Brothers and sisters! In a previous khutbah on the subject of Islamic civilization, there was a discussion on the main characteristics of the Islamic civilization. In today’s khutbah inshaAllah, there will be a discussion on the factors that led to the emergence and development of the Islamic civilization. InshaAllah, I’ll be presenting a very brief synopsis of this topic.
Nothing is called ‘Islamic’ in the true meaning of the term unless it is founded on Islam, the primary sources of which are the Qur’an and the Sunnah, i.e., thesayings, practices, silent approvals, and the divinely guided lifestyle of the of Prophet Muhammad. Whatever is founded upon these two primary sources of Islam is said to have a divine origination. From the Qur’an and Sunnah proceed all rules that govern human behaviour, the observance of which is a religious duly of every Muslim.
The Qur’an is the last, the final, and the comprehensive revelation of Divine Guidance. It is the only Divine Book of Guidance that remains fully preserved and it will remain so until the end of the world as promised by Allah (SWT).
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
“It is We Who have sent down the Reminder and We Who will preserve it. (al-Hijr, 15:9).
Other revealed Books—the Torah, Gospel and the Psalms lost their originality when some of the teachings contained therein got altered by some human beings who had no sincere belief in Allah (SWT). The reason why these Divine Books were vulnerable to distortions is because there was no promise made by Allah that He would preserve them, probably because they were not meant to last forever. They were sent to specific races and nations for a specific period of time and they were not all-comprehensive covering every phase of human life and answering all questions regarding the Creator, life, man and the universe.
The duty to preserve them was entrusted to the rabbis andpriests but they failed to execute it and consequently, the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms were subjected to corruption. Also, the earlier scriptures were not revealed in the full light of history and no specific or elaborate arrangements were undertaken to record them in writing at the time of their revelation. The human civilization had yet to mature to receive the final revelation for all times, the actualization of which was witnessed in the form of the first global society in the shape of Islamic civilization and Islamic polity during the Prophet’s life.
One of the aims of the Qur’an is to set aright what has been corrupted in the earlier revelations, specifically, the Torah and the Gospels, and to explain the fundamental issues which the Children of Israel disagreed upon. Another aim of the Qur’an is to offer permanent guidance to all people in all conditions of life. In this connection, the Qur’an is also known as al-Huda (the guidance). It is free from ambiguity, uncertainty and falsehood. Allah says:
مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ
“We have not omitted anything from the Book.” (al-An’am, 6:38)
Muhammad (SAW) was undoubtedly the founder of Islamic civilization. Within a span of twenty three years of his mission, he raised the people of the Arabian Peninsula from ignorance, darkness and illiteracy to heights of knowledge, learning, culture, social manners and good conduct. He is described in the Qur’an as the ‘mercy to all creatures.’
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ
“We have only sent you as a mercy to all the worlds.” (al-Anbiya’, 21:107). He is also described as a witness (شَاهِدًا), the ‘bearer of good news and warning’ (مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا), ‘a lamp spreading light’ (سِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا) and as a beautiful example (أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ). The Qur’an says:
لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, you have a beautiful example.” (al-Ahzab, 33:21)
Another factor that led to the emergence and development of the Islamic civilization was iman or faith. On the role of iman in building Islamic civilization, the Qur’an says:
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ
“Allah has promised those of you who have iman and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land…” (an-Nur, 24:55)
It is understood from this ayah that along with iman, Muslims are obliged to do the righteous deeds and avoid doing the forbidden deeds. Both iman and righteous deeds are stated as necessary conditions for achieving the khilafa or management of the earth. Just as the human body cannot survive without the soul, Islamic civilization cannot stand without iman. This implies that a civilization which is not founded on iman is indeed a weak civilization that is deemed to fall. In a previous khutbah, it was mentioned that the specific causes that led to the decay and extinction of the past nations are: injustice, tyranny, oppression, and moral decadence.
The most important factor that contributed to the development of the Islamic civilization was the migration of the Prophet (SAW) and his companions from Mecca to Medina. This journey, which is known as hijrah, took place in the 12th year of the Prophet’s mission is considered to mark the beginning of the Islamic era and establishment of a city state which, within a period of ten years, expanded so as to encompass the entire Arabian Peninsula.
The first thing the Prophet (SAW) did upon his arrival in Medina was to build the mosque to be a center of worship and a place for study and consultations on public affairs. He also created a brotherhood between al-Muhajirun—those who migrated from Mecca to Medina, and al-Ansar—the Muslim residents of Medina who became the supporters of the immigrants. He also laid down a constitution to organize the Muslim community into one united and coherent nation and to organize relations between Muslims and the Jews of Medina.
Every civilization has a goal. The goal of materialistic civilizations or civilizations based on atheism or polytheism is to ensure success for individuals in this world only. However, the goal of the Islamic civilization is to ensure success for the individual and the society in this world and in the next. It is worth noting, however, that in Islam success is unattainable without strict observance of the law and guidance laid down by Allah (SWT), the aim of which is to bring peace, which is a necessary requirement for the attainment of material and spiritual success. No religion or ideology is known to have placed more emphasis on the attainment and establishment of peace than Islam.
Being at peace with oneself is a necessary condition for the establishment of peace with other fellow human beings. It requires two things: iman and purity of the heart. Iman comprises of belief in Allah, the One and the only God; being in constant close association with Him through the performance of ‘ibadah (acts of devotion); and having trust in Him and in His promises. It also involves the belief in what is decreed by Him. It should not be forgotten that individuals vary in regard to the strength of their iman. Thus, the stronger one’s iman the more peaceful one is and the weaker one’s iman the less peaceful one is. Also purity of the heart is a condition for the attainment of success:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا () وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا
“Truly one who purifies it has succeeded and the one who corrupts it has failed.” (ash-Shams, 91:9-10)
Islam not only provides means to the attainment of peace with oneself, but it also provides means to the attainment of peace with other fellow human beings. Spreading salam among Muslims is one of the most effective means to the attain peace. Thus, the Prophet (SAW) encouraged Muslims to greet each other with salam.
Salam is one of Allah’s Sublime Names, and Paradise, which will be the reward of those who do righteous deeds, has been named Dar al-Salam “the Home of Peace.” The greetings for the inhabitants of Paradise will also be salam (peace).
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Brothers and sisters! In a nutshell, the Islamic civilization is a group of people or nation, whose way of life is based on Islam. By Islam, we mean the deen or the way of life that was given to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his followers. The emergence and development of Islamic civilization was due to the strict observance of the Divine commands contained in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Both the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) are the foundation of this noble civilization. The Qur’an is the Last Divine Book to be sent to mankind. Sunnah is its manifestation through the divinely guided lifestyle of the Prophet (SAW).
The two, which are also the twin foundations of Islam and everything Islamic, provide comprehensive explanation of the existence of God, of the universe, of man and of life. They also give a detailed account of the rules that govern the conduct of a Muslim in his relations to his Creator–Allah, with his own self, with his parents and family members or relatives, with his neighbours, with the society at large and with the rest of the creatures of Allah (SWT) on earth.
Both the Qur’an and the Sunnah strongly condemn all forms of immoral practices such as, the exploitation of the poor, orphans and women and it forbids infanticide, fraud, cheating, false contracts in business, and all forms of oppression and injustice which were prevalent in the pre-Islamic civilizations. They prescribe strict punishments for slander, stealing, murder, the use of intoxicants and adultery.
The Islamic civilization is believed to be the first great civilization in the land of Arabia where, prior to its emergence, people were immersed in barbarity due to ignorance. Islam aimed to uplift the Arabs in particular, and mankind in general, from the depth of darkness upwards into the higher realm of Light and Truth. It conveyed to them the reality of the Creator—Allah (SWT), and the created, which include the universe and all that exists therein.
The pre-Islamic civilizations were not founded on revealed religion. The same is true with the modern Western civilization. Hence these civilizations will not lead mankind to the path that guarantees success in this life and the next, here and the hereafter.
It is true that the Islamic civilization is now in a state of disintegration. Ignorance of the teachings of Islam and neglect of its principles are the main causes for its disintegration. As pointed out earlier, the Qur’an is the foundation of the Islamic civilization. Being the final Divine message to humanity, the guidance it offers is permanent and universal.
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*Based on the chapter: “Islamic Civilization: Meaning, Origin, and Distinctive Characteristics” authored by Kabuye Uthman Sulaiman in the book: ‘Islam Knowledge and Civilization” edited and co-authored by Munawar Haque at the International Islamic University Malaysia.
