More and more Muslims are knowingly or unwittingly following the western way of thought. We think that we are modern, more civilized and more cultured. Are we progressing or are we retrogressing?” Some of us don’t even realise that there is a power struggle going on.. the west verses Islam.
Look through history and you would learn that we, Muslims, have a proud heritage. The west did not always influence the world like the way they do today. While the west was experiencing the dark ages, we, the Muslims were basking in the light of knowledge which resulted in us influencing the world for almost 12 hundred years.
Although the west has borrowed or stole a lot from the east it did not take the main ingredient of spiritualism which embodies concepts such as truth, justice, fairness, equality and sharing. It’s plain to see that today’s superpowers are motivated by materialism while that of Islam was motivated by bringing about God’s Kingdom on earth.
Islam never hid knowledge by copyrights and patents. Open a book on hakimie medicine and you would notice that the hakim would give you the formula of a medicine and even tell you from his experience how successful it was. Even to this day when one hakim meets another they exchange their best formulas.
Modern medicine has been developed from these medicines but no acknowledgement or very little is made of this. Ibn Sina’s medical journal the Qanun was translated from Arabic into Latin in the 12th century and it was published in Rome in 1593. From the 12th to the 17th century (a period of 500 years), this book served as the chief guide to medical science in the west. In the words of Dr. William Osler, the Qanun has remained “a medical bible for a longer time than any other work”.
Six hundred years before Darwin, RUMI SAID “Dying from inorganic we developed into the vegetable. Dying from the vegetable kingdom, we rose to the animal. And leaving the animal we became men. Then what fear that death will lower us? The next transition will make us what no mind can conceive. We shall merge in the One True Infinity, as in the beginning. Have we not been told that all of us will return unto Him? ‘Inna lillahe wa inna illayhe Rajeoon.’ How rationally and scientifically the Quraan enlightens us.”
Dawin is credited with the evolution theory and he is made out to be a great scientist while Rumi himself gives credit to the Holy Quraan for his learning.
What is sad is that credit was never given to Muslims. Inb Sina’s name was changed to Avensina and despite such glorious tributes to his work, Ibn Sina is rarely remembered in the West today and his fundamental contributions to medicine and the Europe reawakening goes largely unrecognized.
Ibn Sina is just one of many great Muslims whose contributions to society have been unrecognized simply because of their religious faith. All the credit was given to European scholars who copied, translated or advanced existing works.
Although the English dictionary and Microsoft word have many words borrowed from other languages and even contain some inconsequential names such as Tom and Marilyn Monroe it does not have important Islamic concepts, the names of important Islamic intellectual giants and important Islamic places, words such as the “azaan,” “wuzu,” “Avincina,” “Ghazzali” and even the “Kaba.”
Apart from us being stripped of our proud heritage, Muslims have been deliberately targeted for change and cultural genocide. We are being physiologically influenced to change and those that change or become moderate Muslims become heroes.
Salman Rushdie is a perfect example. Microsoft word has the name Rushdie in its dictionary and the British have knighted him while most Muslims want him dead.
Although South Africa has such refined Muslim journalists such as Professor Sulaiman Dangor, the Sunday Times chose to use Salamn Rushdie to write on Islam. What does this tell you?
Even Bollywood is out to get us to intermingle and lose our culture by producing films such as “Joda-Akbar” and “Veer- Zahra.” They even produced a film “salaam Namaste” in which a Hindu male lives with an implied Muslim woman without getting married and they make it look rosy and attractive.
The media uses every technique to make Muslims look as if we oppress our women or we are war mongers yet if you look at the statistics in western countries then you would notice that they have a horrible track record when it comes to women, war, abuse and exploitation. HIV aids, alcohol, child abuse, incest etc are all major problems in these countries but these stories are covered up by the media.
Well, this is not the end of the plot. Muslims are being physically exterminated as well. The USA and its allies invaded IRAQ on the pretext of weapons of mass destruction. They incite wars between Muslims throughout the Muslim world. They backed Israel’s unjust war on the Gaza etc.
As Muslims we have to realize that we and our culture have been targeted for extinction. The superpowers of the day want to soften up Muslims so that they are easily ruled.
In reply to these onslaughts we Muslims have nothing. Although there are so many Muslims today, we have hardly produced any intellectuals and notable people that have contributed to society.
Where are the Rumis, Gazzalis, and Ibn Sinas of today? Where are the Sallahudeen Ayyubies and where are the Khwajas, and Ghouses of today?
On the contrary, we, the Muslim masses are chasing material possessions. We are willingly and happily following the west and as long as we are following them and looking towards them for leadership we would never produce people of caliber or recognize them even if they are right in front of us.
What makes the western way of life so appealing is that it serves to gratify our baser desires—the desire for wealth, the desire to be good looking, the desire for good times, the desire for good food etc. It gives short term enjoyment but long term pain. Islam on the other hand is difficult in the short term but it guarantees long term happiness, peace and contentment.
If we continue following the west then our future generations would be westernized and like them, they would experience the same problems that the west is facing at present. (we are already seeing some of this).
Is this what we want for our children? Are we still going to follow such lying, deceiving people or are we going to be proud of our heritage and make it the guiding principals of our lives. END
Peace and salutations be upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi 2009. Author: Mohammed Hassan Gaffoor (WhatsApp +27849101486)