THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST

Vol. XXI No. 9 September 2019

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The Quranic Founder: Dictum S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (RAH) The Qur’an lays stress on following the way of the prophets and asks the believers, time and again, to Patron: pattern their lives and conduct after the example set by the messengers of S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi God. “Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him Advisory Board : who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.” Mohd. Hamza Hasani Nadwi It directs the Muslims to beseech God always to show them Shah Ebadur Rahman the right path. Shamsul Haque Nadwi “Show us the right path, The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not (the Path) of those who Editor: earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.” Shariq Alavi This prayer which forms part of the service repeated several times a day, teaches man to seek the Asstt. Editor: companionship of the prophets, their leaders and guides and God-loved Dr. Obaidur Rahman Nadwi souls. Whoever shall live up to this supplication by coming close to the appearance and behaviour of these pious souls shall undoubtedly be sanctified and redeemed by divine grace. n

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CONTENTS

1- Mutual Love and Cooperation - S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi 7

2- The Message of Tauheed for - S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi 9

The Entire Humanity

3- The Poet As a Thinker - Afzal Iqbal 11

4- The Spirit of Islam - Hiranmay Karlekar 29

5- Mohammad Talha Kandhalvi - Obaidur Rahman Nadwi 27

6- The Siddiquee Era - Abdus Salaam Qidwai Nadwi 33

7- First Written Constitution of - Muhammad Hamidullah 37

The World

[ 3 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Wisdom of Qur’an Pearls From the “This is the Book of Allah, there is no Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) doubt in it; it is a guidance for the Usman relates that the Messenger of pious, for those who believe in the Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be existence of that which is beyond the to him) said: “The best among you is reach of human perception, who the person who learnt Al-Qur’ân and establish Prayer and spend out of what taught it.” We have provided them, who believe (Bukhari) in what has been revealed before you, The Qur’ân is the Book of God revealed to and have firm faith in the Hereafter. His Messenger Muhammad (peace and Such people are on true guidance from blessings of Allah be to him). It is meant for their Lord; such are the truly all human beings and for all times and successful.” climes. Naturally its importance is prime (Al-Qur’ân – 2:2:5) most. In Islam the criterion of being good Nothing in the Qur’ân can be subject to and great is excellence in Taqwa. And this doubt. Books which deal with supernatural spiritual height cannot be achieved unless questions, with matters that lie beyond the one learns the Qur’ân and strives to impart range of sense perception, are invariably Qur’ân learning to his dependents, based on conjecture and their authors, neighbours and other fellow beings. There despite their brave show of competence, are many other kinds of goodness like are therefore not immune from scepticism charity and providing help for the needy. regarding their statements. The Qur’ân, But nothing can surpass the goodness of which is based wholly on Truth, a learning and teaching the Qur’ân. That is Book which is the work of none other than why the Holy Messenger (peace and the All-Knowing God Himself is blessings of Allah be to him) has declared distinguishable from all other books. Hence, those who care for learning and teaching there is no room for doubt about its the Qur’ân as the best among the contents despite the hesitation some believers. people might express either through In another hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas ignorance or folly. on the authority of Baihaqi, the Blessed While the Book is potentially for all, only Messenger said, “The most noble persons those who possess certain qualities can of my Ummah are those who have benefit from it. The first such quality is committed the Qur’ân to memory or those piety: those who want to benefit should be who observe the Tahajjud (late night disposed to distinguish between good and prayer).” evil, and to shun evil and do good. Those This is the Book that has been providing who never stop to consider whether their guidance in all walks of life for those who actions are either good or bad are believe, and those who reject its teachings altogether incapable of deriving any benefit stand as losers. Allah’s Messenger (peace from this guidance. There are some other and blessings of Allah be to him) said, prerequisites for a person to benefit “Through this Book (Qur’ân) God exalts from the Qur’ân. n many people and humiliates others.” n

[ 4 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Editor’s Note @ The Islamic Shariah

Before the prophet Muhammad (SAW) a good number of prophets had come to reform the society and warn the people to eschew their infamous activities and live peacefully. People were also advised that Creator is all powerful though He is invisible but commands the universe from above. He is supreme and one should obey His orders sent through prophets. Some of these prophets have been mentioned in the holy Quran. About the rest He merely stated that there were prophets sent to each and every people. Six hundred years after Jesus Christ (Hazrat Isa) Muhammad (SAW) was born in an elite Arab community. God favoured him with his blessings and this unlettered and quiet person was chosen as the last messenger of God on earth. Through him Divine instructions were communicated to the unsophisticated people on earth. The prophet after going through the strong opposition finally laid the foundation of Islam. The unity and oneness of Allah (Tauhid) was set to be the first belief of a person calling himself Muslim. According to it Allah alone is to be believed to be the Creator, the Master and the Sustainer of humans and all other creatures and that he is

[ 5 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 the one who has created this heaven and this earth and the entire universe and operates them. After admitting the “Tauhid” one becomes Muslim and has to follow the other issues of Sharia: (1) Prayer (Salat) offering as prescribed five time a day and praise Allah and submit himself to his wishes. (2) Fasting (Saum) that is keeping fast once in a year in the month of Ramzan. (3) Donation (Zakat) that is parting a percentage of his income for poor. (4) Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) is for those who can financially afford it. Each of these issues and basic principles of Islam need detailed discussions and this journal has been trying to

carry articles on the subjects time to time. n

S.A.

We solicit articles for publication in The Fragrance of East. Suitable remuneration will be paid to writers. We prefer receipt of articles on: e-mail: [email protected] along with a hard copy, duly signed, by post.

[ 6 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Mutual Love and Cooperation - S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi Allah reminds the Muslims that ceased to inspire human relationships although they were divided into bitter and disobedience to Allah was opponent camps before Islam, He by His common. Man hunted man as grace united their hearts and made mercilessly as he hunted animals in the them love one another like brothers. The forest. verse in the Quran bearing this reminder When it became impossible for has a reference to a real situation in the the Prophet and his Companions to Prophet’s time. follow Islam in Makkah, they emigrated When the Prophet of Allah, to Madinah for their faith was dearer to blessings and peace be on him, them than the birthplace. On arriving proclaimed the message of Islam in Madinah, they saw that the people there, Makkah, the people there opposed him specially the Aws and the Khazraj tribes, and his mission so severely that were sharply divided and had been worshipping Allah in Makkah became shedding one another’s blood on petty difficult. The Makkans did not realize issues for long. They did so because due to their ignorance how sincerely the they did not have any noble aim in front Prophet wished them well. He wished of them. When the Prophet and his to take them out of the depth of Companions introduced to them the ignorance and raise them as a nation message of Islam, the members of the which would spread light of love through warring tribes of Aws and Khazraj saw a faith all over the world. He wished to the beaming promise of love and promote love in the world so that tolerance beckoning upon them. They disputes and differences throughout the accepted Islam, buried their long- world might come to an end forever. He standing hatred for ever and were united wanted to establish that man was as loving brothers. Their common love created for a purpose and that in the for Allah and the Prophet washed away absence of man’s realization of that all bitterness from their hearts and they purpose his best faculties were grossly started feeling ashamed of their past. misused. One nation was fighting with When once the Ansar (residents another nation, one country was of Madinah) and Muhajireen (emigrants opposing another country, one from Makkah) accidentally picked up a community was inimical to another quarrel at a water well, the Prophet gave community. Mutual trust and love had his historic call to them by saying, “Kick

[ 7 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 out such a dirty thing” and reminded Deliverance in which Allah generously them of the blessings of unity and mutual forgives the sinful, three kinds of people love. With Islam and with the training of are not granted forgiveness: persons the Prophet the Muhajireen and Ansar disobedient to their parents, habitual as well as the warring tribes of Madinah drunkards, and those who nourish ill-will were so much transformed that in a and malice for other Muslims. The battlefield an injured Muslim died thirsty Prophet, blessings and peace be on insisting that another wounded Muslim him, has specially instructed Muslims to breathing his last next to him be given remain mindful of the rights of water first. The true love for Allah and relationship on one another. It comes in the Prophet created in them such a another Hadith that the Prophet, sincere love for one another that, for blessings and peace be on him, said example, the Muslim residents of that Allah had ordered him to do nine Madinah gave equal share to the things, one of which was -’that I establish Muslim emigrants from Makkah in their relationship with him who severs shops, fields and all other kinds of relationship with me, forgive him who property. offends me, and give him who withholds Malice a Serious Evil from me.” It is not really a matter of credit that one should treat those courteously The thing that the Prophet of Allah, with whom he has good relationship. blessings and peace be on him, has Islam urges upon its adherents that they denounced most after Shirk (ascribing treat even those with courtesy and partners to Allah) is malice. It is related goodwill who hurt them.n in a Tradition that in the Night of

Obituary Prominent Islamic scholar Syed Sulaiman Nadwi’s third daughter Syeda Shakila Passed away on August 20, 2019 at Aligarh. She was 95. She was wife of late Syed Hussain IAS. She was righteous,virtuous and God-fearing. Like her father she led a pious life. She is survived by seven sons. All are well educated and posses scholarly caliber. Her younger brother Dr. Syed Salman Nadwi visited her every year from Durban, South Africa. May Allah adorn her grave with luminosity and refulgence and grant peace to her soul. Ameen!

[ 8 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 The Message of Tauheed for the Entire Humanity - S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi* It was about two and a half or three descendants of another son of Hazrat millennium years before Hazrat Muhammad Ibrahim, Hazrat Ismail, raised as the (SAW) that the very great and important universal Prophet. He told him categorically ancestor of his family itself and the favourite that the very path pursued by Hazrat Ibrahim Prophet of Allah Almighty, Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) was the path that was to be pursued (AS), had, having made enormous by him. It was he amongst whose sacrifices, laid the foundation of the descendants Allah Almighty had raised universal movement of Tauheed. The Prophets and all of them had, in their innate, unaffected disposition of Hazrat respective times, called the people towards Ibrahim (AS) had comprehended Tauheed ‘Tauheed’ and kept calling towards from the very childhood and had, having compliance with Allah Almighty’s dictates as discarded the ‘shirk’, started calling towards they were instructed and exhorted by Hazrat ‘Tauheed’. His anecdote has been Ibrahim (AS). The holy Quran states: described in the holy Quran itself: (And Ibrahim enjoined the same to his (And assuredly We gave rectitude to sons and so did Yaqub also saying: O Ibrahim aforetime, and him We had ever my sons: surely Allah has chosen for you known. Recall when he said to his father the religion; so die not except you are and his people: what are these images Muslims.) (Al-Baqra: 132) which you are cleaving to? They said: Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) had all his we found our fathers their worshippers. might and strength that he had at his He said: assuredly you, you and your disposal devoted to the propagation of this fathers, have been in error manifest.) very message and to having that put into (Al-Anbiaa: 51-54) practice. He had, having suffered great Thereafter such a benediction he had hardships and making sacrifices, built anew that plenty of Allah’s Prophets kept being the House of Allah on the preordained spot raised from amongst the descendants of in Makkah Mokarramah in order to have his son, Hazrat Ishaque. They kept the banner of Tauheed raised from there. promoting and pushing this message There he got his first sucking babe, Hazrat forward. “Because of this very distinction Ismail, settled along with his mother. It was Allah Almighty granted his line of this very child of his, Hazrat Ismail, through descendants lofty position. But, later this whom the dissemination of ‘Tauheed’ had line of descendants of Hazrat Ishaque (AS), taken place here. His descendants, getting which was used to be called ‘Banu Israil’, cut off from each and every one, remained kept gradually deviating from the straight steadfast in worshipping the One Allah. path. They had taken the pledge that they would call the people towards ‘Tauheed’ and tell Then, lastly, Allah Almighty had them the truth. Muhammad (SAW), from amongst the This practice had consistently been * Rector, Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow. pursued when a man from that place got [ 9 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 impressed, during a journey he had made Then, having granted them a long term of Iraq and Syria, by what he saw there of respite, He chose Muhammad (SAW) from the idol worshipping. He brought the idol amongst his descendants themselves. He here with him. As a result thereof, the also had this announcement made that after practice of idolatry got introduced here. him there will be no other Prophet, nowhere Ultimately, once again Allah Almighty and never at all. He, and he only, is the selected a peerless individual of this very last Prophet and for all the people and for clan for the revival of the Ibrahimete all times to come. Thus, the Prophecy message and getting the world back to the conferred on Muhammad (SAW) was a sort same ideology and creed. It was he on of resumption of the self-same Prophecy whom He had the Prophecy culminated. He that was conferred on his ancestral father, had his followers entrusted with the task of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). And both of them were promoting, generation after generation, this the followers of the same path. mission of making mankind bound to In His Book that He sent down to worshipping the One God and His Prophet, Allah Almighty had the Ayats comprehending that their whimsical and (verses) conveyed to him, gradually and their-own-hand-made gods were spurious. as per the demands of the situations and They should have this creed inculcated in requirements, through His angel. And, minds that the functions and operations of beside the guidance towards the Faith and all the worlds was only in the Hands of Allah, deeds of righteousness, He had therein the One. It is He who has created each and narrated, in very felicitous and impressive everyone; and, after having created them, style, such events of the previous peoples has not left them loose. Instead, He has and Prophets as would make it known in commanded them to be duty-bound to how many varied means and ways Allah worship and obey Him. The entire creation Almighty’s Wrath had descended on has to follow His commands. Whosoever peoples because of their persistence on would refuse to obey His commands would perpetrating acts of ‘shirk’ and other sins. have to be accountable in the Hereafter and would get punished. Hence, if the similar conditions prevailed amidst the Arabs of Makkah and In the days preceding the their accomplices from amongst the Arab manifestation of the Prophecy of the tribes, Allah Almighty’s Wrath, taking the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the people of form of Retribution, may descend on them, Makkah had gone far astray from their path too. Hence, these people should learn their in respect of ‘Tauheed’. It was direly needed lessons from these events and remain to be rectified. This need was fulfilled by mindful how much severe punishments Allah by making Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) were inflicted on previous peoples for their the Prophet. The primogenitor of the intransigence and irreligiousness. They people of Makkah, Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), had should, therefore, comply with the Prophet’s already had this supplication made to Allah advice and get back to the right path, the that the Prophet for the reform, edification path of truth. They should have their ways and education of these people be sent from mended under the guidance of the amongst these very people. Allah had Prophet, excellence of whose manners and already granted this supplication of his. morals are already well known to them. n [ 10 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 The Poet As a Thinker - Afzal Iqbal When we talk of Rumi’s thought, we a didactic story, in order to be successful, should not be taken to mean that he had a should possess three characteristics: the systematic and coherent philosophy. His moral should entice our imagination by its thoughts lie scattered and unconnected like originality, uniqueness and importance; the broken threads, but a patient effort can moral should appear like the ‘soul’ and the weave them into an almost consistent story like the ‘body’; and both should be pattern. The point is that we should not interwoven into each other, and during the approach Rumi’s thought in the same spirit perusal of the story the reader should not as we approach the thought of a systematic even think of the moral. It should come as thinker. a complete surprise, an original experience. Another point of difference between There are numerous stories in Rumi Rumi and systematic thinkers is that, which aptly illustrate this method. In fact it whereas the latter usually support their is the effective employment of this method contentions with arguments, Rumi which has given unique influence and generally makes assertions and tries to popularity to his Mathnawi. For example, invest them with power by means of here is an interesting story. There was a analogies. muezzin who had an extremely unpleasant As Whinfield points out, the voice. The people of his village offered him Mathnawi is an exposition of ‘experimental’ a lump sum with the request that he should mysticism, and not a treatise of ‘doctrinal’ proceed to Mecca for a pilgrimage. This mysticism. Hence Rumi does not set out all was obviously a pretext to get rid of him. this Sufi gnosis with the logical precision of The muezzin, on his way to Mecca, halted a systematic thinker but rather assumes it in a village. There he went into the mosque all as known to his readers. and called the faithful to prayers. After a short while, a Zoroastrian came, laden with Muslim philosophers used to employ presents, and asked for the muezzin. a priori reasoning in order to establish the People were naturally surprised. ‘What is truth of metaphysical dogma. This method, it?’ they asked. ‘What has he done for you however, does not elicit ready approval that you bring him such valuable presents?’ from the average individual whose mind is ‘I am greatly indebted to him,’ said the not trained for abstract thinking of a high Zoroastrian; ‘he has saved my daughter.’ order. Rumi, therefore, employs analogies How?’ came the anxious query, and this is in order to drive home a subtle point — what the Zoroastrian told the curious crowd: analogies from this matter-of-fact, sensible ‘l have a young and beautiful daughter. world of ours. Analogy used in poetry often Much to my embarrassment, of late she has assumes the form of a didactic story; and

[ 11 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 been showing a growing inclination towards experiences. There is an enormous Islam. I tried my best to dissuade her; all difference between giving expression to an the influential members of my community experience and giving expression to an helped in bringing pressure to bear upon idea — and this difference is the difference her, but our efforts notwithstanding, she between Rumi and the systematic thinkers. persisted in her designs of conversion. Our experiences do not follow one another Today she heard the muezzin call the like premises in a syllogism. We can deduce faithful to prayers; she was so much one thought from another, but we cannot disgusted with his voice that she has now deduce one experience from another. decided to abandon her plan. This decision While reading the Mathnawi we find has brought me great relief, and it is in ourselves not in the presence of a mind recognition of this unique service that I but in the presence of a personality. bring these rich presents to the muezzin.’ Experiences of a personality cannot The moral of this story does not possess a logical sequence, since logical seem to be evident. It becomes evident only sequence is a characteristic only of when Rumi points it out, and administers thoughts. Therefore, when thoughts are an effective rebuke to the so-called interwoven with experiences, and it is the Mussalmans who are bringing discredit to expression of experiences which is primarily their religion by their wrong example. intended, thoughts have to be scattered and unconnected as they are in Rumi’s It is by means of such delightful Mathnawi. Any attempt, therefore, to stories that Rumi discusses and analyses summarise his thought will inevitably profound truths: damage the spirit of his work. Now hear the outward form of my story, The nature of Rumi’s experience is But yet separate the grain from the chaff. essentially religious. By religious A systematic thinker usually has a set experience is not meant an experience of ideas which he either wants primarily to induced by the observance of a code of communicate to others or he wants just to taboos and laws, but an experience which express them in words. Expression in words owes its being to love; and by love Rumi may ipso facto mean communication to means ‘a cosmic feeling, a spirit of oneness others, but a thinker might only aim at with the Universe.’ Love,’ says Rumi, ‘is the expression and not at communication. It remedy of our pride and self-conceit the seems that Rumi is certainly not a thinker physician of all our infirmities. Only he of this type. He does not primarily aim at whose garment is rent by love becomes communication; he is not thinking of entirely unselfish.’ Love, according to him, conveying his ideas as such. On the is the motive force of the universe; it is contrary, it seems that Rumi is giving because of love that everything restlessly expression to an experience or a series of travels towards its origin; it is love which

[ 12 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 animates music and gives a meaning to life. father’s severity, and to the love of a lover It is in love that the contradictory forces of who finds excuses for the cruelty of his Nature achieve a unique unity. And love is mistress. not logic; it eludes reason and analysis and Love endures hardships at the hands of is best understood by experience. It does the Beloved with pleasure. not ask why before it makes the supreme Through love thorns become roses, and sacrifice for the Beloved; it jumps into the Through love vinegar becomes sweet wine. battlefield regardless of consequences. Through love the stake becomes a throne, It is love, not reason, which is heedless of consequences, Through love reverse of fortune seems good fortune. Reason pursues that which is of benefit. Through love a prison seems a rose bower, (Love) never puts God to the test, Through love a grate full of ashes seems a Nor does it weigh profit and loss (in its garden. pursuit). Through love burning fire is pleasing light, Love is a mighty spell — an enchantment. Reason dare not stand Through love the Devil becomes a Houri. against it. Love puts reason to silence. Through love hard stone becomes soft as When those Egyptian women sacrificed butter, their reason, Through love soft wax becomes hard iron. They penetrated the mansion of Joseph’s Through love grief is a joy, love; Through love Ghouls turn into angels. The cup-bearer of life bore away their Through love stings are as honey, reason, Through love lions are harmless as mice. They were filled with wisdom of the world Through love sickness is health, without end. Through love wrath is as mercy. Joseph’s beauty was only an offshoot of Through love the dead rise to life, God’s beauty; Through love the king becomes a slave. Be lost, then, in God’s beauty more than those women. And true love, he says, is ashamed to demand proofs of his beloved, and The more a man loves, the deeper prides himself on trusting her in spite of he penetrates into the Divine purpose. Love appearances telling against her. ‘Not only is the “astrolabe of heavenly mysteries,” is faith generated by love, but, what is the “eye salve” which clears the spiritual more, faith generated by any other motive eye and makes it clairvoyant’. Rumi is worthless. Faith, like that of respectable compares it to the love of an affectionate conformists, growing from mere blind child which divines the reasons for its

[ 13 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 imitation and the contagion of customs, or and does not reject it altogether. His like that of scholastic theologians, emphasis on intuition as against intellect consisting in mere intellectual apprehension is explained by the fact that some of his of orthodox dogmas and all mere outstanding predecessors had placed an mechanical and routine professions of incredible premium on reason. Since the belief, — is summed up by the poet under tenth century, those Muslim thinkers who the general name of the “yoke of custom” are called ‘philosophers’ entrusted (taqlid). They only produce the spiritual themselves completely to the guidance of torpor called by Dante accidia. To be of any Aristotle. Al-Farabi, the tenth-century value, faith must be rooted and grounded philosopher, was so fanatical in his in love. The mere external righteousness admiration of Greek thought that he generated by taqlid the mere matter-of- considered it the final word in wisdom. For course adoption of the virtues of the age, him Plato and Aristotle were the ‘Imams or the class, the sect, — is compared to a “veil the highest authority in philosophy.’ For Ibn of light” (formal righteousness) which hides Rushd, ethat fanatical admirer of the truth more entirely than the “veil of Aristotelian logic’ (born in Cordova 1126), darkness” (open sin). For self-deluding Aristotle is the supremely perfect man, the goodness is of necessity unrepentant, while greatest thinker, the philosopher who was the avowed sinner is always self- in possession of infallible truth. It was upon condemned and so advanced one step on Aristotle that his activity was concentrated the road to repentance. Love is the and it was because of this that he has been essence of all religion. It has three assigned the title of ‘the commentator’ in important characteristics: Canto IV of Dante’s Commedia. (1) Any form in which love expresses itself Neoplatonism, which wielded such is good — not because it is a tremendous influence on Muslim thinkers, particular expression but because it is is theistic in teaching a transcendent God, an expression of love. Forms of love and pantheistic in conceiving everything, are irrelevant to the nature of religious down to the lowest matter, as an emanation experience. of God. It is a ‘religious idealism’; the final (2) Love is different from feelings of goal of the soul is to find rest in the mind of pleasure and pain. It is not regulated God, and though this is impossible of by any consideration of reward and attainment in this life, man should prepare punishment. for it by keeping his mind on God, by freeing himself from the shackles of the (3) Love transcends intellect. We do not senses. live in order to think; we think in order to live. The doctrine of reason emerged for the first time with Kindi. According to him, Rumi admits the utility of the intellect all knowledge is acquired by reason; that

[ 14 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 which lies between is either fancy or nest). imagination. The faith in the capacity of the (But) when he has been delivered from human mind to attain knowledge had Opinion, Knowledge shows its face to him: become so great that philosophy itself had that one-winged bird becomes two-winged become dogmatic. Reason had and spreads his wings. presumptuously arrogated to itself After that, he walks erect and straight, not functions which it was not fit to discharge. falling flat on his face or ailing. The entire system of philosophy He flies aloft with two wings, like Gabriel, which had been built up in the East on without disputation. Greek foundation was attacked and Opinion, imagination or wahm is the shattered by Ghazali. He started a crusade counterfeit of reason and in opposition to against the monopoly of reason in it, and though it resembles reason it is not apprehending Reality. Ghazali formulated reason. ‘Reason is the contrary of that Kashf (intuition) alone is the surest way sensuality: O brave man, do not call to Reality. ‘How great is the difference Reason that which is attached to between knowing the definition, causes, sensuality. That which is a beggar of and conditions of drunkenness and actually sensuality — call it imagination.’ being drunk! The drunken man knows nothing about the definition and theory of He regards vision as superior to drunkenness, but he is drunk; while the knowledge. ‘Knowledge is inferior to sober man, knowing the definition and the certainty, but above opinion Know that principles of drunkenness, is not drunk at knowledge is a seeker of certainty, and all.’ certainty is a seeker of vision and intuition. . . . Vision is immediately born of certainty, It is against this background that we just as fancy is born of opinion. ‘ must consider Rumi’s overwhelming emphasis on intuition rather than reason. Experience shows that truth revealed Rumi gives an important place to through pure reason is incapable of knowledge, and makes a clear distinction bringing that fire of living conviction which between ‘knowledge’ and ‘opinion’. personal revelation can bring. That is why pure thought has so little influenced man, Knowledge has two wings, Opinion one while religion has always elevated wing: Opinion is defective and curtailed in individuals and transformed whole flight. societies. Even today, ‘religion, which in its The one-winged bird soon falls headlong; higher manifestations is neither dogma, nor then again it flies up some two paces or (a priesthood, nor ritual, can alone ethically little) more. prepare the modern man for the burden of The bird, Opinion, falling and rising, goes the great responsibility which the on with one wing in hope of (reaching the

[ 15 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 advancement of modern science the results of his intellectual activity, the necessarily involves, and restore to him that modern man has ceased to live soulfully, attitude of faith which makes him capable i.e., from within. In the domain of thought of winning a personality here and retaining he is living in open conflict with himself; and it hereafter. It is only. by rising to a fresh in the domain of economic and political life vision of his origin and future, his whence he is living in open conflict with others. He and whither, that man will eventually finds himself unable to control his ruthless triumph over a society motivated by an egoism and his infinite gold-hunger which inhuman competition, and a civilisation is gradually killing all higher striving in him which has lost its spiritual unity by its inner and bringing him nothing but life-weariness. conflict of religious and political values. ‘ Rumi’s philosophy is at once a The apparent belittling of the intellect description, an explanation and a is only a protest against the gross justification of his religious experience exaggeration of its role in life. Like Goethe, where description, explanation and Rumi looks upon Satan as the embodiment justification should be regarded as different of pure intellect, which, though valuable in notes combining and merging into a higher itself, is likely to become an instrument of unity Rumi’s symphony of Love. terrible destruction without the guiding In order to understand Rumi’s hands of love. Satan passionately defends philosophy, we should begin by himself in his meeting with Amir Mu’aviyah understanding what he says about the in Vol. II of the Mathnawi, and as you read nature of the self. A spiritual philosophy has his defence you feel that the sympathetic to start with the nature of the self, for the poet has striven hard indeed to do justice only thing which we can call spirit and of to his hero. Again, Hallaj, in his dialogues, which we claim to have an immediate asserts Satan’s superiority to Adam and to awareness is the self. Moses, though he raises Muhammad above Rumi divides Reality into two realms: him. For this Satan Rumi has a soft corner the Realm of Spirit and the Realm of Nature. but he realises that unless his powers are Material objects belong to the realm of wedded to those of Adam, humanity cannot Nature but soul is the realm of Spirit. Soul achieve its full development. Iqbal is one and undifferentiated the that’ of all elucidates this point in his Lectures: being. It is what Spinoza calls substance The modern man with his philosophies of and defines as ethat which is in itself and criticism and scientific specialism finds is conceived through itself; in other words, himself in a strange predicament. His the conception which does not need the Naturalism has given him an conception of another thing from which it unprecedented control over the forces of must be formed.’ It is a pertinent question nature, but has robbed him of faith in his to ask here: How does one own future. . . . Wholly overshadowed by

[ 16 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 (Transcendental) soul differentiate itself Rumi’s utterances about time — but this is into so many (Phenomenal) souls certainly a precarious position to hold. inhabiting the bodies of different human Rumi is a firm believer in evolution. But can beings? Rumi, true to himself, gives a evolution and the unreality of time go characteristically spiritual answer. One and together? many, he says, are categories of Evolution, according to Rumi, started understanding. Soul is substance and its with matter. But matter is not what it appears nature is super-sensual and super-rational. to be. Rumi does not regard matter as Therefore the popular belief that the soul ‘independent of mind,’ ‘my body is a was created by God is totally false; soul is product of my soul, not my soul a product itself the Ultimate Reality, how can it be of my body.’ created by something else? It seems, therefore, that Rumi not The realm of Nature consists of the only regards matter as having been attributes of the eternal substance. Spinoza produced by mind but also as being defines an attribute as that which the dependent for its existence on mind. Not intellect perceives of substance as if only that. He regards mind as independent constituting its essence’. The most of matter. The question how matter, which important difference between the realm of is an attribute of the soul, can be also a Spirit and the realm of Nature is that the product of the soul is left unanswered by former is out of time (since time is a category Rumi. The other question, how matter, of understanding) and the latter is in time. which is an attribute of the soul, can be Rumi does not tell us clearly whether time dependent for its existence on the soul, is a mode (as Spinoza thought) or a without the soul being dependent for its category of understanding (as Kant existence on matter, is also left unanswered. thought). Khalifah Abdul Hakim is of the view An attribute is as real as the that Rumi used it in the latter sense. It is substance. Attributes without substance are not clear whether time is itself an attribute as unreal as substance without attributes. of substance or it is the category of time We may even go so far as to say that ‘the which is an attribute of substance. If time what’ without ‘the that’ is conceivable but itself is an attribute of substance, then it is not ‘the that’ without ‘the what’. as much real as substance — a conclusion Matter is the foundation-stone of which contradicts Rumi’s assertion that time Evolution. There was ‘fire and water as wind is a characteristic only of the phenomenal and cloud’ until the emergence of a new world and not of the Ultimate Reality. If, on form of existence — the plant life. From the other hand, time is a category of plant life emerged animal life which understanding only, then time, as such, can assumed its highest form (so far) in human in no sense be an attribute of substance. life. Rumi does not believe that the process This conclusion is quite in accordance with

[ 17 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 of creative evolution has ended with the I was on that day when the Names were emergence of man in the existing spatio- not, nor any sign of existence endowed with temporal order. He has a contagious faith name. in the unlimited possibilities of man’s By me Names and Named were brought to development. view; on the day when there were not ‘l’ and Man has developed through a ‘we’. dynamic process of evolution. He has For a sign, the tip of Beloved’s curl became passed through a series of deaths and with a centre of revelation; as yet the tip of that every death he has risen higher in the scale fair curl was not. of human values. Why should he then fear Life is a passage through a series of the death of his body and not rise to a stage deaths which cannot, however, quench of life where death dies itself? its surging flame! It is open to every First you were mineral, later you turned to individual not only to become a saint but to plant, then you became animal: how should become a prophet for a nation — a highly this be a secret to you? shocking assertion for the orthodox yet very Afterwards you were made man, with much consistent with the thought of Rumi. knowledge, reason, faith: behold the body, Evolution takes place, not as which is a portion of the dust-pit, how Darwinians thought, by ‘mechanical and perfect it has grown! passive natural selection,’ but according to When you have travelled from man, you the will of the organism to live a higher and will doubtless become an angel; after that fuller life, by assimilating the qualities of the you are done with this earth; your station higher organism. ‘That a mystic should is heaven. have shown the way to the scientists and Pass again from angelhood; enter that the philosophers, is one of the rarest ocean, that your drop may become a sea phenomena in the history of thought. But which is a hundred seas of Oman. the mystic neither begins with naturalism nor ends with it. His matter, to start with, is In the beginning God was, and there not the matter of the materialists or the was naught besides Him.’ The first thing Darwinists. It was from the beginning only created was the soul of man which lived the outer form of the spirit; it consisted and moved and had its being in God. The rather of the monads of Leibniz than the soul was originally pure; it then fell and can atoms of Democritus. Then again Darwin rise only if it flows back to the burning ends with man, but Rumi does not stop fountain whence it came. God alone is, there. Nor do the mystic and the scientist therefore, a suitable object for man’s quest agree about the forces that lead to this and nothing less will satisfy the yearnings evolution. Darwin’s doctrine consists of of his soul. struggle for existence, chance variations

[ 18 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 and natural selection. . . . With Rumi there new situation and thus offers further is no development by chance variations. opportunities for creative unfolding . . . For him development consists in the every moment in the life of Reality is creation of an ever-increasing need for original, giving birth to what is absolutely expansion and by assimilation into a higher novel and unforeseeable. ‘ And does not organism. ‘ Rumi himself declare: But this conception of evolution Every instant I give to the heart a different suffers from three difficulties. Firstly, how desire, every moment I can the new species assimilate the other lay upon the heart a different brand. unless it is already in existence? This At every dawn I have a new employment. difficulty has also been pointed out by Dr. The third difficulty follows from the Hakim, but he brushes it aside with the second. Rumi admits that evil does not exist remark: CAS his [Rumi’s] purpose was not for angels and yet he talks of angels as scientific so he has neither put nor tried being the next stage in evolution after man. this question.’ We are inclined to believe It means that the higher stage of life is bereft that this conception cuts at the root of the of choice and responsibility, two conception of evolution as being creative. characteristics which constitute the If the new species is somehow already in essence of creative individuality. existence, then the whole course of evolution is prearranged. Teleology in this Everything else, according to Rumi, sense, as Bergson has pointed out, is controlled by influences outside it; man becomes inverted mechanism. alone carries his star, his destiny within him. Secondly, the conception of a definite ’Tis wonderful that the spirit is in prison, cyclic order runs counter to the conception and then, (all that time) the key of the prison of creative evolution. A truly creative is in its hand! organism is one which has infinite That youth (the spirit) is plunged in dung possibilities of growth and expansion and from head to foot, (whilst) the flowing river none of the forms it assumes can ever be is (almost) touching his skirt. predicted. We cannot say for certain that This world is a stage where man — man in his development will become an the principal actor — continues his angel. For a creative individual the future experiment in living. In the words of the exists as an open possibility and like a work Qur’an he is the trustee of a free of art it is unpredictable. No fixed order of personality which he accepted at his own events with definite outlines can, therefore, peril.’ This freedom is at once most be visualised consistent with the theory of dangerous and most valuable. Freedom to Creative Evolution. choose good involves also the freedom to ‘Every act of a free Ego creates a choose what is opposite of good. That God

[ 19 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 has taken this risk shows His immense faith threshold.’ Man is potentially lower than the in man; it is for man now to justify this faith. brutes and higher than angels. ‘ Angel and brute man’s wondrous leaven Free-will is as the salt to piety, otherwise compose heaven itself were matter of compulsion. To these including, less than these he In its revolutions rewards and punishment grows, were needless, for ’tis free-will that has merit But if he means the angel, more than those. at the great reckoning. Evil indeed plays an important role If the whole world were framed to praise in the development of man’s personality; God, there would be no merit in praising without it, realisation of values would God. become impossible. Things are known Rumi does not believe in the theory through their opposites, and had evil of predetermination which absolves men of remained uncreated Divine omnipotence their responsibilities and tends to work for would have been incomplete. the decay and degeneration of nations and He is the source of evil, as thou sayest, individuals. He, however, believes that the Yet evil hurts Him not. To make the evil universal laws of Nature are unalterable. It Denotes in Him perfection. Hear from me is predetermined, for example, that if you take a few steps, you will be walking, but A parable. The heavenly artist paints the direction in which you walk is certainly Beautiful shapes and ugly: in one picture a question of your choice; it is entirely left The loveliest women in the land of Egypt to your discretion and judgment. It is Gazing at youthful Joseph amorously; predetermined, for instance, that if you aim And lo, another scene by the same hand, a pistol at somebody that person will be mortally wounded, it is now your free choice Hell fire and Iblis with his hideous crew: to select the object — he can be your dear Both master-works, created for good ends, brother, he can be your most deadly enemy. To show His perfect wisdom as confound It is to this extent that Rumi believes The sceptics who deny His mastery, in predetermination. He goes thus far and Could He not evil make, He would lack still; no further. Man is the paragon of existence Therefore he fashions infidel alike only because he and he alone has the freedom of choice. For animals lower than And Muslim me, that both may witness bear, man, good and evil do not exist. Therefore To Him, and worship One Almighty Lord. the question of their choice does not arise. But why, it may be asked, has God It is man alone who is confronted by both created that to which man has given the good and evil. ‘Here a world and there a name of evil? And since He is the only real world,’ says Rumi, ‘I am seated on the

[ 20 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Agent, who are we to blame for the actions his success in this struggle. Man is, that we are caused to commit? It is therefore, not left with any justification to characteristic of Rumi that he finds the complain on this score, for how could he answer to this old riddle not in thought but hope to be the paragon of creation without in feeling, not in theological speculation but the presence of evil? in religious experience. We can feel as one Where there is no enemy, there is what we must think as two. Everything has no Holy War and the question of success an opposite by means of which it is does not arise; where there is no lust, there manifested; God alone, Whose being can be no obedience to the Divine includes all things, has no opposite, and Command. And has not the Holy Qur’an therefore He remains hidden. Evil is the made this position abundantly clear with the inevitable condition of Good: out of declaration: And for trial will We test you darkness was created light. From this with evil and with good?’ Good and evil, standpoint it possesses a positive value: it therefore, though opposite, must fall within serves the purpose of God, it is relatively the same whole. good. ‘Moses and Pharaoh are in thy being: Rumi, therefore, welcomes evil as thou must seek these two adversaries in being helpful for the development of man’s thyself. The (process of) generation for personality. In fact, the conflict of good and Moses is (continuing) till the Resurrection: evil is inherent in man and his greatness the Light is not different, (though) the lamp depends on the extent to which he resolves has become different. ‘ this conflict. Nothing, however, is absolutely evil: While Rumi certainly concedes that what is bad for me may be good for you. everything is not good in this world, he And what is more important, evil itself can refuses steadfastly to adopt an attitude of be turned to good for the righteous. But quietude and renunciation but urges, on the soul of goodness in evil can be the contrary, a relentless war against all discerned by love alone. forces of evil, which, he believes, man by The freedom of choice, however, is his very nature is capable of overcoming. not an end in itself; the end of all freedom Indeed, he would be betraying the very is to freely determine to live according to ingredients of his nature by refusing to your higher self. So the end of all freedom recognise in evil a golden opportunity to is self-determination on a higher plane. At carry his personality a step further on the the end freedom and determination are path of development. The existence of evil identified. Life starts with determination at has, therefore, a positive contribution to the lower plane, develops to the capacity make and the development of a man’s of Free Choice in man, in order to rise to a personality is reflected proportionately to Higher Determinism again, where man

[ 21 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 makes a free offer of his freedom. Kant on account of the (future) reward and perhaps is the first thinker of the West who recompense; nay, his nature has become believed that it is the innermost self of man so goodly. that expresses itself in the moral law: the He does not desire his life for himself nor moral law is his command, he imposes the to the end that he may enjoy the life that is law upon himself, this is his autonomy. found sweet (by others). While Satan considers it a servitude Wheresoever the Eternal Command takes of the worst order to serve somebody other its course, living and dying are one to him. than his own self, the loyal angel recognises He lives for God’s sake, not for riches: he quite clearly that servitude comes when you dies for God’s sake, not from fear and pain. serve your own baser self and not when His faith is (held) for the sake of (doing) you bow to God’s command. Milton has His will, not for the sake of Paradise and beautifully brought out this point in Paradise its trees and streams. Lost. His abandonment of infidelity is also for This is servitude God’s sake, not for fear lest he goes into To serve th’ unwise, or him who hath the Fire. rebelled That disposition of his is like this originally: Against his worshipper, as thine now serve it is not (acquired by) discipline or by his thee, effort and endeavour. Thyself not free, but to thyself enthrall’d. He laughs at the moment when he sees Man’s love of God is God’s love of the Divine pleasure: to him Destiny is even man, and in loving God, man realises his as a sugared sweetmeat. own personality: And if such a state be called The word ‘compulsion’ makes me impatient compulsion, it is not ecommon compulsion,’ for Love’s sake. as Rumi puts it: ’Tis only he who loves not that is fettered They possess free will and compulsion by ‘compulsion’. besides, The shining of the moon, not a cloud As in oyster shells raindrops become Or if it be ecompulsion’ exerted by self-will pearls. inciting us to sin. Outside the shells they are raindrops, great And again: and small; When the predestination of God becomes Inside they are precious pearls, big and the pleasure of His servant, he (the servant) little. becomes a willing slave to His decree, These men also resemble the musk deer’s Not (because of) tasking himself, and not bag;

[ 22 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Outside it is blood, but inside pure musk. to this attitude. About three centuries To be united with the world-soul is, before Rumi he declared in vigorously therefore, the most exhilarating bliss for accentuated terms that if a man knew man. everything that stands in the writings of Aristotle, but did not act in accordance with And mind you, man does not attain his knowledge, while another man shaped this union with perfection by contemplation his conduct in accordance with Aristotle’s but by a consistent effort at creating in teachings without being acquainted with it, himself all the attributes of Perfection. preference would have to be assigned to Whether one be slow or speedy (in the former. Rumi completely reverses the movement), he that is a seeker will be a emphasis. For him development does not finder. consist in idle metaphysical speculation. He Always apply yourself with both hands (with completely rejects the pseudo-mystic all your might) to seeking, for search is an quietism which produces a class of excellent guide on the way. irresponsive dervishes who ‘remain (Though you be) lame and limping and unmoved in the midst of sorrow, meet praise bent in of figure and unmannerly, ever and blame with equal effect, and accept creep towards Him and be in quest of Him insults, blows, torture and death as mere Greatness or smallness are incidents.’ meaningless in themselves. We are great When Aristotle drew up his table of or small because of the greatness or Categories which to him represented the smallness of our ideals and because of the grammar of existence, he was really varying strength of faith and determination projecting the grammar of the Greek with which we seek to achieve them. Given language on the cosmos. The grammar has love, faith, determination and an effort at kept us to this day ensnared in its consistent search, our frailty and infirmity paradoxes: free-will and determination, can move mountains. mind and body, ends and means — this Do not regard the fact that thou art categorical structure acts as a screen despicable or infirm; look upon between the mind and the reality. Arabian and Persian metaphysics is so permeated thy aspiration, O noble one. by Greek philosophy that even Rumi who In whatsoever state thou be, keep consciously sets out to repudiate it calls searching; …….. love his Plato and Galen. For this seeking is a blessed motion; this Rumi rejects the idea of a closed, search is a killer of obstacles on the Way predetermined universe which is subject to to God. Nietzsche’s gloomy law of Eternal Farabi offers an interesting contrast Recurrence’. ‘There is nothing more alien

[ 23 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 to the Qur’anic world than the idea that the Life is a journeying back to God; it Universe is a temporal working out of a proceeds according to a process of preconceived plan — an already evolution. The minerals develop into plants, completed product which left the hand of and plants into animals, animals into man its Maker ages ago and is now lying and man into superhuman beings ultimately stretched in space as a dead mass of matter to reach back to the starting point — a to which time does nothing and glorious interpretation of the Qur’anic consequently is nothing.’ verses God is the beginning and God is He is emphatically opposed to those the end’ and eTo Him do we return. ‘ pseudo-mystics, other-worldly idealists, Rumi compares the soul to a and self-centred aesthetes who would moaning dove that has lost his mate; to a cheerfully ignore the evil, injustice and reed torn from its bed and made into a flute imperfection of this world, and abandon all whose plaintive music fills the eye with active effort on behalf of its reconstruction tears; to a falcon summoned by the fowler’s and seek a cowardly compensation in whistle to perch upon his wrist; to snow pursuing their own selfish interests — melting in the sun and mounting as vapour intellectual, artistic and spiritual — in to the sky; to a frenzied camel swiftly seclusion. It is only by flinging ourselves plunging in the desert by night; to a caged into the struggle that we can fulfil the parrot, and fish on dry land; a pawn that purpose of our life — not by shunning the seeks to become a king. It is because of struggle on earth because our head is in love that everything travels towards its the clouds. origin. The motive force behind creative How can a man know God? Not by evolution is love. It is love which compels senses, for He is immaterial, nor by matter to become life, and life to become intellect, for He is unthinkable. Logic never mind. ‘This striving for the ideal is love’s gets beyond the finite; philosophy sees movement towards beauty which . . . is double; book learning fosters self-conceit identical with perfection. Beneath the visible and obscures the idea of the truth with evolution of forms is the force of love which clouds of empty words.’ Rumi addressing actualises all striving, movement, progress. the sceptics asks: . . . The indeterminate matter, dead in itself, Do you know a name without a thing assumes . . . by the inner force of love, answering to it? various forms, and rises higher and higher Have you ever plucked a rose from R, O, in the scale of beauty. All things are moving S, E? towards the first Beloved — the Eternal You name His name; go seek the reality Beauty. The worth of a thing is decided by named by it; its nearness to, or distance from, this ultimate principle. ‘ Look for the moon in the sky, not in the

[ 24 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 water! of man himself. The characteristic of all that If you desire to rise above mere names and is spiritual is its knowledge of its own letters, essential nature. We cannot treat life and consciousness mathematically, scientifically Make yourself free from self at one stroke, and logically, for how can we depend upon Become pure from all attributes of self, our senses which do not carry us very far? That you may see your own bright essence. Knowledge is and must remain a vision of Yea, see in your own heart knowledge of reality, a Weltanschauung, an intuition. the Prophet, Love alone takes us to the Reality. Without book, without tutor, without For love, ceaseless effort is necessary. perception. Peace comes only when you identify This knowledge comes by yourself with the one that stands outside illumination, revelation, inspiration and this struggle. An impetus is given to this inward co-operation. Those who have love by intense, zealous desire; a reached the highest degree of perfection compelling urge and a wish devoutful. — Muhammad topping the list — have not Decadent Sufism had created useless reached it through logical calculation or drones and hypocrites. Such passive life laborious cogitation. They have discovered is of no use to Rumi. In his world there is the truth and reality by means of an inward no scope for parasites. Rumi’s lover cannot and Divine illumination. afford to be static and ascetic. He is constantly at war — at war with his own For Rumi, revelation is not a historical baser self, at war with those elements in fact of the past; it is a living reality and it is the world which hinder or prevent his open to everyone. To those who are ascent. It is the very fate of man to sceptical about the possibility of revelation, struggle. Rumi puts a pertinent question. Wherefrom, asks he, did the first man learn We have seen that life emanates to dispose of the dead body of his brother? from matter and mind emanates from life. Was it through revelation and intuition? It seems, however, that even matter is really spiritual, yet the trend of evolution is only When was grave-digging, which was the unconsciously felt by it. It is only in man meanest trade (of all), acquired from that a full awareness of the trend of thought and cunning and meditation? evolution is present. We have seen that Reason, in fact, is blind and Rumi explains Evolution by referring to the unimaginative, and argument at best is a concept of Assimilation. Man has weak support. Sense-perception does not assimilated into himself all the attributes carry us far and is certainly no equipment which belong to the lower species. Thus for probing the deep realities of Nature. And we may divide man into two parts, viz. one revelation is nothing but the eternal spirit which he has assimilated from the lower

[ 25 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 species and the other which constitutes its And Life and Death are his officers, going essence — the Divine spark in man. This to and fro according to his desire. division of man’s nature into two parts Such is the ‘Man of God,’ the perfect corresponds exactly to the bifurcation of man, who assimilates God himself but does human nature effected by Kant and now not lose his own individuality. Such a man completely discredited by modern eludes all description. psychology. Man is animated by two The man of God is drunken without wine, naturally hostile principles — animality and The man of God is full without meat. divinity. It is on the basis of this distinction that Rumi builds up his moral system. A The man of God is distraught and person who obeys his animal self-lives the bewildered, life of a slave determined for him by forces The man of God has no food or sleep. alien to his essential nature. A person on The man of God is a king ‘neath dervish- the contrary who complies with the cloak, demands of his higher self-lives the life of The man of God is a treasure in a ruin. a free man — determined from within. The The man of God is not of air and earth, higher self is the Divine spark in man and its realisation makes one the source of The man of God is not of fire and water. infinite power and knowledge. Realisation The man of God is a boundless sea, of the ideal self rids one of fears and The man of God rains pearls without a hopes. ‘I am the ruling power in both the cloud. worlds here and hereafter; in both the The man of God hath hundred moons and worlds I saw nobody whom I could fear or skies, from whom I could hope to get any favour; The man of God hath hundred suns. I saw only myself.’ The man of God is made wise by the Truth, One also transcends discursive knowledge and attains to Divine knowledge The man of God is not learned from book. — which is not sensuous in origin and The man of God is beyond infidelity and character. Knowledge is itself a great power religion, — and the ideal man of Rumi, purged of To the man of God right and wrong are fear and anxiety, enriched by Divine alike. knowledge, holds complete sway over the The man of God has ridden away from Not- spiritual and material world. being, Such a man moves the world The man of God is gloriously attended. according to his desire: The man of God is concealed, Shamsi Din, …. According to whose desire the torrents and rivers flow, and the stars move in such The man of God do thou seek and find!n wise as he wills; [ 26 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Mohammad Talha Kandhalvi - Obaidur Rahman Nadwi Maulana Mohammad Talha Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur. We had Khandhalvi, a distinguished Islamic Scholar, hearty ties with him as being son of Shaikul patron Jamia Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur Hadith Maulana Zakariya (RAH). Like his and son of Sheikhul Hadith Maulana father, he always remained concern for Zakariya (RAH) Passed away on August 20, Muslim Ummah. May Allah give strength to 2019 at Meerut. his successors to continue his reformative and well-fare works left by him.” He was successor of his father an undisputed cleric, a good preacher of Islam. Dr. Saeedur Rahman Azami Nadwi, He was an example of Ulama-e- Salaf (right Principal Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama guided Ulama of the past). He was an described him as one of the most influential influential and active member of Tablighi preachers of Islam. He was a true Jamaat. Maulana Talha devoted himself to representative of Islam. His life is ideal for the cause of Dawah movement. all of us. Reformation of society was his main Maulana Syed Hamza Hasani Nadwi, mission. Enjoining good and forbidding evil vice Rector Nadwatul Ulama stated that was the main task of his life. He played a death of Maulana Talha is a personal loss leading role in the field of Dawah. He was to him. Because he enjoyed his love and famous for his generosity and magnanimity: affection since childhood. Maulana Talha Doors of his house were always open for strived hard to convey his father’s legacy all and sundry. He proved himself as a throughout the World. He prayed for peace philanthropist for poor and downtrodden to the departed soul. sections of society. Maulana Dr. Taqiuddin Nadwi, He had good rapport with noted Director of Education Nadwatul Ulama said Islamic Scholar late Maulana Syed Abul that his connection was with Maulana Talha Hasan Ali Nadwi. After his demise he and Jamia Mazahirul Uloom since 1951. He perpetuated this spiritual nexus with his recalled his meetings and discussions with successor Maulana S.M.Rabey Hasani him and acknowledged his scholarly calibre. Nadwi Rector Nadwatul Ulama Lucknow He further added that once Maulana Abdul and President All India Muslim Personal Law Qadir Raipuri had said, “Molvi Talha is a Board. born saint.” In his condolence message Maulana Thousands of his admirers from S.M.Rabey Hasani Nadwi said, “The demise various parts of the country thronged to of Maulna Talha is a great loss to Muslim attend his last rites. Maulana Arshad Ummah in general and to Jamia Mazahirul Madani President Jamiat Ulama-l-Hind led Uloom and Tablighi Jamaat in particular.” the funeral prayer. He was buried in his He was educated and trained in Madrasa ancestral graveyard in Saharanpur, U.P. n Kashiful Uloom of Markaz Nizamuddin and

[ 27 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 (Cont. from page 39) with him who will most faithfully follow this code (sahifah) in action. (37) (a) And the Jews shall bear the burden of their expenses and the Muslims theirs. (b) And if any one fights against the people of this code, their (i.e., of the Jews and Muslims) mutual help shall come into operation, and there shall be friendly counsel and sincere behaviour between them; and faithfulness and no breach of covenant. (38) And the Jews shall be bearing their own expenses so long as they shall be fighting in conjunction with the believers. (39) And the Valley of Yathrib (Madinah) shall be a Haram (sacred place) for the people of this code. (40) The clients (mawla) shall have the same treatment as the original persons (i.e., persons accepting clientage). He shall neither be harmed nor shall he himself break the covenant. (41) And no refuge shall be given to anyone without the permission of the people of the place (i.e., the refugee shall have no right of giving refuge to others). (42) And that if any murder or quarrel takes place among the people of this code, from which any trouble may be feared, it shall be referred to God and God’s Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be to him) and God will be with him who will be most particular about what is written in this code and act on it most faithfully. (43) The Quraish shall be given no protection nor shall they who help them. (44) And they (i.e., Jews and Muslims) shall have each other’s help in the event of any one invading Yathrib. (45) (a) And if they (i.e., the Jews) are invited to any peace, they also shall offer peace and shall be a party to it; and if they invite the believers to some such affairs, it shall be their (Muslims) duty as well to reciprocate the dealings, excepting that any one makes a religious war. (b) On every group shall rest the responsibility of (repulsing) the enemy from the place which faces its part of the city. (46) And the Jews of the tribe of al-Aws, clients as well as original members, shall have the same rights as the people of this code: and shall behave sincerely and faithfully towards the latter, not perpetrating any breach of covenant. As one shall sow so shall he reap. And God is with him who will most sincerely and faithfully carry out the provisions of this code. (47) And this prescript shall not be of any avail to any oppressor or breaker of covenant. And one shall have security whether one goes out to a campaign or remains in Madinah, or else it will be an oppression and breach of covenant. And God is the Protector of him who performs the obligations with faithfulness and care, as also His Messenger.n

[ 28 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 The Spirit of Islam - Hiranmay Karlekar The average educated Hindu has judged by what their most debased, little knowledge of, and no appreciation fanatical and intolerant followers do. It for, immense revolutionary significance has been the same in the case of Islam. of Islam, and the great cultural It tends to be judged by the vandalism consequences of that revolution. The of a Mahmud of Ghazni or a Mohammad prevailing notions could be laughed off bin Qasim in the past and the Taliban, as ridiculous, were they not so pregnant with their barbaric and medieval social with harmful consequences. These practices and destruction of Buddhist notions should be combated for the statues, in the present. This is unfair as sake of Indian people as well as in the judging Christianity by the savage interest of science and historical truth. tortures perpetrated by the A proper appreciation of the cultural inquisitionists of Spain or the significance of Islam is of supreme degeneration of the Catholic Church importance in this crucial period of the under Popes like Alexander VI, or history of India. Hinduism by the vandalism of those who That was MN Roy in The Historical destroyed Babri Masjid. Role of Islam, which was first published “Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Ideas and in 1939. His words perhaps deserve as Realities of Islam) writes, “The root much attention today, when Hindu- ‘salaama’in Arabic, from which Islam is Muslim ties are becoming increasingly derived, has two meanings, one peace acrimonious with the rise of and the other surrender. He who fundamentalist forces among the surrenders himself to the Divine Will followers of both religions, as they did gains peace. The very idea of Islam is then when the Muslim League was that through the use of intelligence which surging ahead of its agenda. To many discerns between the Absolute and the Hindus, Islam is an intolerant and relative one should come to surrender violently proseletysing religion whose to the will of the Absolute.” followers effect conversion at the pain Khalif Wahid reprimanded of death, destroy shrines and idols of Mohammad bin Qasim on hearing from other religions, and enforce a grossly him that he had waged wars against reactionary social order marked by the Hindus, destroyed temples and made reduction of women to virtual slavery. converts, and said that all this was This is because religions are often against the sanction and usage of the

[ 29 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Holy Law and ordered him to pay In sharp contrast was the conduct compensation. Of course, Muslim rulers of the Christian crusaders when they re- like Chengiz Khan, Taimur-l-Lung, and captured Jerusalem. Gibbson writes Halaku Khan slaughtered hundreds and that they indulged themselves for three thousands of people; but so did days “in promiscuous massacre. After Alexander the Great during his seventy thousand Muslims had been put conquests, The Romans as they spread to the sword, and the harmless Jews their empire, and Napoleon in the had been burnt in their synagogues, they course of his campaigns; so have Hitler, could still reserve a multitude of captives Mussolini and Stalin in our time. Even whom interest or lassitude permitted the Kalinga campaign of the Great them to spare.” Seyyed Hossein Nasr Ashoka, an experience which turned points out that “Spain and Anatolia him into a Buddhist and an apostle of changed hands between Islam and peace, involved, according to his own Christianity about the same time. In account, the deportation of 150,000 Spain all the Muslims were either killed people and the killing of 100,000; many or driven off and no Muslims remain more that number perished otherwise. there today, whereas the seat of the Nor have Muslims been anymore Orthodox Church is still located in savage than followers of other religions Turkey.” during wars. In this timeless The bloodthirsty Christian warriors masterpiece, The History of the Decline in Jerusalem and Spain were a and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward disgrace to this great religion, as are Gibbson writes that Prophet Mhammad thé Taliban and other Islamic fanatics of readily granted to his Christian subjects today to their own, Muslim rulers of the the security of their person, the freedom Abbassid, Fatimid and Omayyad of their trade, the property of their goods dynasties were remarkably tolerant, and and the freedom of their worship. On great patrons of learning and the ads. Conquering Jerusalem, Omar, the So were the Saracens. For centuries, second Khalif, left its inhabitants in persecuted Jews as well as the possession of all their worldly goods, unorthodox Christian sects found and allowed them freedom of worship. asylum in their empire. Tolerance was He allotted a special quarter for the extended also to Catholics after the residence of Christians with their completion of the Saracen conquests. patriarch and clergy. And all this for only Greek scholars, under increasing two pieces of gold to be paid by the pressure from the chruch with its entire Christian population. headquarters in Byzantium, fled-first to Persia and then to Baghdad. The

[ 30 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 Khalifs received them with great respect, This distortion, however, by no and sent people to different parts of the means affected all Muslims, or Muslim Roman Empire to collect all works of rulers. We have seen the tolerance of Greek classical learning they could. The the Saracens. While the tolerance of works of Aristotle, Hipparchus, Akbar, one of the greatest rulers the Hyppocrates, Galen and other scholars world had seen, is celebrated in history, and scientists were translated into the there were many other Muslim rulers of Arabian language and taught in schools India who were tolerant and just. established at State expense. Roy Whether in governance or in the arts, writes, “It was through the (sic) Arabian the Islamic contribution to India has philosophers and scientists that the rich been profound and many-splendoured. patrimony of Greek learning reached the Every Indian needs to recognise fathers of modern rationalism and the and honour it. Sister Nivedita has pioneer of scientific research, Roger recorded Swami Vivekananda’s pride Bacon, was a disciple of the Arabs.” The in the Indo-Mughal heritage and “the Renaissance, which ushered in the great national genius that decreed the modern world, might not-have occurred birth of Indian sovereigns to be of a but for Islam, and Arab scholars. Moslem father and a Hindu mother.” What explains the rise of Swami Vivekananda, who had a fanaticism and violence among many profound regard for Islam, strongly followers of Islam? Makhan Lal Roy denied that such rulers were foreigners. Choudhury (The Din-I-llahi or The He sought an India “with a Islamic body Religion of Akbar) attributes it to the and a vedantic heart.” This can only conversion to Islam of the Turks and happen if followers of all religions in this other nomadic tribes of Central Asia country, particularly Hindus and Muslims, some of whom and their rulers were respect one another. n extremely violent. Since one could (Courtesy: The Pioneer) ascend to heaven by becoming a Shahid (martyr) or a Ghazi (a killer of the enemy), (The facts are that Chengiz was they perceived Islam to promise, through not a Muslim at any stage in his life, and war, “power in this world and pleasure in Halaku was, to be sure, not a Muslim at the next. Consequently, in their hands, the the time of his mad and murderous true precepts of Islam underwent sacking of Baghdad. Like Ashoka’s distortion, as was the case with post slaughter conversion to Buddhism, Christianity in the hands of the barbarian Halaku got converted to Islam at the end conquerors of Europe. “ of his own slaughtering career.) Editor

[ 31 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 (Cont. from page 36) have said: ‘the feet which get daubed with dust in the cause of Allah are made inaccessible and immune to Hell-fire’.” Disbursement of Funds: For the people to have their needs met he had the grants sanctioned to them. Whatever revenue was received in the Bait-I-Mal, was disbursed by him among the people. While disbursing, he would be very careful lest someone should get less than his due. Instead of having them stacked he would very intently see to it that whatever revenues were received get spent on meeting the needs of the people. Sometimes he would have the entire income of the Bait-el-Mal distributed leaving not a single grain in it. In this regard, his behaviour was very similar to that of the Prophet (SAW). It was the Prophet’s (SAW) regular practice that whenever some money was received by him (SAW), he would be in great hurry to get it distributed. Once he received a huge quantity of wealth. When even after the day-long distribution drive it could by no means be disposed of, he (SAW) did not set his foot inside his house. Ultimately, when the following day the entire wealth was given away to the needy, then only did he (SAW) step into his house. This practice (the Sunnah) of the Prophet (SAW) had all through his life been before Hazrat Siddique’s (RAA) eyes. He (RAA), too, kept lending priority to regularly expending the wealth in the service of Allah’s creatures over keeping it piled up in the treasury. Gracious Towards Non-Muslims: In his eyes, the subjects were all equal to each other. To the extent that in this regard there was no discrimination among Muslims and non-Muslims. Exactly the way he used to look after the Muslim subjects and be solicitous about fulfillment of their needs, he would deem it his duty to look after, and fulfill the needs of, the non- Muslim citizens. In a way the non-Muslims had a better lot. They were exempt from military service. They were not levied upon any Zakat-like tax that keeps increasing with the increase in the income. Instead, only a very light tax was levied and that, too, only on those who could easily afford to pay that. The aged, the handicapped and the destitute were, in any case, exempted. On the contrary, they were provided for their subsistence from the Bait-el-Mal. On occasion of military incursions, commanders-in-chief were strictly directed not to kill any woman, child or the elderly one; fruitful trees were not to be cut down; settlements were not to be devastated; trees were not to be put on fire; animals were not to be killed unnecessarily; places of worship and monasteries were not to be damaged and the monks and the worshippers living therein were not to be harmed.n

[ 32 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 The Siddiquee Era - Abdus Salaam Qidwai Nadwi Let us have a flashback to an era “Gentlemen! I have been in history about fourteen centuries ago. appointed ruler for you, even though I Here it is the era of the first Caliph of am not better than you. (So) if I do Islam, Hazrat Abu Bakr Sidddique something good, do assist me. And, if I (RAA). The responsibilities of do something bad, do set me right. governance are onerous. On the one Godwilling, the weak among you would hand, consequent upon the demise of be strong in my eyes till I get him his the Prophet (SAW), the chain of the due. And, the strong among you would Devine Revelation has already been be weak in my eyes till I make him snapped off and the Earth-dwellers restore others’ dues that he owes them. have already been deprived of Do obey me so long as I am obedient guidance from Heavens. On the other to Allah and His Prophet. But, when you hand, the tumult of apostasy within the find me disobeying Allah and His Arabian Peninsula is on the rise. The Prophet, you are no more bound to obey wave of opposition to the Islamic regime me.” is in full swing. Payment of revenues This passion for serving Allah’s (Zakat, etc.) is denied. Thirdly, yet on creatures was inherent in Hazrat another front, the Roman and Persian Siddique (RAA). Even from his very emperors are hatching plots to early days, he used to extend succour exterminate the Arabs. But, even in to the destitute and the indigent, come such a time, along with the to the rescue of the distressed and responsibilities of governance and extend hospitality to the traveler. Even running the state machinery, the zest for his enemies recognized his above- rendering services to God’s creatures mentioned qualities. is not waned in the least. Directive Issued to Vicegerents: General Proclamation: That itself was the directive issued In the address delivered by him to vicegerents also; that is, to immediately after getting elected the treat their subordinates and subjects Caliph, Hazrat Abu bakr (RAA) kindly and to consider the governance expressed this very resolve of his that: an opportunity to serve the people, the Caliphate would not be allowed to instead of making it a means to gain be made a foothold to gain access to ease and comfort, and an expedient to eminence and power, comfort and attain eminence and power. The strict luxury. Instead, it would be used only as mandamus issued was: a tool to serve the creatures of God. He said: ‘Remain in awe of Allah, both in

[ 33 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 public and in private. Whoever stands is worth mentioning. There was an aged, in awe of Allah, Allah exonerates him of blind woman living in outskirts of Madina his sins and rewards him exceedingly. Munawwarah. Moved by her infirmity Be solicitous of the weal and welfare of and helplessness, Hazrat Umar (RAA) the creatures of God. Do abstain from would go daily in the morning to her indulging in cronyism and nepotism house and have the necessary domestic within the domain of your authority. Do chores of the day performed for her. not try, bringing the influence of After a while he started noticing that governance to bear, to benefit your someone else gets there even before relatives more than what the others get. him and goes back after having the It must be very strictly shunned. Do chores performed for that hapless lady. empathize with your subordinates on Hazrat Umar got anxious to know who occasion of their anguish and agonies. that person was. Hence, one day he got It should not happen that they grovel there much before the break of dawn under distress while you wallow in and sat down, hiding himself, in some luxuries.’ corner of the house. After a while, he felt A Nonpareil Episode: the footfalls of someone approaching. Looking with the eyes peering in the This fervor to serve others had darkness, he found out it was Hazrat gone to the extent that he did not like to Siddique (RAA). When, after having disappoint even the children. To cite an performed the chores, he made to instance, in his pre-Caliphate days, he return, Hazrat Umar came up to him and used to milk for some old woman her reverently said to him: “O the Caliph of goat. After assuming the office of the Prophet! You are always ahead of Caliphate, he happened to pass one others in serving the creatures of Allah!” day in front of her house. Incidentally the woman’s little daughter was playing Selflessness: outside the house. Seeing him, she got Along with this intense fervor to to say playfully: “You have now donned serve the people, the extent of his self- the mantle of Caliphate; you would no denial and selflessness was that he more milk our goat.” No sooner these would not even accept salary for his words reached his ears than he (RAA) subsistence. After he was elected said: “No! No! Don’t say so! I will still Caliph, people were awed to see him milk your goat for you.” These were not still carrying the huge bundle of bales of merely the hollow words. Instead, he cloth loaded on his back on his way to kept his words so strictly that throughout and from the market and getting his entire tenure of Caliphate, he engaged in making sale-purchase punctually milked her goats. deals. For, this very business was his Rendering Service Quietly: sole means of subsistence. However, when the responsibilities of the Another incident of similar nature Caliphate started getting, day in day [ 34 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 out, multiplied, the people told him this lachrymal mood. When a bit of vehemently that there was no more composure was regained, the people scope for conducting his personal asked him as to what was, after all, the business; lest his preoccupation in it reason for this lacrimation? He (RAA) should cause negligence towards the said: “One day I was in company of the task of taking care of his subjects. At Prophet (SAW). I heard him saying to long last, merely in public interest, he something: ‘Off with thee! Off with thee!’ had to accept a paltry amount for his I said to him: ‘O Allah’s Prophet! What subsistence. On this occasion he said: is this thing which you are saying to: ‘Off “My people know that my business was with thee? Off with thee!’? To me sufficient for the subsistence of my apparently nothing is visible. Do tell me, family and dependents. However, now please, what was which you were that I am preoccupied in attending to warding off?’ In response to my request, Muslims’ affairs, my family would be fed, he (SAW) said: ‘The world had as per the need, from their money and appeared in front of me personified. work for them.” That is what I have warded off.’ Paltry Pay: Presently, when this honey-mix appeared in front of me, I was suddenly The pay was stipulated to cover reminded of that incident and dreaded clothes and board for him and his family. that I might fall prey to wiles of the world.” He would get two coverlets. Whenever they got worn-and-torn, he got them On his Death-bed: replaced with other two. The food items While on his death-bed, he had used to be very ordinary and the clothes nothing that was allotted him from the very cheap. On occasion of journey a Bait-el-Mal (The community chest) in his conveyance was provided’. house except a slave, a camel and an Abstinence from Delicacies: old coverlet. Even for his shroud, he did not like a new piece of cloth to be used The extent of austerity was such and said: “The piece of cloth which is that even drinking a glass of syrup would on my body at the moment may be make him lachrymose. Once he felt washed and, together with two other thirsty and asked for some water to pieces may be used for my shroud.” drink. The people in attendance made Hazrat Aishah (RAA) said: “Isn’t it quite a sort of syrup by mixing honey with the old?! There should be, for the shroud, a water and offered him. But, no sooner it new one.” He said: “Those alive deserve was handed over to him and taken to new clothes more than the dead. For me his mouth than the tears welled up into this worn-and-torn one is enough.” his eyes and he wept bitterly. Seeing him in tears, the audience, too, got to Whatever chattels were there in weeping. For a while the assemblage the house at the time of his death were continued to remain under the spell of deposited with the Bait-el-Mal. Despite

[ 35 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 the stipend drawn by him from the Bait- “Oh if I were a tree I would have got el-Mal being very meager and the life deliverance from the rigors of the led by him with it being extremely Hereafter.” Governance and Amirate austere, his conscience did not feel at (Authority) was deemed by him a matter ease with having any money from the of great responsibility. He used to say: Bait-el-Mal (the community chest) spent “The responsibility of the Ameer in this on his personal needs. While breathing world is enhanced manifold. The his last, this thought (of having spent reckoning on the Doomsday would be some of Bait-el-Mal money on his own very harsh; and his track record to be needs) made him extremely uneasy. He, examined would be very large and therefore, made a will that his personal lengthy.” effects should be sold and this amount Utmost Humility: refunded to Baitel-Mal from the sale- proceeds. And, so was accordingly He was congenitally extremely done. After his demise, when this humble. He would never approve of any incidence was brought to Hazrat Umar’s such thing as would exhibit his (RAA) notice, tears welled up in his eminence over others. Despite the eyes. Tearfully he said: “May Allah governance and authority, he would lead shower His Mercy on Abu Bakr (RAA). his life just like an ordinary man. He He has gone away not without having would not approve of even somebody made the matter very tough for his standing up out of esteem for him. successors.” Whenever people extolled him, he would say: “O God! Thou knowest me Anxiety about the Hereafter: better than I do; and I know myself better Despite all that, however, the than they do. O my God! I beseech Thee conscientiousness about the to make me better than the gracious responsibility was so great that opinion that they have about me. Do whatever deeds he performed was not kindly forgive my sins and do not hold deemed worthy of any reckoning in his me responsible for the people’s undue eyes. The dread of accountability in the praise for me.’’ Hereafter kept him shivering. Whenever any expedition would Sometimes, he would cry so bitterly that set out, he would escort, on foot, the those watching him would get to taking soldiers, up to a long distance. In case pity on him. On seeing the birds someone wanted to dismount in chirping, he would say: “Blessed are ye, reverence to him, he would forbid him, O birds! Picking and pecking ye keep saying “what harm is there if I, too, get with abandon in this world, sit in the my feet daubed with dust walking a little shades of trees while ye wouldn’t be distance in the cause of Allah. Allah’s accountable on the Doomsday. Oh if Prophet (SAW) has been reported to Abu Bakr was also like ye! On seeing some green, verdant tree, he would say: (Cont. to page 32) [ 36 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 First Written Constitution of The World - Muhammad Hamidullah In the name of God, the Beneficent and the release of its own prisoners by paying the Merciful their ransom from themselves, so that the (1) This is a prescript of Muhammad dealings between the believers be in (peace and blessings of God be to him) accordance with the principles of the Prophet and Messenger of God (to goodness and justice. operate) between the faithful and the (6) And Banu Sa’ida shall be responsible followers of Islam from among the Quraish for their own ward, and shall pay their and the people of Madinah and those who blood-money in mutual collaboration and may be under them, may join them and every group shall secure the release of its take part in wars in their company. own prisoners by paying their ransom from (2) They shall constitute a separate themselves, so that the dealings between political unit (Ummat) as distinguished the believers be in accordance with the from all the people (of the world). principles of goodness and justice. (3) The emigrants from the Quraish shall (7) And Banu Jusham shall be responsible be (responsible) for their own ward; and for their own ward and shall pay their blood- shall pay their blood-money in mutual money in mutual collaboration and every collaboration and shall secure the release group shall secure the release of its own of their own prisoners by paying their prisoners by paying their ransom so that ransom from themselves, so that the the dealings between the believers be in mutual dealings between the believers be accordance with the principles of in accordance with the principles of goodness and justice. goodness and justice. (8) And Banu an-Najjar shall be (4) And Banu Awf shall be responsible for responsible for their own ward and shall their own ward and shall pay their blood- pay their blood-money in mutual money in mutual collaboration, and every collaboration and every group shall secure group shall secure the release of its own the release of its own prisoners by paying prisoners by paying their ransom from their ransom so that the dealings between themselves so that the dealings between the believers be in accordance with the the believers be in accordance with the principles of goodness and justice. principles of goodness and justice. (9) And Banu ‘Amr-ibn- Awf shall be (5) And Banu Al-Harith-ibn-Khazraj shall be responsible for their own ward and shall responsible for their own ward and shall pay their blood-money in mutual pay their blood-money in mutual collaboration and every group shall secure collaboration and every group shall secure the release of its own prisoners by paying [ 37 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 their ransom, so that the dealings between (14) And no believer shall kill another the believers be in accordance with the believer in retaliation for an unbeliever, nor principles of goodness and justice. shall he help an unbeliever against a (10) And Banu-al-Nabit shall be believer. responsible for their own ward and shall (15) And the protection of God is one. The pay their blood-money in mutual humblest of them (believers) can, by collaboration and every group shall secure extending his protection to any one, put the release of its own prisoners by paying the obligation on all; and the believers are their ransom so that the dealings between brothers to one another as against all the the believers be in accordance with the people (of the world). principles of goodness and justice. (16) And that those who will obey us among (11) And Banu-al-Aws shall be responsible the Jews, will have help and equality. for their own ward and shall pay their blood- Neither shall they be oppressed nor will money in mutual collaboration and every any help be given against them. group shall secure the release of its own (17) And the peace of the believers shall prisoners by paying their ransom, so that be one. If there be any war in the way of the dealings between the believers be in God, no believer shall be under any peace accordance with the principles of (with the enemy) apart from other goodness and justice. believers, unless it (this peace) be the (12) (a) And the believers shall not leave same and equally binding on all. any one, hard-pressed with debts, without (18) And all those detachments that will affording him some relief, in order that the fight on our side will be relieved by turns. dealings between the believers be in accordance with the principles of (19) And the believers as a body shall take goodness and justice. blood vengeance in the way of God. (b) Also, no believer shall enter into a (20) (a) And undoubtedly pious believers contract of clientage with one who is are the best and in the rightest course. already in such a contract with another (b) And that no associator (non-Muslim believer. subject) shall give any protection to the life (13) And the hands of pious believers shall and property of a Quraishite, nor shall he be raised against every such person as come in the way of any believer in this rises in rebellion or attempts to acquire matter. anything by force or is guilty of any sin or (21) And if any one intentionally murders a excess or attempts to spread mischief believer, and it is proved, he shall be killed among the believers; their hands shall be in retaliation, unless the heir of the raised all together against such a person, murdered person be satisfied with blood- even if he be a son to any one of them. money. And all believers shall actually [ 38 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019 stand for this ordinance and nothing else (29) And the Jews of Banu Jusham shall shall be proper for them to do. have the same rights as the Jews of Banu (22) And it shall not be lawful for any one, Awf. who has agreed to carry out the provisions (30) And the Jews of Banu al-Aws shall laid down in this code and has affixed his have the same rights as the Jews of Banu faith in God and the Day of Judgment, to ‘Awf. give help or protection to any murderer, (31) And the Jews of Banu Tha’laba shall and if he gives any help or protection to have the same rights as the Jews of Banu such a person, God’s curse and wrath ‘Awf. Of course, whoever is found guilty shall be on him on the Day of Resurrection, of oppression or violation of treaty, shall and no money or compensation shall be himself suffer the consequent trouble as accepted from such a person. also his family, but no one besides. (23) And that whenever you differ about (32) And Jafna, who are a branch of the anything, refer it to God and to Muhammad Tha’laba tribe, shall have the same rights (peace and blessings of God be to him). as the mother tribes. (24) And the Jews shall share with the (33) And Banu-ash-Shutaiba shall have believers the expenses of war so long as the same rights as the Jews of Banu ‘Awf; they fight in conjunction. and they shall be faithful to, and not (25) And the Jews of Banu ‘Awf shall be violators of, treaty. considered one political community (34) And the mawlas (clients) of Tha’laba (Ummat) along with the believers – for the shall have the same rights as those of the Jews their religion, and for the Muslims original members of it. theirs, be one client or patron. He, however, who is guilty of oppression or (35) And the sub-branches of the Jewish breach of treaty, shall suffer the resultant tribes shall have the same rights as the trouble as also his family, but no one mother tribes. besides. (36) (a) And that none of them shall go out (26) And the Jews of Ban u-an-Najjar shall to fight as a soldier of the Muslim army, have the same rights as the Jews of Banu without the permission of Muhammad ‘Awf. (peace and blessings of God be to him). (27) And the Jews of Ban u-al-Harith shall (b) And no obstruction shall be placed in have the same rights as the Jews of Banu the way of any one’s retaliation for beating ‘Awf. or injuries; and whoever sheds blood shall be personally responsible for it as well as (28) And the Jews of Banu Sa’ida shall his family; or else (i.e., any step beyond have the same rights as the Jews of Banu this) will be of oppression; and God will be ‘Awf. (Cont. to page 28) [ 39 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, September, 2019

OUR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD

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