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Islam and The Modern World
Islam and The Modern World
FOREWORD
The original manuscript of this book was written in
1995 in Urdu. At that time majority of the people did not feel
much importance for a dialogue on ideological and
intellectual issues between the West and the Muslim
Ummah. In fact, the writer of this book, for the first time in
1991, intensively asserted that there is an urgent need for a
comprehensive dialogue between the West and the Muslim
Ummah. West is unaware about the ideas and views of the
Muslims regarding different issues and conflicts. Similarly,
there are widespread misconceptions among the Muslims
about the attitude of the West. The situation has been further
deteriorated through flashing news and baseless headlines in
a sensational media.
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Chapter 1
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and culture. They take it for granted that all that was
practiced by the Muslims in the past was in accordance with
the teachings of Islam. They also confuse culture with
Islamic teachings. They mistake a particular aspect of society
for Islam while it might have been a display of culture.
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Chapter 2
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Origins of Islam
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Faith in Prophets:
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Dooms-day:
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Morality:
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Politics:
Culture:
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know who has followed the right path and who has
been rightly guided”. (Taaha-20:135)
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Chapter 3
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The verse of the Quran dealing with this issue has not
been understood properly. This is why the faction among the
Muslims against democracy presents this verse as logic in
their favour but without its context. It will be tried here that
the real motive of the Quran in this verse be presented with
its true context. The Quran declares that the affirmation of
right or wrong does not depend on majority or minority;
rather it is judged on the equity of the individual’s
conscience and intellect. Above all, the real test for the ad
judgment of true and false is the guidance of God. It is quite
possible that the majority might decline something despite it
being true and right. This was the philosophy behind God’s
advice to the Prophets asking them to continue their rightful
struggle and not to submit before adversaries.
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on the right path. Thus God satisfied them through the Holy
Prophet by telling them that the validity of truth doesn’t
depend on its acknowledgement by the majority. The
majority might turn it down under the influence of their
worldly desires. So irrespective of the results; the struggle
with all its profundity must be carried on.
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acted upon the advice of the majority. There was only one
exception at the time when the pact of Hudaybiyah was
made. His companions were not willing to make the
agreement but he reached an agreement with his enemies
after having direct orders from God, the Quran says:
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Chapter 4
“Good and evil deeds are not alike, requite evil with
good, and he, between whom and you is enmity, will
become your dearest friend. (Ha-Mim al-Sijdah-
41:34)
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Morality of preaching
“Good and evil deeds are not alike. Requite evil with
good, and he, between whom and you is enmity, will
become your dearest friend.” (Fussilat-41:34)
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Chapter 5
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Chapter 6
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just; rather they must treat them even better than their own
people.
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“Yet they are not all alike. There are among the
people of the Book some upright people who all night
long recite the revelations of Allah and pray; who
believe in Allah and the last day; who enjoy justice
and forbid evil and vie with each other in good
works. These are righteous people: whatever good
they do, shall not be denied them. Allah knows the
righteous”. (Al-Imran-3:115)
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Theft and adultery are the two crimes, which are the
main concerns of the non-Muslims. So, they are being
discussed further.
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which are harmful for the individual and the family equally.
This is why Islam has declared it a major crime and has tried
to keep people away from it.
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Chapter 7
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“We ordained therein for them: “Life for life, eye for
eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, Tooth for tooth, and
wounds equal for equal.” But if any one remits the
retaliation By way of charity, it is an act of atonement
for him. And if anyone fails to judge by (the light of)
what God has revealed, they are (no better than)
wrong-dowers.” (Chapter Maida 5:45)
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The Holy Quran also accepts the fact that a wife can
have a difference of opinion with her husband and there can
be a dispute between both partners. She has the right to
oppose her husband. If the matter becomes so serious that
there is a danger of separation between the two, then the
Holy Quran advises that one arbitrator should be appointed
from both sides who should try for reconciliation. (see
chapter Al-Nisa 4:35).
Two things are very clear from the above verse; one
is that it deals only with those wives who have started
interest in other men and are becoming unfaithful to their
husbands. This point has been very clearly stated by the Holy
Prophet in his narrations. It means that it is a remedial
measure to save the family from disintegration. This verse
does not allow husband to beat his wife in any other
circumstances. If the wife comes with a complaint of
violence against her by the husband in a court of law, the
husband will have to prove the disloyalty of his wife or he
will have to face punishment. If he charges his wife with the
allegation of disloyalty and he does not have any eye
witness, then he will have to face separation from his wife
through the process of “Leaan” as explained in chapter Al-
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Noor 24:6. It means that the husband will have to face very
grave consequences in either case.
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of men and women in the world. There was only one wife for
Adam. It is natural for a man and a woman to build their
joint home. However, if women and children become
widows and orphans at a large scale and lose every prop of
affection or a man’s first wife fails to give birth to a child,
the man may marry the second woman with two conditions.
First, that the man must do justice with his wives. Second, he
cannot marry more than four women.
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It can be said that Islam has faced the reality and has
determined rights of all parties within the law whereas the
West has turned its eyes away from the fact and has not done
justice to several women by not regarding their rights.
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“If a man has divorced his wife and she has reached
the end of her waiting period (three menstrual
cycles), do not prevent her from remarrying the
husband of her choice if they have come to an
honorable agreement. This is enjoined on every one
of you who believes in Allah and the Last Day; it is
more honorable for you and the chaster. Allah knows,
but you do not.” (Al-Baqarah-2:232)
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HONOR KILLING:
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Chapter 8
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“If they repent and take to prayer and pay the Zakat,
let them go their way” (Al-Tawbah-9:5)
“If they repent and take to prayer and pay the Zakat,
they shall become your brothers in the faith (Al-
Tawbah-9:11)
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Chapter 9
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Is music disallowed?
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Drinking alcohol
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Keeping beard
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Slavery
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of the slaves are equal to those of free men and they should
be treated as the relatives and the neighbors are treated:
“Alms shall be for the poor and the needy and the
captives”. (Al-Tawbah 9:60)
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Family Planning
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“Behold the semen you emit: did you create it, or did
we? (….) Consider the seeds you grow. Is it you that
give them growth or we?” (Al-Waqi’ah 56: 63-64)
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Chapter 10
NEED OF A DIALOGUE
It has been concluded through the discussion made so
far that in spite of the distinctive qualities of Islamic society
as compared to other societies in terms of values, aims of
life, and practice, it acknowledges the existence of other
societies and interacts with them in a useful way. It does not
believe in any sort of aggression if other societies keep
respecting its entity.
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