BOOK; NO GOD BUT GOD

WRITER; REZA ASLAN

CHAPTER 1; THE SANCTUARY IN THE DESERT
BY HASAN ALI BAIG hasanalibaig8@gamil.com

PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA
The place around Kaaba was a deserted area. According to history Kaaba a
cube shaped sanctuary with its small walls initially built by Adam. During the
toofan of Noah it was destroyed but Noah rebuilt it. Later, Abraham placed his
son Ismail and Hajira at the where now Makkah Abraham came to visit his son,
he again but it with his son. There were 360 idols at that time in Kaaba each
representation Arabian Peninsula.
According to writer there were cosmological significance of original sanctuary.
Many of the idols in Kaaba associated with planets and the number 360 have
some astral connotation.
At pre Islamic Arabia the concept of Twaf was also present which is now also
the part of pilgrimage.
The pre-Islamic Arabs considers that the holy places are do the task of link
between the heaven and the earth. This was a time of ignorance or Jahiliya.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) changed the era of Jahiliya (time of ignorance) to
an era of morality and faith. Prophet taught universal religion of Islam and give
lesson of monotheism.
PAGANISM
Original pagan are the followers of ancient religion that worshipped several
gods(polytheist). These are those who worship several gods or having interest
in religion.
The people of Arabian Peninsula before the advent of Islam worships several
gods or deities.
Here it is very important to note that the Arabs are those nomadic and
sedentary. For the nomadic the concept of god is according to the situation
when they required i.e. which god can led us to water? Which god can cure
illness? For the sedentary there are many gods between the creator and
creature? The creator named as Allah wrote at that time as
Al iah as he is equal powerful to Greek counterpart ZEUS.
He is only consulted on rare occasion when a matter is out of the hand of
intermediaries. There are smaller gods too among the three most important
are the three daughters are 1. Allat 2.al uzza 3. Manatt
These three have at that time a place in the Kaaba as well as they were
considered very special in different part of Arabian Peninsula.
AD AND BC?
AD or A.D stands for Anno Domini and is the label of numbering years after
Christ was born. The year Christ was born considered as 1AD. Now it is 2019
AD.
BC or B.C means before Christ and year before Christ was born is labelled as 1
BC. Historian uses less religious term namely CE or BCE where CE means
common era. BCE stand for before common era. Although the label uses
different, but BC and BCE are the same and AD and CE are also same.
MORE ABOUT PRE-ISLAMIC TIMES
The pagans kept no writing scripture related to religion, but this does not
mean that their gods remained silent.
In pre-Islamic Arabia there were people called KAHINS who tells that what the
gods want. These were usually poets that have religious role. The kahins also
interpreted dreams, cleared up crimes, found lost animals etc.
Like Judaism, Christianity was also presence in the middle east of that time,
and it was monophysite belief in Christ which prevails among the pagan.
Zoroastrian was also part of pre Islamic Arab and is considered that is was
present before the Christianity and Judaism.
These religions roots are quite in distance from one another in Arabian
Peninsula, so they get a vast chance to flourish in the region. Mecca like other
regions of middle east of that time was a pluralistic and there occurs a religious
experiment. One of these was the emergence of Hanifism around 6th CE. It
emerges at the time of (ibn Hashim’s writings) when the pagan was celebrating
festival, four persons make themselves separate and decide that this was not
the original religion that Abraham taught. The four persons were Waraqa,
Uthman, Ubaid and Zayed. The left mecca to discover the teachings of
Abraham. The former 3 converted to Christianity while Zayed remain in
Hanifism. Zayed try to tell the people that habul is not our god. That we have
distorted the teachings of Abraham. According to some account Zayed the
hanif meet with MOHD(SAW). In Ishaq reported that when prophet was
coming from Taif with his friend ibn Haritha in the mountainous area the meet
with Ziyad. Muhammad offered him the meet which they were bringing after
the sacrifice in the festival. Zayed refused to take it by saying that I eat nothing
sacrificed for something other than god. However, this is not valid evidence as
according to many writers MOHD (SAW) didn’t take part in pagan festivals.
Muhammad (SAW) born in mecca in 570 CE. 570 CE was also called as the year
when the Yemeni king (Abraha) attack mecca to destroy Kaaba in order to
make Sana as the center of religion. When the approached mecca hen
elephants all people run away however flock of birds appeared in the sky
which make retreat the army. This was also known as the year of elephant.
Muhammad was too live in desert when he was small according to the
traditions. At day time when prophet was with the flock two person
approached him, they were in white clothes. They lay prophet down take
heart from his chest removed at black water from it. Than after placing heart
at the place disappear from the moment.
This was we called as prophetic experience and many other such prophetic
experience also occur.
At the age of six Amina died. Responsibility of prophet was taken by his
grandfather Abb dul mutalib who at that time work in the distribution of
zamzam. But after two years his grandfather also died. Now prophet was with
Abu Talib who has a business. When at caravan they are going to Syria
prophet was taken with them. At the way to Syria there was a Christian monk
who was a deeply studied person. He knows the signs of prophet arrival. His
name was bahira and he studied that when new prophet walks the clouds
move and when he stop the clouds will stop in order to provide shade. When
he saw the caravan, he noticed the situation. He invited the people at their
home where he said that Muhammad is the prophet.
2.THE KEEPER OF THE KEY
In the last two months and at first month of the year mecca become the center
of religious and trade activities. The reason for that is Kaaba. It is true that
there were many sanctuaries within the Arabian Peninsula but at KAABA all the
pagan idols were there. Mecca was a sacred city.
Mecca also lies in the main trade Centre that usually occur between Syria and
Yemen. When at the pilgrimage season people arrived at mecca a huge
amount of trade occurs. Apart from, Zamzam was also in the control of tribe of
mecca called Quaraysh.
A person named Quassy united the clans of Quaraysh and the under this man
get control of Kaaba. Quassy recognized that the source of Mecca power lies in
sanctuary. He also divided mecca into quarter and according to him the person
who are close to Kaaba is more powerful. Even at that time the house of
Quassy attached with Kaaba and if anyone wants to enter Kaaba, he must get
permission from Quassy. In this manner the power of Quassy increased.
People start considering him the king and spiritual leader. Thus, he become the
keeper of the keys. Quassy greatly contributed to the economy of the Mecca
particularly to that of Quraysh
He also collected the idols from different regions and gathered them at the
Kaaba. However, there are certain contradiction about the trade history of
mecca. As mecca according to geography was not considered a suitable place
to rest. As if the travelers from Syria rest a Taif which is more on root why they
came toward mecca. The reason to this may be Kaaba.
Mohd (SAW) first interaction with the angel occurs at the cave of Hira where
prophet usually spend most of his time in isolation. Where the angel for the
first-time asked prophet to recite(iqra). The first interaction was very new to
prophet. After that experience prophet came to home and told Khadija all his
experience. Khadija took prophet to his cousin Waraqa (the hanif who converts
to Christianity). Waraqa was a highly studied person who tell Muhammad that
he is going to be the prophet of Allah.
According to Aisha and some other scholars before the event of Hira prophet
also had prophetic experiences. As Aisha told about dreams where prophet
had such experiences that compel him to go into isolations. Other say that
when prophet set in front of Kaaba the trees and stones send Salam on
prophet.
Prophet start the message of Allah with his own tribe Banu Hashim. Where he
said to the people about the message of Allah. Ali was first among the men to
accept Islam and Khadija was the first among the women. The teaching to
prophet came into contradiction to that of Quaraysh where prophet talks
against slavery. It seems to the Quaraysh that this will affect their trade which
is gained by religious activity.
The started propaganda against prophet against prophet. Due to that prophet
left mecca and migrated to medina. The migration took place on 622 CE which
came to be known as 1 hijra.
3.THE CITY OF PROPHET
The people of Yathrib was waiting for the prophet to come. Lastly Prophet
arrived at Medina. The news of prophet arrival spread everywhere. They
people were very happy.
At medina the people were Ansar’s and Mujahirs. They start living together.
MUHAMMAD laid the foundation that become the risayat of medina from
which Muslim states around the world get inspirations.
In medina at that time tribes used to fought with one another especially Awz
and Khazraj. Prophet singed the charter of medina among various tribes and
that with Jews in order to maintain peace. Prophet was now the Shaykhs in
medina and many historians termed the tribes under prophet as super tribes.
Prophet introduced numbers of social and religious reforms. The law of
retribution was maintained but prophet preferred forgiveness. As Quran say
that “the retribution for an injury is injury but those who forgive the injury and
make reconciliation will be rewarded by GOD”
Like wise prophet ended the usury system which has been the main cause of
discrimination and slavery. Instead tax-free markets were introduced. The tax-
free markets were not aiming to destroy the business of Jews but it for
egalitarian society. A system of zakat also introduced which means purification.
Person give some part of its wealth I Zakat which will be distributed among the
poor’s.
There id no discrimination of sexes in Islam however, the role of male and
females are different. Prophet teaching give women a sort of equality in
society. Before Islam women was considered as only property of males. Islam
provides the status that women should have a part in inheritance. Women
usually didn’t own property either for father or husband in pre-Islamic Arabia
except few like Khadija. The concept of egalitarian society starts when Quran
declares that men and women made from same cell.
In pre-Islamic Arabia both males and females have more than on wives and
husbands respectively. Before prophet the procedure of divorce was very
simple. For this prophet initiated three-month consideration period. Secondly
after war with Quaraysh when women become widow’s prophet allowed
polygyny. Quran says that “marry those women who are lawful for you two
three or four but only if you can treat them equally

In such a society prophet become monogamous for more than 25 years.

However, the marriages of prophet at medina were usually political alliances
THE RIGHTLY GUIDED ONES
No one was sure that this would happen and no one in medina was accepting
that. This was the news of prophet death in 632CE. Umar was crying with a
loud voice and saying that it is untrue, and he will kill the person who say it
again. Abu Bakr reached and somehow controlled the situation.
Now one was ready for that day and no one was expecting that this would
happen. New question faced by the ummah was that who would be the leader
of the ummah. The power and position had to be derived from prophet
teachings. The question that faced by the newly established ummah were
multifarious such as who will interpret the teaching of prophet? Who will lead?
The position and power of new leader.
The Ansar’s started consultation among themselves to choose the leader in
secret room even when the prophet was not buried. The news soon reached
Abu Bakr an Umar who rushed to the place. The Ansar’s were electing Saad ibn
obaudya as a leader, but it didn’t realize. Discussion occur for a long time, but
decision didn’t reach.
Lastly, a shura formed to choose the leader where after a long time Abu Bakr
was elected as Caliph of the ummah. The time when the people were deciding
that who be the leader, Ali was washing the body of prophet. The people were
also absent from prophet burial ceremony. Thus, Abu Bakr was elected as the
first caliph of the ummah. Now, many were not happy with the decision. The
reason behind that is ali who was absent when the selection of caliph. Ali is
considered as one of the rightful choices for caliph as he is the closest to
prophet. It is also considered that when prophet was returning from
pilgrimage, he announced the leadership of ali. The other sided view was that
ali was unexperienced at that time (many ulema give this view) and it would be
a sort of kinship if ali be the leader. However, I contrary to this ali was not
unexperienced as he has accepted Islam when he was 13 year of age. Secondly
ali was very close to prophet and even at time when prophet was cleansing. Ali
was unaware of the decision that Abu Bakr was elected as caliph.
3.JALAL UDIN AFGANI
Jalal u din afghani born in Iran and started his education in Shia madrasa. Later,
he moves to India (as Sunni) in pursuit of knowledge. The year when he moves
to India was 1856, a year before the Indian revolt. He assumes from the result
that the presence of foreigners at the Muslim land is greatest threat to Islam.
He rarely spoke of Islam in religious terms but rather he insisted that Islam
should not only be used as law and theology. But Islam should also be used as
sociopolitical ideology to unite Muslims around the world against foreign
invasion. He considers that the knowledge of Europe is borrowed from Islam.
Afghani was strict at his point that the concept of egalitarian society, human
right all is borrowed from the Muslims.
Like sir Syed, afghani also considers that in their self-appointed role of
guardian of Islam, the ulama had so stifled independent thought and scientific
progress that even as Europe awakened to the enlightenment, the Muslim
world was still floundering in the middle ages. Afghani linked ulama as “a very
narrow wick on top of which is a very small flame that neither light its
surrounding nor gives light to others”
Major contribution of Afghani was his concept of PAN ISLAMISM. According to
that he wants to revive Islamic system to the old ages as to unite Muslims
under a more centralized caliphate. He calls for Muslims around the world to
forget all the differences and to be united whether the are Shia or Sunni.
In Cairo afghani befriended with a devoted and intelligent student called
Muhammad Abdu. He studied Islamic science at Al Azhar university and later
become the disciple of Afghani. He openly contradicts colonist agenda as he
says “We Egyptians he wrote believed once in English liberalism and English
sympathy; but we believe no longer, for facts are stronger than words. Your
liberalness we see plainly is only for yourself, and your sympathy with us is that
of wolf for the lamb which he designs to eat”
Abdu wants Muslims to return to the values of the salafs. He wants Islam’s to
be liberated from the bond of ulama. He insisted on the reopening of gate of
ijtihad in Islam. He also insisted on the reopening of sources of law (ijma, qiyas,
Sunna) for rational discourse. Abdu with Afghani started the salafiyah
movement, the am of which is to return Islam to old times.
The problem with pan Islamism was that the diversity in the Muslim world was
very wide. Secondly modernization seems incompatible with pan Islamism.
However, many inspired by the concept of pan Islamism like Zaghlul. Zaghlul
give the concept of racial unity instead of religious unity and that was pan
Arabism. He said that that religion is the matter between individual and God
while fatherland is concern of all. The argued that the most glorious history of
Muslims are also Arab history. Islam must not ne separaatedd from its arab
roots. The problem with this idea was that arab were very small part of the
whole community.