Today the Muslim Ummah faces a similar struggle to hold onto Islam. The West is openly attacking Islam and without any fear are maligning it by associating it with violence. The West like the Quraiysh in attempting to defend themselves are attacking and maligning parts of Islam that they find unpalatable.
Whilst the attacks against Islam may vary in scope, in defending the deen we must understand that the deen is nothing to be embarrassed about. Islam is the deen of Allah (swt) that has been sent as a mercy to mankind - to tackle the issues the word faces.
The attack on the Shari’ah now follows a distinct narrative, liberals argue that the Qur’an is a historical document, which is now outdated and needs to be re-interpreted to suit the new conditions of successive new ages. Such interpretation it is argued requires it to be more in line with secularism - and only then will it be termed modern. Hence the call for Islamic reformation is a call for the re-interpretation of the Islamic texts – the Shari’ah.
In responding to such a claims one must ask what has really changed from the 7th century. Human needs and instincts have remained the same regardless of time and place. These instincts are an unalterable reality that has existed since the time of the first man, Adam (AS). Since none can claim to possess instincts other than procreation, survival and reverence the fundamental point remains therefore that no matter what epoch or region is considered, humans are fundamentally the same, with the same instincts, needs and desires, irrespective of any other considerations.
Then what is so different today? It is clear is that what has not changed is the fundamental nature of the problems that humanity faces therefore what has changed are the tools humans use to solve these problems.
The Islamic texts came to address men and women as human beings, not just as individuals living in the Arabian Desert in the seventh century.
Some verses in the Qur’an elaborate on this reality “You will not find in the creation of Allah any alteration” (TMQ Al-Fatir: 43). The human whom Allah (SWT) addressed 1400 years ago when it was said “Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury” (TMQ Al-Baqarah – 275) is no different to a human addressed by the same speech today. One can see that the human whom Allah (SWT) addressed more than 1000 years ago when it was said “Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you: verily the killing of them is a great sin.” (TMQ Al-Israa: 31] is no different to humanity today. And indeed when the Messenger Muhammad (SAW) said “The son of Adam has no better right than that he would have a house wherein he may live and a piece of cloth whereby he may hide his nakedness and a piece of bread and some water” (Tirmidhi) he was of course not only referring to the needs of the Bedouins of Arabia.
Another example of an attack on Islam is that most in the West consider women in Islam to be oppressed and inferior to men. The fact that a women’s testimony is equivalent to only half that of a male is constantly used against the Ummah.
The Shari’ah in origin does not differentiate between men and women, when Allah (swt) legislated prayer, fasting, paying Zakat etc this was for all Muslims without differentiation between men and women. The Shari’ah only legislated for men or women individually when the issue relates to their biological make-up. Hence when a problem is faced by one gender due to their specific nature or attribute, then the rule pertaining to that gender cannot be applied generally to everyone because only one gender faces the problem, so the Shari’ah rules to do with menstruation and child birth apply only to women. Thus Islam defined very clearly the role of each gender and therefore there is no gender class where women are looked down upon and viewed as inferior beings.
Regarding a women’s testimony, from surveying the Islamic evidences the testimony of both men and women appears to be proportional to their role in society. Hence in matronhood and suckling the women’s testimony overrides that of a man, whilst the testimony of a man overrides that of a woman in certain financial transactions. Similarly in cases of custody and accusations of promiscuity labelled against a women the women’s testimony actually nullifies that of a man.
Conclusions
Various surveys, think tank reports and policy makers have all accepted that Muslims globally have rejected western values. This represents a glaring failure on the part of the West as it has faced no challenges to its global supremacy. This means the battle for hearts and minds and physical occupation represents a last ditch effort to salvage the emergence of an alternative system of governance. Hence the West’s attacks on Islam will only get more severe, challenging the Ummah.
Any attack on the Shari’ah rules needs to be understood in this context. Thus all attempts at explaining Islam require adherence to the Islamic rules whatever the pressure. Any twisting of the Shari’ah rules or defence of Islam incorrectly will result in aiding the West. Any explanation of a Shari’ah rule should take the approach of explaining the rule, outlining the principal it is built upon and the source it is derived from. This approach shows clearly the ideological linkage between the solution/rule and the creed. Muhammed (saw) explained to us and made a comparison with hot coal when defending Islam, the sahabah knowing this, remained steadfast in defending the deen, and never twisted it or abandoned it. Allah (swt) reminded the Ummah of the rewards that await those for holding onto Islam:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ نُزُلًا مِّنْ غَفُورٍ رَّحِيمٍ
“Indeed those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and, and thereafter are steadfast, the angels descend on them 'Fear you not! Nor grieve! But receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss), that which you were promised!' We are your protectors in this life and in the Hereafter: therein shall you have all that your souls shall desire; therein shall you have all that you ask for!' A hospitable gift from One Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Al Fassilat: 30-32)
Source: HTB
