Shahadah: Witnessing of the Truth

This article is a summary of the concept of "Shahadah" and its implications which I learned from one of the great Muslim scholars, Javed
Ahmad Ghamidi.

Blessed be He in whose hands is dominion; and He over all things hath power; He Who created death and life, that He
may try which of you is best in deed: and he is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving. (Quran 67:1-2)

The basic argument of the religion is that every human is accountable for his/her deeds in front of the God Almighty on
the Judgment Day. In addition to the intellectual arguments, which the God revealed in the scriptures, this accountability
is also established on the level of five senses through a process called “Shahadah”.

"Shahadah" is Arabic word which means to be a witness. However, in the Quran, it is used for a person or a group which
becomes witness of the truth. Realization of truth produces a kind of an ethical responsibility. The implication is that
these personalities and groups are subject to reward and punishment on ethical basis in this very world. It is this
“witnessing” through which the accountability of all humans on the basis of ethics is established which can be seen by
an ordinary person. This whole process is similar to a scientific experiment which when successfully undertaken, in a
laboratory on a small scale, testifies some hypothesis and proves it as a ‘fact’, similarly, this worldly accountability
testifies the large scale accountability of the hereafter and proves it as a forthcoming fact that no one may escape from.

The chosen nations are not only subject to Divine reward and punishment but they also promulgate the Divine Judgment
on others when they are asked by the God through a Prophet. After the promulgation of the Judgment, the conquered
regions serve as arena of Divine reward and punishment for these nations. This rule doesn't apply on other nations. This
is why; a nation which stands completely in rebellion to God can still be very powerful, while on the other hand, a nation
that is on the status of "Shahadah" would be harshly punished, if they do so. The God stands behind these nations,
supports them and bestows them with the political power. On the other hand, as soon as they make a mistake, they are
instantly punished for that and their political power may be abolished too depending upon the severity of their crime.

Brief history of humans
In the first phase of humans in this world, the story of Adam and his interaction with God was enough for making
Adam's children to know the truth. There is no hurdle in assuming that this happened hundred thousand years ago. Those
who present the genealogies in the Bible to prove that world was created 5000 years ago forget that when genealogies
are written, only prominent personalities are mentioned and unfamiliar and unknown personalities are omitted.
(Regarding evolution and religion, please visit: http://www.understanding-islam.com/related/text.asp?
type=question&qid=255 )

“Witnessing” of individual personalities (Messengers)

When the true concept of God got corrupted then it became necessary that God would re-establish the basic argument of
the religion i.e. the accountability in front of God. For this purpose Messengers of God were sent, about whom, the
Quran says:

Indeed those who are opposing Allah and His Messenger are bound to be humiliated. The Almighty has ordained: ‘I and
My Messengers shall always prevail’. Indeed Allah is Mighty and Powerful. (58:20-1)

For the first time, this was established through Noah. A huge flood killed all those who denied the Divine message. The
memories of this great flood can be seen in the religious beliefs of almost all the ancient civilizations. But unfortunately,
as time passed by, there was a constant need of reminding people of the basic argument of religion. For this reason, God
sent many Messengers, through which God established to the coming generations that just like these nations are
destroyed and punished, they will also be held accountable in front of God on the Judgment Day. Examples of such
messengers are Shiloh, Jethro, and Lot. When the Quran wants to mention these events as proofs; the Quran always
starts with the event of Noah and then mention other nations which are known to the immediate addressees of the Quran.
For example, the perished Arab nations i.e. 'Ad and 'Thamud, are mentioned again and again in the Quran. The
personalities of Messengers are example of those qualities which God wants to see in His people, hence, these chosen
personalities are also subject to severe reward and punishment in this world on the basis of their moral conduct. This also
ensures that people know from these personalities that on which principle they are being judged. The Quran mentions
that Jonah made a small mistake and he was immediately punished by a fish which swallowed him. The Quran also
warns Prophet Muhammad at one instance, not to be impatient like Jonah (see Quran 68:48).

Witnessing of nations (Abraham’s progeny)

As the human civilization progressed in terms of materialistic advancements, God chose to put complete nations on this
status of Shahadah instead of individuals. For this purpose, God chose Abraham's progeny. The Quran declares about
Abraham’s progeny:

And struggle for the cause of God in a befitting manner. He has chosen you [for this responsibility], and laid on you no
burdens in the observance of your faith. He has chosen for you the way of Abraham your father. He has named you
Muslims earlier and in this [period of the last Prophet] as well. [He had chosen you] so that the Prophet may bear
“witness” against you, and that you yourselves may bear “witness” [to this religion] against other people of this world.
(22:78)

God chose Adam and Noah, Abraham’s progeny and the progeny of ‘Imran [father of Mary] above the people of the
world. (3:33)

The rise and fall of Israelites

Abraham's younger son, "Isaac", was settled in the land of Palestine. The Quran as well as the Bible mentions that
Jacob's children moved to Egypt, who was son of Isaac. They multiplied in numbers until they became a great nation.
They accepted some of the beliefs of Egyptian religion and as a result, they became slaves of the Pharaoh. When Moses
saved Israelites from the Pharaoh, this event became the "ultimate proof" in front of Israelites and hence any mistake
from Israelites was harshly punishable. Israelites worshiped "Golden calf" when Moses was away and as a result those
who worshiped it, were killed. When this nation came out, they got Divine help in terms of shelter through moving
clouds; water springs in the desert and the food supply in the form of birds which were easy to catch. But when Israelites
refused to fight against Palestinian polytheist nations, they were banished for forty years in the Desert. But when a new
generation of Israelites was brought up in the supervision of Joshua and Caleb, this nation became worthy of getting a
great kingdom. The era of Joshua and Caleb is considered to be the best era as they are considered to be successors of
Moses. After this, Israelites got three great kings; Saul, David, and Solomon. After Solomon, Israelites split the kingdom
into two and they were punished in the worst possible way by foreign armies for the polytheistic beliefs which they
accepted from other nations. For their crimes, they became slaves in Babylonia, until they reformed themselves under the
supervision of great Prophets like Daniel and Ezra. Their situation improved until they again embraced the polytheistic
concepts of Greeks and Romans and their religion became just a mere collection of laws. This was warned by many
Prophets including Zachariah, John the Baptist and Jesus himself. But instead of asking for forgiveness from God for
their crimes, they decided to fight against Romans for their miseries. They started "The Great Revolt", which ended up in
severe consequences [in modern terms, they decided to do Jihad without rectifying themselves morally]. After that, Jews
were dispersed in the whole world and since then, the promise of God to Jesus is in action, which is mentioned in the
Quran in following words:

I will make those who follow you superior to those who reject faith, till the Day of Resurrection. (3:55)

The rise and fall of Ishmaelites

Abraham’s older son, Ishmael, married in native Arabs and settled in Arabia. After Israelites, Ishmaelites were raised to
the status of “Shahadah”. Just like Israelites had no Prophet after Joseph until Moses came, similarly, Ishmaelites had no
Prophet after Ishmael until Muhammad came.

In the first phase of Muhammad’s preaching, the Quran put the intellectual arguments in front of the pagans of Mecca in
a charismatic manner for thirteen years. Before the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, the Quran
announced the success of the Divine religion followed by the death of Muhammad.

When comes the help of God and that victory [which We have promised you O Prophet!] and you see men embrace the
religion of God in multitudes, extol His glory while being thankful to Him and seek His forgiveness [as you will leave
this world soon]. For, indeed, He is ever disposed to mercy. (110:1-3)

Within less than ten years, these predictions came true word by word. The Divine Judgment was promulgated on pagans
as well as on the Christians and Jews. This event was to Ishmaelites as destruction of Pharaoh and his army was to
Israelites. The Quran says:

Toward you, [O People of Mecca], we have sent a Messenger as a “witness” to you like We sent one toward the
Pharaoh. (73:15)

After this, Ishmaelites promulgated this Divine punishment on all those nations to whom the Prophet wrote the letters
himself. This is mentioned in the Quran in the following verse:

And similarly, [O Ishmaelites] We have made you an intermediate community so that you be “witnesses” [to the truth]
before the people, and the Messenger be such a “witness” before you. (2:143)

Ishmaelites were also subject to this Divine reward and punishment. In the battle of Uhad, when Muslims made a small
mistake, they had to pay back heavily. After the death of the Prophet, a large portion of Ishmaelites reverted back to their
polytheistic beliefs. Abu Bakr, the first caliph, promulgated the same punishment on them which Moses applied on the
worshipers of "Golden Calf". Just like Israelites had Joshua and Caleb after Moses, Ishmaelites had Abu Bakr, Omar,
Uthman, and then Omar bin Abdul Aziz after Muhammad. In their reign, almost all the civilized world fell down to
them. A mistake was made in following an order of Surah-e-Hujurat of the Quran regarding revolt in Uthman's time
followed by another mistake in Ali's time. The result was a huge massacre in which Muslims killed Muslims. This was
according to the saying of the Prophet Muhammad, who once said that my nation will be punished by their own swords.
After this, Prophet’s grandson Hassan surrendered and created an opportunity for the Ishmaelites to revert back to right
path. During Muawiyah’s era, the situation improved but soon another mistake was made when instead of democratically
transferring the leadership as per the Quran, Muawiyah's own son took over as his heir. This created havoc and split.
Later on, in the very short reign of "Omar bin Abdul Aziz", the situation improved quickly. Walid bin Abdul Malik and
Hisham bin Abdul Malik were also good rulers from Umayyad era. After that, Umayyads became so stern that Abbasids
rebelled against them and a lot of blood was spilled. This was again a Divine Punishment of their crimes. The kingdom
divided into two, just like Israelites had two kingdoms after Solomon. Harun al-Rashid and Al-Ma'mun were the
righteous kings from Abbasid era. After that, Abbasids started religious persecution; the most prominent of these events
is of lashing of Ahmad bin Hanbal. This led to a sharp decline in their character and morality until God decided to
punish them harshly for their crimes. In 922 AH, almost one thousand years after the Prophet Muhammad, Abbasids
handed over the control to Ottomans, who originally were Mongols and destroyed the whole Baghdad. Similarly, in
Spain, Muslims started fighting with each other and then Catholics came over, who persecuted Umayyads to the extent
that not even a single Muslim was left alive. After this, Gog and Magog started to gain the control of the world. Who are
the Gog and Magog? These are nations from central Asia who spread to Europe as well as to the East. Mongolian
conquering and European colonization is all part of this Gog and Magog getting hold of the four gates of the world. The
Apocalypse of John says: ... When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to
deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle ... (20:6-7) When the
condition mentioned in the Quran for Gog and Magog of “َ‫ﺴﻠُﻮن‬ ِ ‫ب ﻳَﻨ‬
ٍ ‫ﺣ َﺪ‬
َ ” i.e. to break forth from every elevated place, will
be fulfilled, the Judgment Day will come (see Quran 21:96-97).

This is how both strands of Abraham's progeny reached their eventual fate when they denied God's commandments and
became immoral. Their history is an evidence of the existence of an active and just God whom we all have to be
answerable at the Judgment Day. At present, Ishmaelites are still living in Middle East. Everyone can see in the media
the humiliation of Ishmaelites. Every action taken by them increases nothing but humiliation. This is a vicious cycle
from which they can't find a way out. But the Qur'an says very clearly to Israelites, which is also true for Ishmaelites:
Fulfill your (part of the) covenant, I shall fulfill My (part of the) covenant. (2:40)

These events of reward and punishment of Abraham's progeny are mentioned very comprehensively in Surah Teen of the
Quran, which translates:

The [village of] fig and [mount] olive [where Jesus ascended] bear witness and [so does] the mount of Sinai [where
Moses pledged with Israelites] and this secure city of [yours, where Ishmael settled] that We have created man [at these
places] in the best of moulds. Then We reverted him to the lowest [position] when he himself wanted to become low.
Save those who accepted faith and did righteous deeds. For them shall be a reward unending. Now [O Prophet!] what is
it that denies you about the Day of Judgment? [Ask them] is not Allah the best of Judges? (95:1-7)

This Judgment is also mentioned with similar words in Deuteronomy:

And [Moses] said: The LORD came from Sinai [where Moses raised Israelites as a nation]; And dawned on them from
Seir [hills in Jerusalem where Jesus preached]; He [then] shone forth from Mount Paran [where Ishmael settled, see
Genesis 21:21] And where He came with ten thousands of saints [i.e. companions of Muhammad who went from Medina
to Mecca]; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them. (33:2)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why the Quran doesn't tell much about the Ishmaelites?
• Because many of the events of the Ishmaelites had to happen after the Prophet's life.
2. Then how we can interpret them?
• In the light of the explanations and commentary on the Israelites in the Quran.
3. Why Israelites had so many Prophets and Ishmaelites had only one?
• Because the Quran was protected from any sort of corruption, hence there was no need of sending a new
Prophet.
4. Does it mean that we can stand up and implement the Divine punishment on other nations?
• Firstly, the status of Shahadah is only mentioned for Abraham's progeny and hence it cannot be imitated
by anyone else.
• Secondly, even Abraham’s progeny needs permission from God to implement this Judgment, which can
only be given through a Prophet. According to the Quran, Muhammad is the seal of the Prophets.
5. How Israelites can come out of their humiliation?
• By accepting Jesus and Muhammad as Prophets of God and asking for forgiveness for all their sins.
6. How Ishmaelites can come out of their humiliation?
• By asking for forgiveness from God, revising the religious knowledge on the basis of the Quran and
building a high moral character.
7. Where are Ishmaelites these days?
• They are dispersed in the Middle East and other parts of the world. But as a nation, they have lost
political sovereignty. External powers are either manipulating them for their own good or attacking them
whenever they feel like it.
8. Is it possible that we have their blood and these rules would apply on us?
• It has nothing to do with the blood. It is about identity, so that people can identify them and then learn
from their rise and fall. If some nation has their blood and it is unknown, then this rule will not apply
because, any event that happens without prediction is an accident otherwise, it is because of a
phenomenon.
9. Is there any chance of getting Ishmaelites or Israelites back on power?
• From the Quran, once the Gog and Magog are loose, they will rule until the Judgment Day.
10. So how Muslims can regain respect and honor?
• By converting some other nation to Muslim. After the downfall of Abbasids, Mongolians converted to
Muslims and established Ottoman Empire. Similarly, if today we are successful in converting a non-
Muslim nation to Muslim through preaching, we might be able to gain some extra-time.
11. How story of Ishmaelites is special, when we have stories of previous nations and Israelites from the Bible?
• Because, the reward and punishment of Ishmaelites happened in the known history. Other stories could be
labeled as myths in modern world, but rise and fall of Ishmaelites cannot be labeled as a fiction.
12. Why Israelites promulgated Divine Judgment on neighboring nations many years after Prophet Moses, while
companions of Prophet Muhammad promulgated this Judgment within a few decades after Muhammad?
• When Israelites got salvation from Pharaoh, they were asked to fight against Polytheistic Palestinian
nations, but they refused. It took many generations to raise Israelites to a level when they could get
control of Palestine. On the other hand, companions of Muhammad promulgated this Judgment
immediately. As there is no Prophet after Muhammad, this event was not imitated after the companions of
Muhammad.
12. If Abraham’s progeny could only promulgate Divine Judgment on other nations in the guidance of a Prophet,
then how companions of the Prophet continued the offensive warfare even after the death of the Prophet?
• Companions of the Prophet promulgated this Judgment only on those nations whom the Prophet wrote the
letter himself. After the companions, the only legitimate reason for warfare is to curb oppression. This is why, if
any warfare of the Muslims after the companions is carried out to curb oppression, it would be revered otherwise
it should be harshly criticized.

And God knows the best!