CULTURE OF ISLAM

118 Muslim Response Period of Ummayyads

Imtiaz Muhsin 29-Mar-13

The main objective of these talks (and therefore the scripts of these talks), is to stimulate thinking. Sensible, rational and logical thinking. So, my message, think, think & think! Be sensible, be rational and be logical.

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

Please Note
1. I have had the great privilege, (since Aug 2010), of presenting talks on the weekly Radio Program Culture of Islam [Friday 5.30 to 6.00 am, Radio Sri Lanka - FM 97.4] 2. Since these are Radio Talks, I refer to, or address the audience as listeners 3. I am well aware that the audience to these talks would consist of people belonging to a variety of faiths. So as to make people of all faiths feel included, I very often use words and names that are common to all religions. 4. For these reasons, I use the name GOD, as well as Abraham, Moses, Jesus etc as well as the names Allah, Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam), Moosa (Alaihis Salaam), Easa (Alaihis Salaam) etc 5. Muslims by habit usually say Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam, when the name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, and Alaihis Salaam' when the name of a Prophet is mentioned. However, in these series of talks I have reduced the use of these prayers & sayings to the bare minimum. 6. Muslims, also by habit, use a number of Arabic prayers or sayings, such as Alhamdulillah, Insha Allah and so on. Again, I have reduced the use of these prayers or sayings to the bare minimum. 7. Sometimes I have to write Arabic words in the English script. I have devised my own way of writing Arabic in English, as follows;

th TH

s Ss SW

DHL DHZ

H h

Gh GH

Information on these talks along with all download links can be found on my on my Blog (http://imtiazm.wordpress.com/) The dates or the schedules of these talks can be viewed on the Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/ImtiazMuhsin786) The Scripts of these talks can be downloaded from www.ScribD.com (http://www.scribd.com/imtiaz_muhsin_1) (www.ScribD.com Author Imtiaz Muhsin) The audio files of these talks can be downloaded from YouTube (YouTube Channel Imtiaz Muhsin) The YouTube Link to this talk is at

All Praise and Thanks is due to Allah and Allah alone Alhamdulillah!

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

118 Muslim Response - Period of Ummayyads

Dear Friends, Assalamu Alaikum, The subject for todays talk is really a fascinating one. It is a look in to the History of the Muslim World. However it is a view with a difference. To many of us history is boring. To many of us history is just a study of events unfolding over time. A series of events coupled with corresponding dates and straddled with many jaw breaking names to remember. However, the study of history does become more interesting when we add another dimension to the list of events and dates, and that new dimension would be what is commonly referred to as the causes. So the study of history becomes more interesting when we learn the series of unfolding events and the dates along with the causes that led to those events. It adds a sort of drama to the narrative. Now what I am doing is adding another dimension to this study, and that is; What was the reaction or the response of the people to these unfolding events? So what I am attempting to do is to describe the history of the Muslim World, (and that too ever so briefly), look at events and then try to relate the causes that contributed to these events and then more interestingly try to work out the response of the people to those events. In fact listeners would realize that the response of the people to the event would again become the causes that propel the next event and so on. So the drama unfolds. Now there is another factor that we must remember, and that is in fact the most important factor, the purpose of this whole study is to find out, whether the practices, teachings and understanding of Islam could have changed over the last 1400 years. Is the Islam that we are today learning, practicing and teaching still the pristine pure Islam as practiced during the time of the Prophet, or has it changed? If it has changed, then, how or where could it have changed? How do we find out? In last weeks talk, I was, by the grace of God, able to discuss the period of the 4 rightly guided Caliphs leading right up to the start of the Ummayyad Empire. It was a period of great turbulence. But then we were able to discern one major change in the thinking or the theme of the Muslims. During the time of the Prophet Islam the whole theme of Islam was self rectification. Read the Quran, listen to the Quran and then bring changes in to your life so that you could become not just a good Muslim but a good Mumin, a good Muhsin, a good Saleh, a good MutthaQi and so on.

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

For this the Muslim had to work on himself to acquire good qualities such as Swabr (or patience) Taqwa (or God anxiousness), Tawakkal (or God reliance) and so on. After the death of the Prophet new issues came in to focus. Who should lead the new fast growing Muslim society? Should Muslims have a leader in place of the Prophet? Can any other human being fill the vacuum of a Prophet? How should a new leader be appointed? What would be his duties, responsibilities and powers? How would the relationship be between the leader and the other Muslims and similarly between Muslims and their leader? Obviously there would have been many points that needed lengthy debates. But then the need was obvious the Muslim society needed a leader. God, through the Quran and the Prophet had trained the Muslims to gather around a leader and to be obedient to the leader. Now Islam was such a complete religion or a way of life that every matter was covered. Personal matters, domestic matters, social matters and even political matters were described in the Holy Quran and demonstrated by the Holy Prophet. So what came within the purview of the leader of the Muslims was not just the political arena but even personal matters, domestic disputes and so on. The criteria or the guideline as to how a Muslim as well as a Muslim society should behave or even be led was from the Quran and the example of how it should be implemented was obviously from the life of the Holy Prophet. This is really interesting. The Quran instructs Muslims to settle all their matters through mutual consultation commonly referred to as the Mashoora. We could then ask at what level should a Mashoora be applied, is it at a Political level or a social level or even is it for domestic matters too? The Quran instructs us that matters at all levels should be settled through Mashoora or mutual consultation. Let me read you the phrases regarding Mashoora from the Aayaths: At domestic or family level; Regarding the suckling of their baby, the parents are instructed: (2:233) Now, if they want to wean, with mutual consent and consultation, there is no sin on them. [ghan tharaaDHli(n) Minhumaa wa thashaawurin]

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

At social or societal level, the Quran instructs us; (42:38) and those who have responded to their Rabb (in submission to Him), and have established Salh, and whose affairs are (settled) with mutual consultation between them, and who spend out of what We have given to them, (Wa AmruHum Shoora BaiynaHum)

And at a political level: This is an instruction to the Prophet, the leader of the community; (3:159) Consult them in the matter and, once you have taken a decision, Place your trust in Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him. (Wa Shaa wirHum fil Amri)

So the Muslims were satisfied that they should have leadership. However the criterion for an acceptable leader was that he should be a true Muslim. Obviously for the first few years or decades after the death of the Prophet it was his close trusted companions who were recognized as the leaders of the Muslim community and they were known as the Khulafa Ur Raashidheen The Rightly guided Caliphs. There were 4 of them Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali (R anhum) A major focus of attention of all Muslims at this time was as to how the Prophet acted in similar situations. So gradually we find a series of Hadith or sayings of the Prophet or traditions of the Prophet evolving and developing. These were really the experiences or the opinions of his companions. Companions of the Prophet known as the Sahaba, used to describe to people the instructions of the Prophet and also how he arrived at those instructions. Obviously due to different viewpoints, different experiences and different situations, the Sahaba described diverse and even contrasting instructions or decisions, that were made by the Prophet. It was not uncommon to find that two different instructions have been issued to two people both of whom came for similar problems. So a new science was developing, a study in to trying to find out the reasons for the differences. Then another problem emerged. Some of the narrations or the narrators could not be trusted. Some of the narratives were attributed to hypocrites or those who had ulterior motives. So then the Muslims began to compile their own lists of those who could be trusted. With different camps emerging for different issues obviously different camps had their own lists of who could be trusted and who could not be trusted. This too was a matter of opinion.

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

With the assassinations of both Usman (RA) and Ali (RA) we can just imagine the turmoil the society was in. It was now not the simple Muslim society as in the periods of Mecca and Madinah, but a huge Empire stretching across what would now be recognized as many West Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The story is that with the death of Ali (RA) a good number of people favored his elder son Hassan as the next Caliph. However, Muawiyya who was the Governor in Damascus and who had played a large role in dealing with the Eastern Roman Empire staked his claim to Caliphate. The story goes that he had entered in to an agreement with Hassan (RA) where he, that is Muawiya, would be Caliph and then after his death succession would be through a process of mutual consultation where Hassan would be named a frontrunner. Hassan (RA) predeceased Muawiyya and the story is that he was poisoned by Muawiyya. Muawiyya, just before his death, in what is considered a treacherous turnaround appointed his son Yazid as the new Caliph. This was completely against the agreement Muawiyya had made with Hassan (RA) This angered those who now wanted to see Hussain (RA) as the new Caliph. Muslims in Kufah (the present Iran) invited Hussein to lead and to establish the true Muslim Empire, but on the way Hussain and his family were assassinated in a horrific tragedy in a place called Karbala. The planning and the execution of this unthinkable crime were attributed to Yazid, the son of Muawiyya who was now ruling the Ummayyad Empire from Damascus. This event more than any other, precipitated the Sunni Shia divide amongst the Muslims. Listeners can just imagine the turmoil the Muslim society or Muslim community or even the Muslim Empire was thrown in to. The Omayyads used drastic measure to cull dissent and to bring in discipline. To claim to be Caliphs and leaders of the Muslim Empire, it was necessary to justify all their actions and decisions in keeping with the instructions of the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet. Aayath number 59 of Surah Nissa was their main justification that the Muslim population should obey them. (4:59) O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.

Many dissenting Muslims however quoted Quran Aayaths in justification of their stand against rulers who went against the tenets of Islam. There were many such Quran Aayaths. Let me read one of them. This Aayath describes what some people will say on Judgment Day;

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

(33:67) And they will say, Our Rabb, we obeyed our chiefs and our elders, and they made us to go astray from the path. (33:68) Our Rabb, give them twice the punishment, and send a curse on them, an enormous curse.

The vast Muslim World was now evolving two political ideologies, described as the Sunni and the Shia ideologies. Actually there was a third. This grouping is commonly referred to as the Kharijites or those who kept away These were persons who did not want to accept the leadership of the Ummayyads or the Shias as they pointed out many of their strategies and practices which the Khaarijites claimed went very much against the teachings of Islam. Obviously, each group had their own lists of Sahabas whose words or Hadiths could be trusted. It is not surprising to find that those whom the Sunni revere and trust are not trusted by the Shias and similar those that the Shias trust and revere are in turn not trusted by the Sunnis. Similarly with the Kharijites. So over the years many Hadith, which was handed down from generation to generation was either classified as trustworthy or concocted depending on what side of the divide they were on. It also followed that the ruling classes were in search of guidance or justification for what they were doing or for what they were planning. Just as the people began to find fault with what they were doing, they too were quoting Quran Aayaths and Hadith as guidance or justification for what they were doing. It also became obvious that the ruling classes favored any tradition or Hadith of the Prophet that they could use as a justification for their plans and actions. We hear of many learned and brave Muslims who tried to advise the rulers against their oppressive ways, but then the rulers had their own vicious ways of dealing with them. So now let us just look at the changes. Stage 1. During the time of the Prophet a main thrust of Islam was self rectification. Muslims wanted to become better and better. They strived to become MuttaQi, Mumin, Qaanitheen, Khaashigheen, Muhsineen and so on. There was a social and a political aspect to Islam but then, the political leadership was looked upon as the domain of the Prophet. Every Muslim strived to dutifully carry out every instruction of the Prophet. Stage 2. With the death of the Prophet there was a crisis. Who should be leader? How should he lead? A slight shift in the theme of Islam now began to appear.

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

From being a religion of self rectification it began to gather momentum to being a social code or a political ideology. Instruction for this theme was being derived from the interpretations of the Holy Quran but then a new factor began to appear the sayings or the traditions of the Prophet. Every decision of the Caliph was evaluated with the injunctions in the Quran as well as the many experiences the many Sahaba had faced during the time of the Prophet. Stage 3. With the passing away of the Khulafaa Ur Raashideen and the rapid formation and growth of a Muslim Empire, the stakes to rule administrative posts began to take an ugly turn. Stage 4 Muslims though united by brother hood broke in to many camps on the issue of leadership and who should be Caliph. The Ummayyads ruled from Damascus. The Shias broke away establishing their political ideology from Kufah in the present day Iran. A third group, the Khaarijites, who spoke and campaigned against both the Ummayyads and the Shias, were critical of Muslims giving disproportionate or excessive attention to the Caliphate, the Empire and to playing manipulative Politics. Stage 5 For justification, for legitimacy and for cooperation each group had to bring up evidence to show that they were in the right. The Aayaths of the Quran along with the sayings of the Sahabas were put forward. Accusation were made that some of those who claimed to be close companions of the Prophet were in fact Hypocrites, thus their narratives could not be trusted. Similarly accusations were made that some of the narratives were concocted by the rulers or by those who wished to curry favor with the rulers. Each grouping compiled their lists of those whose narratives could be trusted and those whose narratives could not be trusted. Some of the Quran Aayaths being quoted by them were; (5:44) So, do not fear people. Fear Me, and do not take a paltry price for My verses. Those who do not judge according to what Allah has sent down are the disbelievers.

Surah Maaidha (5:47) Those who do not judge according to what Allah has sent down, they are the sinners.

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

(5:48) We have sent down to you the Book with truth, confirming the Book before it, and a protector for it. So, judge between them according to what Allah has sent down, and do not follow their desires against the truth that has come to you. For each of you We have made a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made a single community of people, but (He did not), so that He may test you in what He has given to you. Strive, then, to excel each other in good deeds. To Allah is the return for all of you. Then Allah shall tell you about that in which you disputed.

As time went on the Hadiths or the traditions of the Prophet became more and more important. The Sahabas who were witnesses to the Prophet and his mission, were now dying off one by one. A new generation of Muslims whose idea of Islam was heavily influenced by what they saw as a vast Muslim Empire, and thus the thinking that Islam was a religion of the society, that Islam was a political ideology gradually began to take root. With this new thinking, the rulers along with society began to establish institutions, which they described as Islamic Institutions. People who administered these institutions became powerful not because of their piety but purely because of their positions and their connections and loyalties to the ruling classes. Institutions such as Madrassas, Courts even law enforcement bodies and hospitals all were viewed as symbols of Islamization of the Empire. This change that I am describing, from Muslims striving for self rectification, striving to become Muslim Mumin, Mukhlis, Muhsin and so on to the building and establishing a Muslim Empire, struck me most forcefully, when I was in Pakistan in the early 80s. I was in a mosque talking with some lively Muslim youth and they were explaining to me that Pakistan must become a true Muslim country and the implementation of the Shariath law was most important. An elderly person who was listening, gave what I thought was good counsel. He said, Strive to bring Islam, to bring rectification, to bring shariath in to your life If you cannot bring Islam into your 6 foot body do you think you could bring Islam to 800,000 sq kilometers of Pakistan? If we all strive to bring Islam in to our lives, then Islam will be vibrant and alive in Pakistan. Otherwise interpretations of Islam would have to be forced on people through governmental laws. Islam would be dead; laws would be alive and forced on the population. Do you think that is Shariath? This explained to me the difference between the times of the Prophet and the times of the Muslim Empires.

118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

During the times of the Prophet Muslims strived to understand and to bring Islam in to their lives. It was a sincere individualistic effort but its ramifications was social it was political. The Islamic Empires however, strived to implement what the rulers interpreted as Islam on the population through governmental laws which they justified as Shariath. I am sure any Muslim could work out the difference as well as the consequences of the difference. The justifications for implementing the will of the Rulers were through the traditions of the Prophet as explained by those who had been with the Prophet. But then the Rulers were being accused of choosing those narrators and narratives that favored their rule and their ways. Collections of Hadith was now running in to hundreds of thousands but then doubts had been cast on the authenticity as well as the applicability of many of them. Today I discussed the start of the Umayyad period. Insha Allah next week I hope to talk on the other Muslim empires over History especially trying to draw insight into what changes could have occurred to the learnings, the practices and the teachings of Islam. I sincerely hope and pray that all of you benefit from these talks as much as I benefit from preparing and then presenting these talks to you. May Allah Taaalah guide us all and accept us all. Jazza Kalla Khairan. Assalamu Alaikum

Imtiaz Muhsin Colombo Sri Lanka crescent786@hotmail.com

You Tube Channel - HaneefanMusliman

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118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads

Note on Talks on History of Muslims

As Muslims it is necessary that we are aware of the History of Muslims over the last 1400 years. It is necessary for us to realize the winds of change over these last 1400 years especially since Muslim Populations have been through quite some turbulent times. I have covered this vast area in 5 talks. (This is insufficient) The first two talks were on the history and the next three talks were from another viewpoint. I discuss the response of the Muslims due to the many changes that were affecting their lives their religion and thus their culture. These Talks are numbered and titled as follows: Talk No 114 116 117 118 119 Topic The History Series The Effects of 1400 Years - Part 1 Effects of 1400 years - Part 2 The Muslim Response Series The Religious Response of Muslims due to Events surrounding the Caliphates of the Khulafaa Ur Raashidheen The Religious Response of Muslims due to Events surrounding the beginning of the Ummayyads The Religious Response of Muslims due to Events in the Period of the Muslim Empires Date Broadcast Jan 25th 2013 Feb 8th 2013 Feb 22nd 2013 March 29th 2013 April 5th 2013

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118 The Muslims Response The Period of the Ummayyads