As I sit and read the history of Arabs in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, I can’t help but notice how similar it is to what they are going through today. It is interesting to see that the history of Arabs is to some degree not very different from their present. One might argue that the Muslim world experienced a scientific and cultural revolution when Europe had already succumbed to religious intolerance, regional conflicts and a state of anarchy . While this is true, one can not and should not attribute that awakening fully to Arabs, but rather Islam. Islam was the unifying power that made the golden age possible but Arabic was the language that golden age manifested itself through. The Arabic language was the langua franka of science and philosophy, but we should not deny that the Persian, Berbers, and other ethnicities made significant contributions to that civilization.
I am reading about personalities and characters that were taught to us as heroes at school. These heroes did great things, their dark side however was never revealed to us, but how else are the Arabs going to further their agenda of the superiority of the Arab culture. How else are they going to convince Berbers, Persians, Turks and Kurds that Arabic should be adopted and that their way of doing things was godly. Reading about Al Mansur, Uqba Ibn Naif, Al- Mustasim , Al-Amin, Al Mutawakkil….. these are historical heroes or so we were taught as kids, but their ending makes me think of Arab leaders today. All of these so called heroes were either assassinated or overthrown. These so called heroes, went around waging wars, subjugating people like the Berbers, Kurds and other ethnic groups allegedly spreading Islam, but history shows that they were far from spreading Islam.
Sharing Islam may have been a preliminary goal, but their invasion breached all the Islamic etiquette they were ought to abide by. They pursued their personal goals to secure wealth and leadership for their family members. It is important to note that they broke every rule of Islamic military jurisprudence which lays out strict military ethics and principles that predates modern international law in terms of rules of engagement . The similarities between early Arab leaders and present day Arab dictators are unbelievably striking. Most of contemporary Arab leaders fought against colonization, helped obtain independence for their people from colonial powers, hailed as heroes by their people but most of them are eventually killed or overthrown by their own people for abusing their power.
The 11th century Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyyah Said:
“Allah will support the just state even if it is led by unbelievers, but Allah will not support the oppressive state even if it is led by believers.”
Translation:
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : ” لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُسَلِّطَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ شِرَارَكُمْ ، فَلَيَسُومُنَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ ، ثُمَّ يَدْعُو خِيَارُكُمْ فَلا يُسْتَجَابُلَهُمْ ، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ، أَوْ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مَنْ لا يَرْحَمُ صَغِيرَكُمْ ، وَلا يُوَقِّرُ كَبِيرَكُمْ ” \
The prophet Muhammed says: “You must enjoin the good, and you will (must) forbid the evil, or Allah will make sovereign over you the worst of you, who will afflict you with the worst of punishment, then the best of you will pray and their prayer will not b answered”. “You must enjoin the good, and you must forbid the evil, or Allah will send against you those who will have no mercy to your young and no respect for your elderly”. (Ibn al-Qayyim).
Translation;
سُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : ” لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُسَلِّطَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ شِرَارَكُمْ ، فَلَيَسُومُنَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ ، ثُمَّ يَدْعُو خِيَارُكُمْ فَلا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُمْ ، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ، أَوْ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مَنْ لا يَرْحَمُ صَغِيرَكُمْ ، وَلا يُوَقِّرُ كَبِيرَكُمْ “
As you can see from the above Hadiths, the current situation in all Arab countries, the vicious circle of injustice is not because Arabs are not capable of becoming a civilized society. It is divine justice in response to centuries of leadership deeply rooted in Arab tribalism, a tribalism that Islam abolished. After Muhammed(pbh) died, all those pre Islamic practices creeped back into the Arab mindset, thus giving Islam a bad name. What is known as the Arab spring for example is only one of many examples of revolutions that began in response to oppressive regimes and political corruption, revolutions that begun as soon as Arabs took over others’ lands.
It is time for Arabs to profoundly reconsider their past, for those who don’t remember their past are doomed to repeat it. Seeking glory in Arab nationalism is neither Islamic nor is arabization of other ethnic groups. Hijacking Islam and using god’s name to oppress others and arabize them goes against anything Islam teaches.
I will end this short piece of writing by something that will hit home for many Arabs who follow the current situation in the Arab world:
Al- Mustasim: The Travels of Marco Polo reports that upon finding the caliph Al-Mustasim’s great stores of treasure which could have been spent on the defense of his realm, Hulagu Khan locked him in his treasure room without food or water, telling him “eat of thy treasure as much as thou wilt, since thou art so fond of it.” This reminds us of what is found inside every Arab leader’s palace after their people oust them.
