I start reporting on the one-day conference, I had the opportunity to meet and interview Mr. Anis Matta, the Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament.

The last General Election of the Indonesian Parliament was held in 2009; 38 political parties participated in the 2009 General elections of the Indonesia Parliament and 9 political parties came out largest parties and formed the government. The Prosperous Justice party (PKS) is the number 4 in that list of winning parties. The Prosperous Justice Party has 57 members in the Indonesian Parliament of 570 members. There are five speakers in the Board of Speakers.

Mr. Anis Matta, deputy speaker said, “There are five speakers. As PKS is number four among the winning party of nine, so it has one speaker. There are eleven commissions in the Parliament. We separate the duties and responsibilities of the Board into four and each one of them is in charge of political, another in charge of economy, another in charge of social and another in charge of Finance & Budget.” Mr. Anis Matta is deputy speaker in charge of Finance & Budget.

“Megawati’s party, PDI, is now number three. They are declining now. The Golkar Party is number two but also declining. In the first elections, the Megawati party got 34%, but in the next elections 19% and in the last elections they got 14%. The Golkar Party in the first elections got 25%, in the second elections they got 20%, and in the last elections they got 14%,”mentioned Mr. Matta.

Mr. Matta has specialised in Shari’ah from the Saudi University. He has Bachelor degree in Shari’ah from the Indonesian branch of the Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1992. He also completed Defence National Course. He was teaching Islamic Economics in the University of Indonesia before joining politics. He joined political party, say the Prosperous Justice Party in 1998.

Ambassador of Indonesia, Yuri Thamrin
While delivering his Opening Remarks, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Kingdom and Ireland, Mr. Yuri Thamrin, said, “Today, Indonesia is a living proof that democracy can develop robustly in a Muslim majority country. Indonesia is a country where Islam, democracy and modernity could go hand in hand harmoniously.”

“First, the basic assumptions of those who argue that Islam and democracy are incompatible are not accurate. The progressive trajectory of democracy in the Islamic world is more influenced not by culture but more by structural and instrumentalist factors such as modernisation, industrialisation, urbanisation, education and literacy, globalisation and elite orientation,” the Ambassador mentioned.

The Indonesian Ambassador Thamrin also mentioned, “I believe that the Qur’an, the Muslim’s Holy Book, does contain basic values and principles such as justice (‘Adl), consultation (Shoura), equality (Musawah), consensus (Ijma), freedom (Al- Hurriya) and dissent in opinion (Ikhtilaf). In my view, those basic values and principles could only live well in a representative form of government and could never prosper in an authoritarian regime. How could we expect that justice will be brought about to its fullest under a tyranny? Obviously no justice would ever be possible unless we have a participatory and representative government.”

While quoting from the World Value Survey, The Ambassador mentioned, “According to World Value Survey carried out in 2008, of all 1.2 billion Moslems the world-over and including 260 million Moslems in Middle East, it turns out that the majority of citizens believe in democracy and its compatibility to Islam. The survey argues that the desire for democracy in some parts of the Moslem world has not progressed as it should, not because of culture, but more of the repressive nature of the existing political system.”

Ambassador Thamrin said, Indonesia has established itself as a democracy, so the part of Indonesia’s identity is now about democracy and moderate Islam. “From this identity, Indonesia has actively projected democratic values in its international relations such as in ASEAN as well as by taking important initiatives such as the first ever dialogue on democracy among countries in Asia known as the Bali Democracy Forum that has continued every year since December 2008.”

Mr. Jazuli Juwaini, head of PKS-
The Prosperous Justice Party of Indonesia
The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Jazuli Juwaini, M.P. the Head of the Central Executive Board of PKS – The Prosperous Justice Party of Indonesia. In his keynote speech, Mr. Juwaini first mentioned, “Islam is the religion of peace and the mercy for the universe and it is not merely about rituals, but a comprehensive way of life: ‘Aqidah (creed), ‘Ibadah (worship), ‘akhlaq (moral), education, social and culture, law and justice, economy, politics etc. Such a comprehensive view of Islam has been widely regarded as political Islam. This topic has been a very interesting discourse since the end of the cold war, and especially when the war on terror started and led by the US in 2001 as the response to terrorist attack on the twin towers in Manhattan, New York on September the 11th 2001.”

Referring to the political Islam, Mr. Juwaini mentioned, “The implementation of Islam as a political power dated back to the early era of Islam when Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, and his companions established the Medina Society. At that time, the city of Medina was a sovereign territory governed by a gentlemen agreement between various tribes and bounded the whole population of Medina. Since then, the history has witness the rise and fall of Islamic power until the early 20th century. We surely cannot deny that for centuries Islam has enlightened and positively contributed to the advancement of many parts of the world, including the Europe.”

Mr. Juwaini said, “Our party members and functionaries consist not only Muslims from one specific school of thought, but also from other religious and diverse backgrounds. This is because for us, the most important thing to consider is one’s commitment, integrity, capacity and contribution for the good and welfare of the nation,” mentioned Mr. Juwaini.

Mr. Juwaini also said, “PKS realises the importance of making and maintaining relations and cooperation with all nations around the world, for the Qur’an teaches that men and women are created into tribes and nations so that they may get to know each other. Furthermore, most of the members of PKS are young generation and educated and open-minded people. Some of them received their higher education from UK, USA, European, Arab, China, and Japanese universities.”

Practical Celebration of the Prophet's (pbuh) Birthday

Practical celebration of the Prophet’s (pbuh)

birthday through adhering to Sunnah and Islam

Dr. Mozammel Haque

This is the month of Rabi al-Awwal, the month when Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born in Makkah al-Mukarramah in the 7th century. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was the Last and Final Prophet sent by Allah the Almighty to this world, to the universe as the Mercy for the Mankind. The Holy Qur’an, the last revelation, was revealed by Allah the Almighty to the Prophet through archangel Jibrael. Muslims throughout the world celebrated and is celebrating his birthday. Now what is the best way to celebrate Prophet’s birthday? I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, the former President of the Jeddah-based King Abdulaziz University, the ex-Secretary General of the Makkah-based Muslim World League and presently Secretary General of the International Islamic Council for Da’wah and Relief (IICDR).

“The occasion of the birthday of the Prophet is celebrated emotionally everywhere. But the practical celebration is to follow Islam and adhere his Sunnah in our life, in all spheres of our life. We adhere to his Sunnah properly. He is not only our spiritual leader; he is our guide and he brought the light to this universe. Then we have to encourage people to come closer and closer and to strive to live his life,” said Dr. Naseef.

“But unfortunately in many Muslim countries the celebration is through the public holidays, the songs and dances,” lamented Dr. Naseef and said,” There should be love for the Prophet and what is the essence of love? If you love Prophet (peace be upon him), you have to follow him and to follow him is to adhering to Islam.”

Dr. Naseef also mentioned, “If you look for how many people are adhering to Islam; you will find very very few. That’s why; our Ummah is suffering today and very much below the life of Islam.”

Dr. Naseef prayed and hoped, “Insha Allah, I ask Allah the Almighty to guide Muslims to come closer to the banner of Islam, to the Sunnah of the Prophet and Muslims should strive hard to uplift the Ummah from its present situation. Allah is Great and He will do it Insha Allah.”

Islam and Muslim in Italy

Islam and Muslim in Italy

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini, the President and founder of COREIS (Comunita Religiosa Islamica, the Italian Islamic Religious Community) came to London on 3rd February for the launch of his book entitled “A Sufi Master’s Message: In Memoriam Rene Guenon” written by him. He has also a very tight schedule of lectures at different centres of London. The Islamic Cultural Centre & The Regent’s Park Central Mosque was honoured by his visit on Friday, the 4th of February, 2011. The Shaykh Abd al-Wahid accompanied by his son Shaykh Yahya Pallavicini prayed Jumah prayer at the London Central Mosque, Regents’ Park and then met with the Director-General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan and Imam of the London Central Mosque and other members and staff of the Centre. Shaykh had a very tight schedule of lectures.

On the same day, on 4th of February, there was launching of his book entitled “A Sufi Master’s Message: In Memoriam Rene Guenon” on the 60th anniversary of the death of Rene Guenon. The City Circle organised an event entitled “Meeting Genius and Holiness. Rene Guenon and Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi” at Abrar House, London. Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid gave a lecture and spoke about his spiritual journey. St. Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, London also organised a meeting in the honour of Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini at the centre on Monday, the 7th of February and the Shaykh delivered a lecture on “The Universality of Abrahamic Monotheism”. London Metropolitan University also organised a meeting in the University on Wednesday, 9th of February on the Book. The book “A Sufi Master’s Message: In Memoriam Rene Guenon” by Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini was also launched at the Islamic Cultural Centre on Thursday, the 10th of February. Shaykh Pallavicini also delivered a lecture on Interfaith.

Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini’s
conversion to Islam
Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini, as a young man, was so well-versed in Rene Guenon’s teachings that he was inspired to seek out Julius Evola, editor of the Italian translations of Guenon’s books. In 1946, in Rome, Evola understood the Shaykh’s search to be purely spiritual rather than political and pointed out in the direction of Titus Burkhardt. Evola and Burkhardt had been in correspondence before the war.

Titus Burkhardt, known by the Muslim name Ibrahim, lived in Bern and was among the first Europeans to convert to Islam because of the works of Rene Guenon. On January 7, 1951, at the age of 25, Shaykh Pallavicini came to Islam at the hands of Sidi Ibrahim himself. Sidi Ibrahim Burkhardt gave him the name Abd al-Wahid, Servant of the Only One, as a tribute to Abd al-Wahid Yahya Rene Guenon, whose writings Burkhardt could see, had inspired Shaykh Pallavicini’s conversion to Islam. Only Later did the Shaykh come to know that Rene Guenon had passed away in Cairo on the exact same day as his conversion.

This sign was clearly a reminder that the inheritance of a standard Islamic name could become associated with a spiritual legacy whereby the faithful continuation and implementation of Guenon’s work would be embodied. This was not a succession, a term which Guenon never recognised in those who arbitrarily used it, but an entrance into the current of wisdom that had guided the great French metaphysician. Hence carried along by this same current Shaykh Pallavicini entered the Alawiyah, an Islamic brotherhood with a branch in Lausanne, through one of its European representatives who had corresponded with Guenon.

Shaykh Pallavicini returned to Italy and Founded
Italian Islamic Religious community (COREIS)
Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini decided to return to Italy and bring home the blessings he received in the East. Upon his initial return Italy in the seventies and eighties was a stranger to Islam; the country had yet to experience its current level of Muslim immigration. After having been totally unknown for many years, the Shaykh’s orientation has become well received in Italy. He is the President and founder of COREIS (Comunita Religiosa Islamica, the Italian Islamic Religious Community) to spread the wisdom underlying Islamic orthodoxy to a wider audience.

Islamic Centre and
Great Mosque of Rome
During those decades Shaykh Pallavicini would meet with the ambassadors of Islamic countries for Friday prayers. Sometimes they were unable to gather even the minimum number of seven man needed to perform the ritual properly. As he worked to serve the first generation of Italian Muslims, the Shaykh contributed to the establishment of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy that now manages the Great Mosque of Rome.

At that time, the refined and visionary Persian Prince Abolghassem Amini was the Secretary General of the Islamic Centre and he exerted great effort in establishing the Cultural Centre and the Great Mosque of Rome. Despite being the largest in Europe, the Mosque’s ability to establish Islamic dialogue in Italy’s capital, host to the seat of the Vatican has since been diminished by power struggles and ideological influences both internal and external to the Mosque.

Shaykh Pallavicini’s Interfaith Role
The first Mosque, the only Mosque in Italy, the Great Mosque of Rome was built up and King Faisal bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia had the privilege to inaugurate the Mosque with the permission of the Italian government.

Shaykh Pallavicini has functioned as an intermediary between Christianity and Islam since 1986 when he was in Assisi as one of the members of the Muslim delegation invited by Pope John Paul II to participate in the first meeting with the representatives of the world religions. He continued to bridge the two faiths during the years he acted as an ambassador between the Mosque of Rome and the Vatican. He channelled a metaphysical quality still present in both the Muslim and Christian Orthodox communities of the East. Abiding by the teachings of Shaykh Guenon, he did not intend to bring the metaphysical message to Christianity itself – which has always had this perspective and always will – but rather to the institutional structure of Catholicism.

Universality of Abrahamic Monotheism
Speaking about his lecture on “The Universality of Abrahamic Monotheism” at the St. Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, London on Monday, the 7th of February, Shaykh Pallavicini said, “Once we embrace universality, it is but a short step to the belief in one God for all mankind, a belief expressed in the Islamic statement of faith: “There is no god but Allah”. Allah denotes precisely the Oneness of God, the one whose essential message Rene Guenon has so clearly pointed out in his works.”

According to Shaykh Pallavicini, “monotheism” should not have a different meaning than that of “universality”, which etymologically refers “to the One”, the one God of Abraham. He said, “It is this Abrahamic origin that brings us closer to our Jewish brothers who did not want to close the Prophetic cycle with the coming of Prophet Moses(as), through whom the Word of God was made “Law”. Through the continuation of this “law”, we Muslims, the last to arrive, were enabled to recognize the prophetic tidings in this final cycle of time, the Qur’an. This revelation was given to us by the last of the Prophets: the ummi, literally “unlettered”, Muhammad (peace be upon him)”.

“This ‘Universalism’ the fact that we are all directed towards the One God of Abraham does not involve either syncretism or a mixture of traditional forms. Nor does it even involve relativism, because everything is effectively relative before the Absolute. Instead, ‘Universality’ requires the recognition of the equal personal dignity of a believer in any orthodox faith, which, as such, necessarily entails the recognition of the Salvific virtue of its dogmas, even though they may differ from each other,” maintained Shaykh Pallavicini.

An interview with Shaykh Pallavicini
I had the privilege and opportunity to meet Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini and his son Shaykh Yahya Pallavicini on Friday, the 4th of February, 2011 at the Novetal Hotel, near Kings Cross, London.

Speaking about Islam in Italy, Shaykh said, “We have to say first that Italy is only country in the world where Islam is not officially recognised. It may be very surprising to you; but it is true and we cannot put any blame on anybody or any religion. But the fact is that Islam was not present in Italy in the times of Frederick II. He was Emperor of Sicily. From that time I must say up to us there was no Islam in Italy. That’s why, the first mosque was the only mosque in Italy; the one in Rome where we know the King Faisal had the privilege to inaugurate the mosque with the permission of the Italian government.”

“But since then which is about 15 years ago, there was no provision to build any other mosque in Italy. Although there is 1,300,000 Muslims in Italy now. Naturally, there is not Italian, 1,300,000 immigrant Muslims. So with such a large population, there is no permission to build another mosque besides the one I mentioned, the one in Rome,” said Shaykh Pallavicini.

Project to build another Mosque in Milan
Shaykh Abd Al-Wahid Pallavicini is an Italian by birth and as an Italian by birth Muslim he thinks it is his responsibility to convince his government to recognise Islam as a religion. “As an Italian by birth, we have to press the government in a way so that Islam will be recognised. By being Italian Muslim, this is our project to build a second official mosque in Italy in Milan which is the northern Italy and where there are mainly immigrant Muslims living; where we can give them the example of the Italian Muslims as there is French Muslim, English Muslim and other Muslims all over Europe. That’s why we are struggling for the fact to establishing a mosque in Italy run by this small minority, all Italians,” said Shaykh and maintained, “We are insisting on the government to make the possibility so that Islam would be recognised as a religion possible to be al-Ameen which means universal and eternal, as it is from the time of Adam (peace be upon him) to the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Islam is not recognised as Religion in Italy
As Islam is not recognised as religion in Italy so there is no Muslim organisation or association. Speaking about the organisation or association of Muslims in Italy, Shaykh Pallavicini said, “Muslims have no influence on the government because they are mainly immigrants; they are considered to be foreigners. We are the only Muslims who are considered to be Italians. We are Italians by birth. About 50,000 Italians are native Muslims. Italian Islamic Religious Association is the organisation of the Italian Muslims. But as we don’t have status in front of the government, there is no question of having an association. It is a question of having a mosque; because Islam is a religion; it is the religion of the ONLY GOD.”

“There are many associations. Nobody has the privilege to represent Islam in Italy,” said Shaykh Pallavicini.

Shaykh Pallavicini also mentioned, “There is no prayer hall in Italy. There is only one in Rome. WE can pray at home; we can pray at apartment, but that does not mean Islam is representative to the government, particularly there is a very strong opposition by the Vatican which pretend to be the only religion of the Italians. This is a problem.”

Christians-Muslims Relationship
Speaking about the Christian-Muslim relationship, Shaykh Pallavicini said, “There is no Muslims officially in Italy. So there is no relationship. There is only one relationship which is between native Italians and immigrants. We have to make a distinction. We don’t speak about religion. We speak about nationality. So nationality is not the representative of the religion. So the people who are coming from all over the world are considered as foreigners, as immigrants and that’s the problem.”

“Islam is a religion which requires to be compared with other religions present in Italy without discrimination,” emphasized Shaykh Pallavicini.

Shaykh Pallavicini said, “We cannot ‘Christianize’ Islam, even from a methodological point of view. We cannot colour our participation in tasawwuf with a Christian ‘mystical’ attitude, such as an ascetic detachment from life and the world. Nor can we expect to build an Islamic monastic structure, even one inspired by hesychasm, since Islam has neither monasticism nor clergy.”

“True Islam allows one to live Islam’s spirit and to follow its law wherever one may be and at any given point in time, even at the end of times. Indeed, the Sunnah identifies the end of times as the period when Islam will spread to new parts of the world,” said Shaykh Pallavicini.

Rene Guenon’s conversion to Islam
Speaking about Rene Guenon’s conversion to Islam, Shaykh Pallavicini said, “Rene Guenon’s so-called conversion from Christianity to Islam should not be misunderstood as a rejection of his original religion. Instead, it should be regarded as an acceptance of Islam through which he joined what he called the Primordial Tradition (din al-qayimah) in its final expression, which incorporates all previous Revelations without opposing them.”

Shaykh Pallavicini’s Wise Words
Shaykh Pallavicini said that there is a need to reconstruct the eroded integrity of believers. “In the West, intellectuality has become intellectualism and logic has become rationalism or, worse still, psychologism; in the East, intuition has created impulsiveness and fatalism has produced fanaticism,” mentioned Shaykh Pallavicini and said, “We need an exchange in which believers, from both the West and East, learn how to regenerate the beneficial waves of their complementary attributes from the respective shores of their common sea. In this way, we Westerners will return to intelligence, regaining our divinity by reflecting upon the intellect of God. Likewise, the East will once again manifest His Light when the Easterner rediscovers his or her own innate sense of divine immanence.”

Islam and Muslims in Korea

Islam and Muslims in Korea

Dr. Mozammel Haque


Seoul: Korea: I came to Korea during November 2010 and prayed my Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Seoul Central Mosque, Korea. Of course, I also met the Imam of the Mosque as well as the President of the Korean Muslim Federation. During Friday Jumaah prayer after the Eid, I had the opportunity of meeting with Muslim brothers of various nationalities living in Korea.

There are 40,000 Native Muslims in a total population of 42 millions living in the Korean Peninsula with some 220,000 kilometre territory extending southward from the north-eastern section of the vast Asian continent. The northern border is mainly with China but also borders on Russia to the northeast. Though Korea has been having some link with Muslims from the earliest period, Islam, as a religion reached there in very recent times.

Presence of Islam in Korea
Though modern Muslim minority community in Korea was formed after the Korean War (1950-53), the relations between Muslims and Koreans can be traced back to the 9th Century or earlier. The history of Muslim connections with Korea can be initially divided into two periods: i) ancient and ii) modern. There were three stages of Muslim relationships with the Koreans in the pre-modern period.

Firstly, according to Korean chronicle and Arab scholars, the first verifiable presence of Islam in Korea dates back to the 9th century during the period of Unified Shilla dynasty with the arrival of Persian and Arab navigators and traders. According to numerous Arab and Muslim geographers, including the 9th century Muslim Persian explorer and geographer Ibn Khurdadhbih many of them settled down permanently in Korea, establishing Muslim villages. Further suggesting a Middle Eastern Muslim community in Shilla are figurines of Royal guardians with distinctly Persian characteristics. Later, many Muslims intermarried with Korean women.

Arabs came for the first time in 1024 in Korea. According to Korean history of the Koryo Kingdom, a group of some 100 Muslims, including Hasan Raza, came to Koryo in September of the 15th year of King Hyonjong (1024) and another group of 100 Muslim merchants came the following year.

There are more detailed and interesting accounts on Muslims living in Shilla in the several writings of such scholars as Ibn Rustah, Masudi Al-Idrisi and others. There are definitive accounts of the advent of Muslims into the Korean Peninsula 150 years prior to Sino-Korean historical records. Many Arab merchants came to Korea during the 11th century on a large scale trade mission, who might have been following their own religious rites, such as praying, fasting and have pursued their own customary tradition during their stay in Korea. But there was no evidence that they resided permanently in Korea or began spreading the message of Islam in this period.

Second in line came Muslims when the Mongols controlled Korea in 1270. Many Muslims, who had wielded power in most policy-making and administrative posts under the Mongol regime, came to Korea. During Mongol rule in Korea the Mongols relied heavily on Uyghurs to help them run their vast empire because of Uighur literacy and Uighur experience in managing extending trading networks. At least two of them settled down in Korea permanently and became the progenitors of two Korean clans. During the Koryo dynasty, particularly the Yuan intervention to Koryo (1270-1368), many Muslims, mostly Central Asians, settled down permanently. They took up positions not only as officials of the Koryo court but as private traders in almost every corner of the country. They formed their own communities in the Koryo capital and celebrated their festivals and maintained their religion, Islam, too. They built a Mosque called “Ye-Kung”, whose literary meaning is a ceremonial hall.

One of those Central Asian immigrants to Korea originally came to Korea as an aide to Mongol princes who had been sent to marry King Chungnyeol. Goryeo documents say that his original name was Samga but, after he decided to make Korea his permanent home, the King bestowed on him the Korean name of Jang Sunnyong. Jang married a Korean and became the founding ancestor of the Deoksu Jang clan. His clan produced many high officials and respected Confucian scholars over the centuries. Twenty-five generations later, around 30,000 Koreans look back to Jang Sunnyong as the grandfather of their clan. They are aware that he was not a native of Korea. Many believe that he was an Arab-Muslim. However, there is no evidence of Islamic influence on Deoksu Jang family traditions.

The same is true of the descendants of another Central Asian who settled down in Korea. A Central Asian (probably a Uyghur) named Seol Son fled to Korea when the Red Turban rebellion erupted near the end of the Mongol’s Yuan dynasty. He, too, married a Korean, originating a lineage called the Gyeongju Seol that claims at least 2,000 members in Korea today but shows no special signs of Muslim influence.

The continuation of Islamic religious activities was threatened by the Royal decree in 1427 which prohibited the performance of Islamic rites and the wearing of traditional dress and headgear. The newly established Chosun dynasty (1392-1910) was no more receptive to foreign cultures, including Islam. The assimilation policy of the early 15th century virtually obliterated most of the traces of the Islamic presence in old Korea. Therefore, Muslim settlers in Korea who had secured quite high social and economic positions, shed gradually their native attire, customs and rituals to which they adhered for about 150 years.

Islam in Modern Korea
In modern history, the spread of Islam and the development of Muslim community in Korea started with the Turkish troops serving with the United Nations forces during the Korean War in early 1950s. This phase of history can be classified into three periods: the first period from 1950 to 1960, the second from 1960 to 1980 and the third from 1980 to the present.

i) During the first period (1950-1960), the Korean Muslim community appeared in 1955 with another group of Turkish Muslim soldiers who had participated in the Korean War (1950-53) under the banner of the United Nations. The Turkish soldiers, besides their duties to defend peace and freedom, propagated their religion which paved the way for the beginning of a new era for Islam in Korea.

Among these Turkish soldiers, Abdulgafur Karaismailoglu, who was an Imam of the Turkish brigade, started teaching Islam to those Koreans only who visited the Turkish army camp at first and to general publics in Korea through public lectures. From September 1955, they initiated a wide range of Islamic activities in Korea. As a result of his efforts, some Koreans gathered around him evincing keen interest in Islam. Abdullah Kim Yu-do, Umar Kim Jin-kyu, Muhammad Yoon Doo-Young were the first generation of Korean Muslims who converted to Islam inspired by the Turkish Imam Abdulgafur.

For more effective Islamic learning and teaching, new Korean converts established the Korea Islamic Society in September 1955. Almost every weekend they would invite Karaismailoglu and organize Islamic lectures in Seoul, through which many Koreans took the opportunity to learn the basic teachings of Islam. As a result, 10th June, 1955 witnessed the mass conversion to Islam by 57 Koreans at once after an impressive Islamic lecture of Karaismailoglu.

This occasion became a turning point in the spread of Islam in Korea. In April 1956, “Chung Jin Madrasa” was established in the military barracks, where secondary education and Islamic lessons were imparted to the poor children who could not enter the regular school because of economic difficulties. The Korea Muslim Society grew large enough to become the Korea Muslim Federation in 1967.

In July 1956, Karaismailoglu was replaced by a new brigade Imam named Zubeyir Koch who came to Korea just after graduation from Imam Hatip (Khatib) High School in Turkey. Building on the base laid by the previous Imam, the young Imam initiated energetic Islamic Da’wah work through mainly holding conferences and establishing personal contacts. He also succeeded in building a temporary Masjid at the big military camp in Seoul with a minaret, which is recorded as the first Masjid in Korea. In the opening ceremony of the Masjid, another 58 Koreans accepted Islam. Till the Imam’s departure in July 1957, the number of Muslims in Korea reached 208.

ii) During the second period (1960-1976) till the 1960s, the relations were mainly built with the South-East Asian countries like Malaysia and Pakistan. Particularly Tunku Abdul Rahman, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, extended generous support for building a Mosque in Seoul. Another important figure to be mentioned here is Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Jamil, the then President of the Qur’an Society of Pakistan. In 1967, the Korea Islamic Foundation was officially registered and recognized as the representative of Muslim Community in Korea.

By the middle of 1970s, Islam saw a new era of rapid expansion in Korea when economic ties with many Arab and Islamic countries became prominent and opened their doors to the Korean Muslims. Some Koreans working in Saudi Arabia converted to Islam, when they completed their term of labour and returned to Korea, they bolstered the number of indigenous Muslims. The Seoul Central Mosque and the Islamic Centre was finally built in Seoul’s Itaewon neighbourhood in 1976, which is the symbol of Korea-Arab cooperation. At the same time, as the continuation of the Korea Islamic Society, the Korea Muslim Federation has emerged as unique and legal unified body for Islamic propagation in Korea.

Mosques in Korea
There are six Masjids in Korea: Seoul Central Mosque, Pusan al-Fatah Masjid, Kwang Ju Masjid, Jeon Ju Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Masjid and Anyang Rabitah Masjid. The Seoul Central Masjid and Islamic Centre was built at the site of 1,500 sq/m which was donated by the Korean government in May, 1969 and was opened on 21st May, 1976. It was later enlarged to a three-storey building in December 1991 with financial support from Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah.

Muslim Community and
Da’wah Activities
The main Da’wah activities consist of undertaking translation and publication of Islamic literature; organizing regular Islamic seminars and conferences for non-Muslims; opening Arabic course free of charge; setting up Sunday Madrasahs for Muslim children; arranging training programme for Muslim leaders and sending students to Islamic institutes in Islamic countries.

The Korean Muslim Federation made efforts to translate and publish books on Islam. In July 1976, the series of 17 booklets were published in Korean language and distributed free of charge. “The Muslim Weekly News” and “Al-Islam” ) (bi-monthly and bi-lingual magazine were published for informing Da’wah activities of the Federation. and “Korea Islam Herald” are published and distributed in and out of Korea. “The Korea Islam Herald”, a bi-monthly and bi-lingual newspaper was first published in June, 1967. A Korean scholar also translated the Tafsir of Holy Qur’an into Korean Language.

With the economic boom in the Middle East in 1970s, many Koreans advanced to Islamic countries and became much interested in Islam there. Responding to a need of Da’wah to them, the Korea Muslim Federation established its branch and Islamic Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in March 1978 with the help of Sheikh Omar Abdullah Kamel. Regular Islamic lecture and education were given to non-Muslim Koreans in the Jeddah Islamic Centre. As a result, about 8,000 Korean workers embraced Islam up to now. In July, 1979, another branch was also established at the Zaharah camp of Samho Construction Co in Kuwait. Mr. Sulaiman Lee Haeng-Lae (Imam of Seoul Central Mosque at that time) was dispatched in order to preach Islam to Korean workers in Kuwait; as a result, about 3,000 Korean workers became Muslims up to June 1984. Indonesia branch was also opened in 1982.

Korea Muslim Federation concentrated its Da’wah activities on Islamic education and research. Seminars and lectures on Islam were frequently held at the Conference Hall of Seoul Central Masjid. These academic activities about Islam reached the summit when the International Islamic Seminar was held in August 1997 with the financial support of Rabitah al-Alam al-Islami, Makkah. More than 100 Muslim scholars including 20 foreign Muslim scholars participated in this Seminar and had a lively discussion on the subject of “Islam and East Asia – History and Cultural Harmony”. During the Seminar, the Opening Ceremony of Korea Institute of Islamic Culture (KIIC) was also held.

Prospects of Da’wah in Korea
In Korea, full freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution. It can be said that the Korean government is not so much hostile toward Korean Muslims and acknowledges their contribution to the national cause.

Much importance is accorded to education by the Korean authorities. More than 98% of total population in South Korea is literate. The establishment of 200 Universities in a country like Korea with its very limited area, points to the great zeal of the Korean community towards education.

Performing Hajj
Korean Muslims don’t neglect their duty of Hajj. Umar Kim Jin-Kayo and Sari Such Jung-Kill had carried out the Hajj for the first time in 1960 and became the first Korean Haji. Hajj delegation was organized and dispatched to Saudi Arabia every year, including 132 Muslims in 1978 and 104 in 1979.

Madrasah Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz
In October 2000, Prince Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz, the present Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia visited Seoul Central Masjid and donated 300,000 dollars for establishing Madrasah, which was opened in the Islamic Centre of Seoul Central Masjid in October 2001.

The Islamic Centre is currently giving lectures on Qur’an, Arabic and English language, plus education about Islamic spirit practice with 15 students in each lecture. The final goal is to lay the groundwork of the Islamic Education Institute in Korea by activating the ongoing Madrasah, the afternoon school.

The Korea Islamic University
Responding to an urgent need for an Islamic Educational Institution to serve the top-level Islamic Da’wah in East Asia, the plan to found the Korea Islamic College has been shaping up since the late 70’s. In May 1977, Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al-Mutawwa from Kuwait visited Seoul Central Masjid and proposed the establishment of a Korea Islamic College.

Furthermore, Prince Naif ibn Abdul Aziz, the then and also present Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mahathir Mohammed, then Malaysian Prime Minister showed great concern on the University project with financial donation. In 1980s, Choi Kyu-Ha, the former President of Korea visited Saudi Arabia and they came to an agreement to cooperate in establishing the Korea Islamic University. The Koran government accordingly donated the site of 430,000m for Korea Islamic University, and in 1982, the 1st Joint Committee was held in which details of the agreement are reached. However, the Korea Muslim Federation is working on the project on a somewhat reduced scale for Da’wah College due to such various reasons as budget shortage.

Establishment of Muslim Cemetery
The absence of a Muslim cemetery is another difficulty faced by the Muslim community. According to the Islamic law interment is indispensable and any Muslim society should prepare his own Muslim cemetery. In Korea, most of other religious societies like Christianity had their own cemeteries. Muslim society in Korea, however, had no cemetery. The establishment of Muslim cemetery has been a long dream of Korea Muslims, but it was difficult due to financial shortage. His Excellency, Abdul Razzaq, the Qatar Ambassador to Korea showed deep concern on this question from 2002. As a result of his noble effort, Qatar government decided the financial support for the site of Muslim Cemetery in Korea. In August, 2004, Korea Muslim Federation purchased the land site of 3,800m and established Muslim Cemetery.

Korean Muslims have also established Halal butcher shop at the Seoul Islamic Centre in 1983 in order to facilitate the growing tendency for Halal food among them.

Imam of Seoul Central Mosque
The present of Imam of the Seoul Central Masjid is Abdur Rahman Lee, Ju-Hwa who embraced Islam in 1984 when he was students of physics at college and after that he went to Saudi Arabia to study, first, Arabic language and then degree in Usul-al-Deen. He had a Bachelor Degree in Usul-al-Deen from the Islamic University of Madina and now pursuing his doctoral thesis on regional studies from the Korean University. He was married in 1989 and has three children. His eldest son, who was born in Madina, Saudi Arabia, went for Hajj during November, 2010.

Conclusion
Though modern Muslim community in Korea has passed half a century since the seed of Islam was sowed in Korea about 150 thousand Muslims are walking on the path of Allah the Almighty with 9 Masjids, 4 Islamic Centres and more than 60 Musalla, under the Korea Muslim Federation, which is a unique and legal integration body for Islamic Da’wah in Korea.

Islam spreads, not by Force, but by Good Behaviour

Islam spreads, not by force
but by good behaviour

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Islam spreads, not by force as alleged, but by good behaviour, Akhlaq in Arabic. You can win hearts by sweet words, not by harsh words which destroy your credibility because unkind words hurt the hearts of the people which you are keen to win. Da’wah is not as simple as people consider it so; because it is something to deal with heart, feeling, love, affection and psychology. One can knock down the house of friendship in one second which has taken years to build. That’s why, the small piece in the human body, the tongue, is very important in the whole body; it can take you to the Heaven or drop you in the Hell-fire.

There is one person, I know, though he is a scientist by profession, loved by everybody, from the King at the top to the man on the street, the poorest of the poor, at the bottom, due to his Akhlaq. People say about him that “he is a Rajul Saleh, the good man.”

He is Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, Professor of Geology, at King Abdulaziz University, former President of King Abdulaziz University, ex-Secretary General of the Muslim World League (Rabita Al-Alam Al-Islami), former Deputy Chairman of the Majlis-e-Shoura of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and presently, the President of the World Muslim Congress and Secretary General of the International Islamic Council of Dawah and Relief (IICDR). He travelled most of the countries of the world; met and discussed many issues with the Vatican Pope and with the Secretary General of the United Nations. This is the Akhlaq we have to cultivate.

I used the word, Akhlaq, in the beginning; because it is a word which stands for a very wide and broader meaning. It conveys the combination of the words, gentle tongue, soft heart, fellow feeling, love and helping attitude, in short, good conduct and good behaviour. There is a proverb in English, courtesy costs nothing. This is one thing which we have to learn when we want to do Da’wah.

However, Da’wah is still considered to be the responsibility of every person, in the narrower sense of the term, which means you have to call people to do good deeds and restrain people from doing harmful or wrong deeds. In that sense, no doubt, Da’wah is easy but it involves many things such as negotiation, communication and engagement and to do this sort of things one needs proper education, training and experience. That’s why, one of the speakers at a recently held international Da'wah Conference at Hilton Paddington, Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick emphasised on three things: Talim, Tablig and Tatbiq. Basic knowledge on Qur’an and Sunnah and some education and training is essential which requires at least spending some of their time on that. Not only that, it also needs some training on how to communicate with wisdom, tact and patience.

After saying all this as an introductory remark, I would like to report what the most distinguished and renowned scholars of the world have to say about engagement and how to do Da’wah and what are the essential requirements and mechanism of Da’wah. Before I start to report that, I must have to say and acknowledge my gratitude to Sir Iqbal Sacranie without whose efforts, it is quite impossible for me to report this. So I am grateful to him. I expect our younger generation to learn from their elders.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie
While speaking about the issue of engagement, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, the former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain and presently Chairman of Muslim Aid, said at an International Da’wah Conference in London on 16th of January, 2011: “I will talk on the policy of engagement as a part of the work related to Da’wah. The very basic concept of engagement within the Muslim community and outside must always be paramount in ensuring it meets the criteria of the message of Holy Qur’an and supported by the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). i.e. the Qur’an and Sunnah need to be the pivotal in that engagement. Once this is being clear then I think it is sufficient to meet, to discuss with any part of the society.”

Mentioning about the Muslim population of the UK which is about 3%, just over 2.5 million and the responsibility to convey the Message of Truth, of Islam to the wider community, to the wider society, Sir Iqbal enquired, “How can it be done?” and replied, “Of course this evening we are listening the distinguished scholars and they will go into depths. We are going to hear from them the key topics – how it is being done effectively in different parts of the world or in the West and in the Muslim countries.”

Muslims have been living in this country for the last 40 years and some of the brothers would have experienced in some way or other that we are not being recognised as who we are; of our faith; said Sir Iqbal while mentioning about the issue of identity and added, “We are usually being recognised as non-White persons, as part of the Black community; as part of the Asians, of the Sub-continent. But the issue of faith does not come in; that is realised much earlier just before the formation of the Muslim Council of Britain, i.e. look as we are. But how one judges a person; the one’s actions, the one’s deeds; but what motivates this actions or deeds; but, of course, the issue came in, it’s the issue of faith.”

“Faith plays a key role in terms of how you behave in the society and how you interact and what benefit you want to achieve for the welfare of the society at large." said Sir Iqbal and mentioned, “Surely, it was about time to reflect and it is crucial that the recognition of faith comes in. And that was the question of religious affiliation.”

After narrating the long story about the immense discussions, deliberations, meetings and conferences, Sir Iqbal mentioned, “The one aspect which became so important is to address the need of understanding of what the faith is all about.”

After narrating the whole story of the recognition of faith as a fact, Sir Iqbal said, “The message coming out is that through that engagement, through the wider society, through the people of power whether the Government, the Councils or the people of other faiths; once you could mention them that our faith is not a religion that causes harm but a religion that is for the betterment of mankind and how that is come in.”

The next question which Sir Iqbal mentioned which is absolutely important, which I have mentioned in my introductory remarks “that is absolutely vital and that is the message the way we convey ourselves; the behaviour. The time God Almighty told Moses when you meet Pharaoh you have to be conveying the Message of Islam to be very gently and in proper manner. The tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he was with the Jews and the Nasarah how did he engage to convey the message across. These are the practical examples that one’s beliefs is important for us putting into our daily lives when we engage.”

“At the present time we are experiencing the concern that we see from certain sectors from the media, from the neo-con the extreme brand is to denigrate deliberately our faith by coming up with the examples of the situation of Denmark, of Cartoons, some articles that vilify our beloved Prophet; they come with different ideas and games,” mentioned Sir Iqbal and said, “This is the time Insha Allah, the Message of Deen has come out with very positive way and constructive way as we see through IERA. This will automatically bring out the better understanding.”

Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick
The next speaker, renowned Da’wah worker, spoke extensively on how to engage. Dr. Abdullah Hakim, Historian, Lecturer and Media Consultant, said, “It is an invitation; it is just giving of a message, it may be a discussion, or but no one understands that is coming out from the field and really looking back at the Seerah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and those great duwat of Islamic history it is that the Sheikh has said that Da’wah is encouraging people to goodness and guidance; calling to the good and forbidding the evil in order that you manage yourself to get the best and would be happy and enjoy the life of this world and the Hereafter.”

Foundation of Da’wah laid by the Prophet
(Peace be upon him)
“So really Da’wah is not just a specific engagement, it is a whole process and we need to be giving it to look Da’wah as a process and the best example of that is our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). So we got from the Seerah and from a series of Duwat who led all the people of Da’wah coming from Madinah,” mentioned by Dr. Abdullah Hakim and said, “They were engaged in three major activities: right from the beginning. This is the establishment of the foundation of this encouragement.”

Dr. Abdullah Hakim mentioned, “The first great activity done by the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the establishment of the House of Allah and by establishing the House of Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was establishing, we will call today, the all-purpose Islamic centre. So within this structure there was not only Islamic prayer but there was education, there was dialogue, there was engagement, there was even political town hall meeting going on within this structure. So the essence of Da’wah is coming out of the House of Allah the Almighty which is the centre of the community.”

“The second great activity done by the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to strengthen the relationship of the believers one to another. This is really important, because people who enter Islam need to enter into community where there is Islam and brotherhood. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) established this relationship between the believers and bringing them together; they shared their livelihood, they shared their lives. So they became living collectively, they could take in people who were coming from outside,” mentioned Dr. Abdullah Hakim.

Dr. Abdullah Hakim continued, “The third major activity was strengthening the relationship between Muslims and people of other faiths; and Prophet (peace be upon him) laid down in this case the Covenant of Madinah and this was the first time that a powerful majority group recognised the relationship of minority people within the structure. So the people of other faiths, the Jews of Madinah was allowed to stay within their religion and they were part of the society with their rights and responsibilities like the Muslim themselves.”

So with these three great activities, Dr. Abdullah Hakim maintained, the Prophet (peace be upon him) established the basis of this encouragement of humanity looking first to the Creator within ourselves and then keeping that relationship with other faiths.

While narrating how the foundation of Da’wah laid by the Prophet (peace be upon him) Dr. Abdullah Hakim also mentioned that there is another definition of Da’wah which is “Da’watul Islamia”. “It is something, the real Da’wah; the process of Da’wah the whole picture is to spread the message to the people, to teach them what it is and to put it into practice in real life. So it is not just words; education involved in it; it comes into culmination through practical application in life itself,” said Dr. Abdullah Hakim.

Mentioning the background of Da’wah, Dr. Abdullah Hakim said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent companions for Da’wah. In his Farewell Pilgrimage Sermons at Arafat over 100,000 people, Prophet (peace be upon him) was telling them those are present ‘you should take this message to those who are absent’. So most of his Companions died outside Hejaz. They spread Islam to different parts of the world. This was not done intellectually. It was an engagement; an interaction with society.”

Spread of Da’wah to al-Andalus
Then Dr. Abdullah Hakim narrated his recent experience of the discovery of the spread of Da’wah and which is one of the best example for Europe itself. He found this recently in another journey that took him to Andalus, to Spain and Portugal. He stated, “That the leader of Muslims in North Africa, Musa ibn Nusseir, responded to the call of the monotheistic Christian people and Jewish people who were being persecuted in the Iberian Peninsula. He responded to this call and Tariq ibn Ziyad went across and engaged with those who were in oppression and became victorious. As Tariq and Musa went through the country the people opened up their doors. No resistance; historians looked at why is this?”

“It is not because of large army; it is not because of terrible weapons; it was because they were establishing justice; they were lowering taxes; and they were also recognising people from where they were. So the Jewish people were allowed to stay on their faith. Christian people were allowed to stay on their faith; and what is interesting of this point of history is that it is about 40 years period of total freedom inside the Iberian Peninsula the people have not known for centuries,” mentioned Dr. Abdullah Hakim and said, “Within that 40 year period people realised that they needed direction; they really needed to understand what are the message they brought to us; who are the people who are leading Islam and this is where the great leaders claim should be recognised, should be written in golden letters in our history, is Abd-ar Rahman ibn Mu’awiyah ibn Hisham.”

Abd-ar Rahman ibn Mu’awiyah ibn Hisham was the last of the great Umayyyad’s leaders whose mother was from North Africa from Berber people. Dr. Abdullah Hakim said, “When we look at his life, we find during his period that he ruled he was able to not only establish Islam as a way of life; but thousands of people actually embraced Islam on his hands. And I was shocked to find out at the society that majority of people who accepted Islam and was practising Islam in al-Andalus; they were not Berbers, they were not West Africans, they were European peoples who embraced Islam.”

Tabliq, Taleem and Tatbikh
The question then comes why they embraced Islam? Why they changed their life-styles? Dr. Quick said, “Remember the principles, Tablig, Taleem and Tatbikh. It is reported that he did not locked himself away at the palace; he would go down to the streets and would feed the poor, would interact with people; he would attend funeral prayers, he was concerned with the people within his society itself and one of his first acts was to bring water into the city.”

“Abd-ar-Rahman made his capital Cordoba and one of his first acts was to bring about water into the city. Through the use of aqueducts he brought in water, which developed irrigation and he begun to change the quality of lifestyle of the people. The presence of running water, of fresh water is crucial point in raising the standard of living of people of any society,” said Dr. Quick and mentioned, “It is also reported that following this he negotiated with the Christian people of Cordoba. He did not take over their Cathedrals that used to be the temples; he bought the Cathedrals for 100,000 dinars. He bought from Christians who allowed him to establish in other places the places of worship in the other parts of the city. He lifted taxes of the people within the society; established Masjids as an educational centre and a spiritual centre. It is interesting because this man was penetrating inside. This is the real Da’wah.”

The next major act he did is through education. “Abd-ar-Rahman established educational institutions for young people in society; he tried to help all young people in the society to learn to read, write and study arithmetic and also those who were Muslims and those who were interested to study the Qur’an and Hadiths. So education was encouraged,” said Dr. Abdullah Quick and mentioned, “He also encouraged trades. People should learn trades and he increased types of trades that the people were learning. Not only the normal trade that we get in the society, but he introduced paper-making; glass-blowing, porcelain development and weaving. He took the society into another stage and gave opportunity to the people of employment.”

Welfare of the People
Dr. Abdullah Quick said, “Purification of water; education, employment, selfless leader who would come down and engaged with people. We find that he developed beautiful gardens, he opened up public baths; he established Madrasahs within the society. We find following this, he also engaged in mass agriculture. So he encouraged Muslims to be involved in agriculture and they studied lands and introduced those fruits and vegetables which would be suitable for the climate of al-Andalus. He also introduced peaches, pomegranates, grape fruits. So the society begun to bloom; he raised the status of the people and they were being engaged in another level.”

“He did not compel the Christians or the Jews to accept Islam. As one of the followers of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) he developed toleration. It is reported that this was one of the greatest periods of Jewish literature. The great Jewish scholar, Mamum Maimonides, lived during this period. The Christian Kings and Queens sent their children to Toledo, Granada, Seville, and Cordoba; for higher education and through this higher education and advancement made by Muslims during this period, Europe actually became renaissance. We understand now with the re-analysis of history this was not actually the dark ages of Europe; it was actually the golden age,” said Dr. Abdullah Quick and added, “This is not Moorish history in Spain; it is European history; and it is important for us to understand that many of the great scholars of the period would have accepted Islam, not through compulsion but through upgrading their lives.”

Dr. Abdullah Quick also mentioned, “Islam was spread by people showed a superior form of living; highest standard of living; tolerance of other people; God-consciousness in the time when people were losing their faith. So this is a beautiful example of Da’wah in its essence. Remember the first definition, when you look at the word Khair in Arabic, goodness; it is not goodness that is something which is opposed to bad. It is the general welfare of the people. So we understand from this that the process established by the Prophet (peace be upon him) which was taken on by the scholars, by activists, by great leaders moving to the outer world. This is the real process of Da’wah. This is the process whereby the words become actions; people begin to see that the problems they are facing in the society at their pointed time can be solved by submission to the Creator of the Heavens and the earth.”

Islam has gems of Wisdom
Dr. Abdullah Quick said, “As a basic, the Talim, Tablig and Tatbikhs, spreading the message to the people; getting them to understand, educating them, opening up our doors, providing resources to the society to understand what Islam really is and finally the Tatbikhs, that is practical application of Islam in dealing with the real problems of the societies. Today’s world is going through tremendous crisis, we are in economic recession; we are facing with our families, alcoholism and illegal drugs destroying our population. Racism is on the rise; confusion is alive within people on the concept of Creator; there is rise of magicians; there is rise of cults in societies; there is spiritual vacuum; and so Islam has gems of wisdom. And it is really for Muslims for those who are holding this message, these beautiful gems of wisdom, to first put into our own lives and then encourage people, not through force but through active sincere engagement.”

Launch of a Report on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate Crime

Launch of a Report on Islamophobia
and Anti-Muslim Hate Crime

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Report on “Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate Crime: UK Case Studies 2010” was launched under the auspices of Cordoba Foundation at the London Muslim Centre, London, on Tuesday, 23rd of October 2010. This is the second research of the European Muslim Research Centre (EMRC). Though it is a report, it is quite substantial report. This Report on Islamophobia was sponsored by Al-Jazeera Centre for Studies at Doha, Qatar. Its representative, Dr. Rafiq Abdussalam who is head of Research at the Al-Jazeera Centre for Studies at Doha, came straight from Doha, Qatar, to attend the launch of the Report.

Dr. Rafiq Abdussalam
Dr. Rafiq Abdussalam, who is head of Research at the Al-Jazeera Centre for Studies which is a Think-Tank related to Al-Jazeera Network, said, “We are sure that the European Muslim Research Centre is doing a great job not only for the Muslim community but also for the whole of Britain, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society and I think this institution is doing a great job at the right time mainly in the context of Islamophobia, the rise of discrimination, the rise of hate, rise of Islamophobia.”

Dr. Abdussalam also maintained, “I think the EMRC is doing an excellent job for the co-existence; for building bridges between religious society and the minority and for the cosmopolitan Britain.”

Professor John Esposito
The next speaker, who has flown a few hours ago from Washington DC, was a very well-known scholar. He delivered a keynote speech at the meeting. He is Professor John Esposito, a University Professor and Director at the Georgetown University. He is Professor of Religion and International Affairs and Islamic Studies at the Georgetown University and the founding Director of the Muslim-Christian understanding. He specialised in Islam, Political Islam and the Impact of Islamic movements from North Africa to South East Asia. Professor Esposito is the recipient of the American Academy of Religion Award 2005 for the public understanding of religion and the Pakistan Quaid e-Azam Award for the outstanding contribution in Islamic Studies; in 2003.

Islamophobia – its background
Professor Esposito started with comparing the word Islamophobia in USA with that of UK, vis-à-vis media in UK and USA. He said, after the 9/11 incident, what I notice with major American media, with those people saying to me how this happened? “This whole idea of Islamophobia? It is unlike in UK where the phrase Islamophobia was used first in 1997. Islamophobia was first major used in media until 2001 when Time Magazine asked whether America was Islamophobic?.”

Islamophobia – a Social Cancer
But talking about reality, Professor Esposito said, “This study shows very very clearly that one can no longer deny actually the existence of the problem which I call the social cancer in Europe; the Americans call Islamophobia. But the extent to which it functions in our society, I think, what is important today is not just talking about new entry of immigrants, political parties in terms of constituencies, that in fact, as a result of presence of Islamophobic language, political commentators. It becomes part of our popular culture.”

Media coverage of Islamophobia
Referring to the coverage in the media of the Islamophobic statements, actions, hate crimes etc, Professor Esposito said, “it is not documented in many places; in America major media has not covered the denunciation of the action terrorism, following 9/11 or 7/7, right down even today; the major events such as the imams message or the common word; you do not get such kind of coverage.”

So what is the problem? “The problem is that the media gives coverage of “the existence of Muslim extremism; the existence of all Muslims terrorists; but what happened is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the population of the Muslims in the world is simply equated with the popular mentality with a threat that is coming from majorities. It is interesting about this that when you look at the actual coverage which I am doing as I do prepare very carefully,” said Professor Esposito.

The Islamophobes
Talking about how the reality is unfolded, Professor Esposito said, “If you really take a look at the reality: how the reality is unfolded? The Islamophobes, the political commentators etc. and my beloved Melanie Phillips and so many others and so Daniel Pipes in America etc, - they can say what they want to say and it’s reported and most of all it’s not contextualize. No one say, wait a minute; let’s take good look at the person or what their track records in term of what they are saying about Muslims; what is their backgrounds? How true it is?”

Media coverage of Gallup World Poll
Professor Esposito mentioned that there has been significant polling done as now in Europe and in America and spoke particularly about the Gallup polling. “Gallup not only studied in Europe but it studied in America. And we can face of so too often like Islam is particularly violent religion; most Muslims are not loyal; Most Muslims are not integrated etc. One can lay out hard data to demonstrate; but yet that data is more often that does not come true.”

Professor Esposito also questioned about the coverage of that message such as: the message extremists they issue false fatwa begin by this what does the mainstream Islam represent? And on the other hand, what would be an extreme interpretation and who can legitimately give fatwa and who cannot give fatwa and then you can have for the first time in the history the common word because of the globalisation and the communication ability to mobilise Muslim religious leaders across the world against the state of that. But how much coverage occurs of that?”

On the other hand, Professor Esposito mentioned, “you can have the most Islamophobic statements made some of which has no basis in reality; who make statements by people who does not represent the entire community, or anybody, but that will make the headline.”

To challenge the reality, to face the fact
“So the part of our challenge today is to face the fact by them,” said Professor Esposito and maintained, “We now have to challenge the society, to face the fact. This is something; and does affect both the image of the west and which can be exploited by terrorists overseas as well as within America. And equally, my point of view, it does affect the civil liberty of a significant portion of our population, something that we like to look on other way.”

Educated people
“I am very happy to be here but the reality is wherever I am either in Europe or in America; it is not the question of the media that is here; it is the question about media that are not here. It is not the question about the people or the audience or their profile or whether they are here; the question is the people or the audience that are not here,” said Professor Esposito and added, “Until we respond to Islamophobic attacks or statements, do we realize that the hate speech does lead to hate crimes.”

Peter Oborne
The next speaker was Peter Oborne who is the Daily Telegraph’s chief political commentator; a prolific political commentator, television presenter and author of the Rise of Political Lying, published in 2005; the Triumph of Political Class in 2007

Continental attack on Islam and Muslims
Oborne said, “Europe has an ugly history of taking out, of manifesting its socio-economic problems by attack on minorities and it does seem to have no question of minorities being chosen.” Continental Europe’s choice of minority attack is now Islam and Muslims.

Britain has fabulous history of tolerance
Oborne then referred to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s remarks and said, “I think Angela Merkel’s remark was chilling deeply coming through the record Germany has in its treatment of minority. It is not just there. We have got episodes in Greece. We have got in Spain and I take comfort, being living in Britain. We have. Fabulous history of tolerance, freedom of liberty; of welcoming minorities. So I do feel we will not follow Europe down the ugly path of, may be, the intense path; but I do think, nevertheless, there are dangerous things happening in Britain too.”

Problem of media narratives
Referring to the Report which is voluminous, Oborne said, “That is why this volume is extremely valuable and an extremely important and I think we have to be alert, we have to educate, as John Esposito has said. I agree that the commentaries the newspapers, the journalists, there is a problem of media narratives. The British press is not really interested in this subject. I can put this What John Esposito is saying is like creation of stereotypes, the vilification of minorities, the use of language is very curious, it appears from nowhere. Extremists, radicals. But it is an odd word.”

We need to find out why
Oborne also said, “I was very distressed by the failure of Sayeeda Warsi. She has done a very good thing, wonderful thing as a first Muslim cabinet minister as a matter of pride I think I do. But the fact that she was asked to or told by the Downing Street not to attend the Global Peace and Unity Conference here few weeks ago, was bad. We need to find out why not.”

Foreign policy
“Anybody, who does not, anybody who does speak out, who does celebrate their identity; celebrate their religion; is somehow treated as Britain shameful doctrine; very shameful doctrine because it is so powerful; it is very powerful in the press. It is very hard to confess; but it is very un-British. Sorry un-British. We have a fabulous record over the centuries enabling different races to celebrate themselves and there is liberal authoritarianism, as no history of Britain and we are total country; we have to make this argument. I am going to stop.”

Dr. Robert Lambert
Dr Robert Lambert, one of the authors of this report; the co-Director of the European Muslim Research Centre at the University of Exeter and a part-time Lecturer at the Centre for Studies on Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews, said, “The evidence on which we report on specific threats to Muslims; violent threats by then relatively young man, is overwhelming and compelling and yet probably for the reason we heard from both of our previous speakers; we will have to do more to prove it,. We will be publishing further report next year, I think, we will have specific report on threat to mosques. I think; violent to mosques and Muslim/Islamic institutions in this country is a serious issue, is a priority research concern for us. In our recommendation, we say to the Government, we say to the police chief. This has to be taken seriously.”

Some dreadful accounts
Dr. Lambert narrated some dreadful authentic accounts. He said, “Some of the Muslim elders lost some of their whole life savings into the building and running fair local Mosques. And they have suffered intimidation, torture, solitary attacks. In many cases they have big attacks; petrol bombing; mosques have been seriously damaged and in other cases, they had on-going vandalism. In many mosques they have given up. Fixing the windows. You know, look what the point is for them up.”

This problem is not going away
Dr. Lambert maintained, “We are actually clear that politicians and senior police officers in this country should have gone to the grassroots level before things get even worse. If you are there going every day to the isolated mosques in the market town in the suburb of the country and you got the English Defence League dropping leaflets into the mosque; you got excrements coming from the letter box; you got pig-heads suddenly arriving over night.”

Dr. Lambert said, “I think, it is fair to say that London is still the target for that kind of media we earlier referred to. Andrew Gilligan will be disappointed if he is not mentioned, again in this context, to mend his business to criticise East London Mosque, Islamic Forum for Europe, London Muslim Centre, anything that has connection where we are today.”

“It is because of the works of the East London Mosque, Islamic Forum for Europe, London Muslim Centre; because of your fantastic youth projects that we have only just begun to highlight in this report. People say why it should be ten-year long. Well, we are not going away. Sure if the problem diminishes within ten years we will be happy to turn our attention elsewhere. But we have to be clear that reductions of hate crime here are the results of partnership work.”