A Source of Civilization

**Admin** Mer Juil 21, 2010 3:04 pm

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Message n°1

A Source of Civilization

Message Admin Mer Juil 21, 2010 3:04 pm

A Source of Civilization ::

A Source of Civilization

The Prophet’s Sunnah is not only the second source, right after the
Qur’an, of Islamic Shari‘ah (Law), but also the second source, again
right after the Qur’an, of which both knowledge and civilization flow.

Primarily, the Qur’an establishes the bases and principles of
legislation, whereas the Sunnah provides theoretical interpretation as
well as example and practical application.

The Prophet’s guidance as exemplified in the Sunnah guides Muslims to
three basic inseparable aspects of civilization, namely: civilized Fiqh
(Jurisprudence), civilized conduct, and civilized structure.

Before attempting to discuss these three aspects of civilization, we
should first define the meaning of civilization: To begin with, does
the Islamic concept of civilization offer a distinctive and unique
interpretation that differs from the ones offered by other
civilizations that preceded or followed it? Or do all civilizations
stem from the same source regardless of country, time, sex, religion
and philosophy in life?

There is a general definition of civilization that is innate in the
very word, namely, the overall manifestations of financial, scientific,
artistic, literary, and social development in a society or in similar
societies.

Islam aims at elevating human beings financially, scientifically, artistically, and socially as well as spiritually and morally

The word “civilization” in Arabic is the opposite of the word
“bedouinism” or, respectively, savageness and barbarism. Thus, urban
life stands against Bedouin life and vice versa. People who live in
cities, towns and villages are urban dwellers, whereas, people who lead
a Bedouin life are those who live in the deserts sheltered by tents.
The Bedouins are notorious for their stiffness, harshness, hardness of
heart and the prevalence of ignorance and illiteracy among them.

Consequently, Allah did not send down a prophet from among them.
Instead, all the prophets He had sent were urban dwellers: of villages
and towns. Allah said to His Prophet what means:

(And We have not sent before you, any but from among the people of the towns We revealed to them.) (Chapter 12:109)

As we know Islam is represented by both the Qur’an and the Prophet’s
Sunnah and we can see in them a persistent determination to transfer
those people into a systematized urban civilization. Islam aimed at
elevating them financially, scientifically, artistically, and socially
as well as spiritually and morally. This aim required Islam to educate
and purify them according to a wise and gradual instructive discipline
that was to be carried out by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be upon him) himself.

Among the targets of the Hijrah (flight of the Prophet from Makkah to
Medina ), which was prescribed upon the Arab tribes before the conquest
of Makkah, was giving a chance for the Bedouin to learn and absorb the
new Islamic culture which considers the congregational Prayers as an
essential rite. Moreover, it encourages them to attend instructive
meetings, to embrace Islamic discipline which covered all aspects of
life: eating, drinking, wearing clothes, walking, sitting down and all
other major as well as minor aspects of life.

The civilization of Islam has united man to Allah and earth to heaven

If we make a comparison, we will see, on the one hand, the Bedouin man
who was not in the least embarrassed to pass urine in one corner of the
mosque regardless of the fact that the Prophet and his Companions were
sitting in it. Yet when people shouted at him, the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) stopped them and excused his ignorance and
Bedouinism ordering his Companions: “Wait until he finishes his
urinating then spill a bucket of water over the place, for you have
been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari)

On the other hand, we would see his fellow Muslim who was instructed,
refined and purified by Islam as he approached Rustum, the leader of
the Persian armies, and answered his inquiry about the identity of
Muslims saying: “We were sent by Allah to bring out whom He wills from
the worship of His servants to His Worship alone, from the straitened
world to the vast one, and from the injustice of religions to the
justice of Islam “

Undoubtedly, Islam was a message of civilization. Its target was to
elevate the life of man and set him free from the bonds of “bedouinism”
to the freedom of civilization.

It is necessary to emphasize that the civilization that Islam wants to
build is unlike any other civilizations which focus on the
materialistic aspects of life as well as the bodily and sensuous side
of man. Moreover, these civilizations concentrated on the immediate
pleasures of life, making worldly affairs their primary concern and the
destination of their knowledge, and left no room for Allah or the
Afterlife in their philosophy or in their cultural and educational
system.

Contrary to them, the civilization of Islam has united man to Allah and
earth to heaven. It has dedicated life to preparation for the
Afterlife. It has mingled spirit with matter, has struck a balance
between the mind and the heart, has wedded science to faith and has
cherished ethical sublimity as much as materialistic development.

It is justifiable to describe it as a spiritual, materialistic
civilization. It is idealistic and real, holy and human, ethical and
populational, and individualistic as well as general. Truly, it is the
civilization of balance and moderation which was the basis on which a
just and distinguished Nation. Almighty Allah described it saying what
means (And so We have appointed you as a just and distinguished
Nation.) (Chapter 2:143)