IT is painful these days to follow current events.
As the Prime Minister said in Davos and at several other fora, the world really has yet to move out of the Stone Age. Might makes right, so it would seem.
Those who possess the firepower would dictate the way things are run, even if the majority of the world does not agree.
The irony is that the bastion of democracy turns a blind eye to the principle of democracy — the voice of the majority.
Looking at the way things are shaping up in Iraq and Palestine, things do look bleak for Muslims. The situation today is a far cry from the oft-quoted glorious days of the Civilisation of Islam.
The city of Baghdad, for example, was wellknown as a centre for students from all over the world. Europe sent its best students to Baghdad.
It is sad that a once great city is now on the brink of destruction should it be attacked.
Much of its historical treasures will no doubt be destroyed when the latest round of blood-letting begins. Even more worrying is the threat the strikes pose to the lives of innocent civilians.
The decline of the Islamic civilisation was in part the doing of Muslims themselves. The key to success is the combination of two important elements, namely faith (iman) and knowledge (ilm).
Faith without knowledge has resulted in Muslims doing things without knowing the whys and the wherefores. Knowledge unchecked by faith will lead a person astray.
As such, the combination of both iman and ‘ilm is imperative in determining the success of Muslims. It is when they fail that Muslims find it difficult to be the best of people (khaira ummah) as attested in the Quran in Verse 110 of Surah Ali ‘Imran which means: “You are the best of ummah brought forth to mankind. For you enjoin the good works, prohibit the evil and have faith in Allah”. Iman provides guidance to Muslims in doing the right things and avoiding those that are prohibited by Islam. Meanwhile, ‘ilm or knowledge provides Muslims with conviction and confidence to differentiate between right and wrong. To highlight the importance of iman and ‘ilm, let us look at a story that dates back to the early days of Islam’s glorious civilisation. This story took place in Baghdad, which is attracting the world’s attention today.
There was once a man in Baghdad who was an enemy to Islam. He had three questions. No Islamic scholar in Baghdad could answer his three questions, thus he ridiculed Islam and the Muslims. One day, a small boy, barely 10 years old, came along and heard the man challenging people openly to answer the three questions.
The boy stood quietly and watched. He then decided to take up the man’s challenge.
He walked up and told the man, “I will accept your challenge”. The man laughed at the boy and ridiculed the Muslims even more by saying, “A tenyear-old boy challenges me. Is this all you people have to offer?” Nonetheless, the boy patiently reiterated that he would accept the man’s challenge, and with God’s help and guidance, he would put this to an end. The man finally accepted. Consequently, the entire city of Baghdad gathered around a small hill where open addresses were usually given.
The non-believer climbed to the top, and in a loud voice asked his first question. “What is your God doing right now?” The small boy thought for a little while and then told the man to climb down the hill so as to allow him to go up in order to address the question. The man was reluctant at first and questioned the need for him to do so. The boy stated that he must go up the hill so that everyone could hear his reply. The man made his way down and the small boy made his way up. This small child’s reply was, “Oh Allah Almighty! You be my witness in front of all these people. You have just willed that a nonbeliever be brought down and a Muslim be brought to a high level!” The crowd cheered and uttered the kalimat al-takbir in joy. The man was humiliated, but he boldly asked his second question, “What existed before your God?” The small child thought awhile. Then he asked the man to count backwards. This the man did by counting down from ten to zero.
The boy asked, “What comes before zero?” The man replied, “I don”t know… Nothing.” The boy exclaimed, “Exactly. Nothing was before God, for He is eternal and absolute.” Upon hearing this, the crowd cheered once again.
The man, now completely frustrated asked his final question, “In which direction is your God facing?” The boy thought for a moment then asked for a candle.
A candle was brought to him. The boy handed it to the man and asked him to light it. The man did so and remarked, “What is this supposed to prove?” The young boy replied by asking, “In which direction is the light from the candle going?” The man responded, “It is going in all directions.” The boy said, “You have answered your own question. God’s light (al-nur) goes in all directions. He is everywhere. There is nowhere that He cannot be found.” To this, the crowd cheered by uttering the kalimat al-takbir.
The man was so impressed and so moved by the boy’s knowledge and spirituality, that he embraced Islam and became a student of the young boy.
But who was the young boy? The young boy was one of the greatest scholars of Islam, Imam Abu Hanifah.
The story of Imam Abu Hanifah highlights one important point that Muslims should always be aware of. It is essential for Muslims to equip themselves with both iman (faith) and ‘ilm (knowledge). This would help Muslims to stay on the right path, by enjoining good and forbidding evil (amar maa’ruf nahi mungkar). It is impossible for Muslims to state what is right and what is wrong if Muslims are only equipped with iman. As highlighted by Imam Abu Hanifah, having only iman in facing challenges and threats is insufficient. Instead, iman coupled with ‘ilm would be the greatest weapon. Abu Hanifah successfully answered the challengers of the non-believer with his knowledge. As a result, the non-believer embraced Islam.
It is essential for all Muslims to strive to the best of their ability to attain the highest level of iman and at the same time, possess the deepest level of ‘ilm in order to be the best of ummah as mentioned in the Holy Quran. This combination will bring success both in this world as well as the next. Perhaps with this, Muslims would be able to dispel myths and misconceptions about Islam.
With the combination of iman and ‘ilm, Muslims would possess the strength needed to face the many challenges being posed in this post-modern world. At the moment, it seems they lack both. As a result, they lack the quality to be the best of ummah, and consequently are easy targets to those with certain agenda to dominate.