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From Issue: 309 [Read full issue]

Living the Quran

Al-Fajr (The Dawn)
Chapter 89: Verses 11-13

The Result of Tyranny
"They were all transgressors throughout their lands, bringing about much corruption there. Therefore, you Lord let loose on them the scourge of suffering."

Corruption is an inevitable result of tyranny, and it affects the tyrant and his subjects alike. Indeed, tyranny ruins all human relations. It forces human life out of its healthy, constructive and straight path and diverts it into a line which does not lead to the fulfillment of man's role as God's vicegerent on earth. Tyranny makes the tyrant captive of his own desires because he is uncommitted to any principle or standard and unrestrained within any reasonable limit. Thus the tyrant is always the first to be corrupted by his own tyranny. He assumes for himself a role other than that of a servant of God, entrusted with a specific mission. This is evident in Pharaoh's boastful claim: "I am our supreme Lord." (79:24)

Tyranny also corrupts the masses as it humiliates them and compels them to suppress their discontent and hatred. It kills all human dignity and wastes all creative talents, which cannot flourish except in an atmosphere of freedom. A humiliated soul inevitably rots away and becomes a breeding ground for sickly desires. Hence, digression from the right path becomes the order of the day as clear vision becomes an impossibility. In such conditions no aspiration to a higher standard can be entertained. The net result of all this is the spread of corruption.

Tyranny also destroys all healthy standards and concepts because they constitute a threat to its existence. Hence, values are falsified and standards are distorted so that the repulsive idea of despotism becomes acceptable as natural. This, in itself, is great corruption.

When these aforementioned peoples caused such corruption, the remedy was, inevitably, a complete purge. God is certainly aware of their deeds and He records them all. So, when corruption is increased, He severely punished the corrupt. The text connotes that the punishment was very painful as it uses the term 'scourge', or 'whip' as the Arabic term literally means, and that it was in large supply as indicated by use of the phrase 'let loose'. Thus the tyrants were made to suffer a plentiful and painful retribution.

Source:
"In the Shade of the Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, pp. 202-203

Understanding the Prophet's Life

Defining the Function of the Officials

In the Islamic perspective, competent administrative machinery requires two things to function properly: knowledge of rules and regulations, and a strong moral discipline and sense of responsibility.

While the teaching of Islamic principles attained great significance in the Arab society, the moral training of the Muslims with a view to entrusting them administrative jobs was also not neglected. A Hadith generalizes this situation in the following words:

Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The man who rules over the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock; a man is a shepherd in charge of the inhabitants of his household and he is responsible for his flock; a women is a shepherdess in charge of her husband’s house and children and she is responsible for them; …” [Bukhari]

The following hadiths directly touch upon this question:

An office is a trust; it is a humiliation except for those who rise equal to the task and pay to each his due.[Muslim]
Whosoever keeps himself engaged in satisfying the requirements of his brother, Allah also cares to satisfy his requirement. [Bukhari]
Allah does not take pity on those who do not take pity on the people. [Bukhari]
Beware of the curse of the oppressed. [Bukhari]
If Allah places anyone in charge of his people but he fails to protect their interest and to wish well for them, he will not smell the fragrance of paradise. [Bukhari]
What else is sin than that a man stops giving food to the one who is under his charge. [Muslim]
The worst officers are those who are harsh and unkind. Beware! Do not be among them. [Muslim]

The Prophet has enjoined upon rulers to be just and honest:

On doomsday Allah will over-shadow the just ruler. [An-Nasai]
The just rulers will be seated on the illuminated pulpit on the right side of Allah. They adjudicate justly in respect to their family and subordinates. [An-Nasai]

Source:
"Economic Functions of an Islamic State" - S. M. Hasanuzzaman, pp 82-85

Muslim Women in History

Nana Asmau

She was the Daughter of Uthman dan Fodio, the founder of the Sokoto Khalifate (in what is now Northern Nigeria). She used to advice him. She developed a method bringing the women to her for learning, which has continued to exist until the present. This is called the Yan Taru movement. She chose mature women for learning, intelligence, and reliable character to head women’s village groups and gave each leader a Malfa (a type of hat) as a symbol of authority. They would go on their own, to the capital, Sokoto, where Asmau received them in groups and sorted out their problems. They were taught poems containing the teachings of Islam, which they memorized and then returned home to teach. She left a large body of writing in Arabic, Fulfulde and Hawsa. She was 72 when she died. She was married to Uthaman Gidado.

Source:
"Muslim Women: A Biographical Dictionary" - Aisha Bewley, p. 118

A Father's Advice

Knowledge without action is insanity

My dear son,

Knowledge without action is insanity, and action without knowledge is vanity. Know that knowledge today will not distance you from sins, nor bring you into obedience, nor distance you from the fire of Hell tomorrow. If you do not act today and do not derive lessons from your past days, you will say on the Last Day: “Return us to our previous life and we will do good deeds,” and it will be said to you: “O feel, it is from there that you have come.”

Source:
“Dear Beloved Son” – Ninth Counsel (Action), Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

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