Man’s vainglory, motivated by a party-spirit, obsessive fanaticism, nationalism or racial and ancestral pride, is a great ‘fitnah’. Wherever and whenever this virus had its way in a community, it caused not only the aversions and tensions of a minor level, but created great mischief and disorder, sometime damaging the atmosphere of peace and harmony between the nations, as it did in the first half of the last century, becoming a reason for two World Wars. The Iranian president, Ahmedi Nejad persistently declares the holocaust merely a myth, not at home only but at the international forums, but if they are facts and not fabricated stories, then all happened in result of evil concept of highness of the German race and contemptibility of the Jews, fed by the thoughts of the philosophers like Nietzsche and other German theorizers, working behind the heinous acts of Hitler exterminating the Jews.
Very interestingly, when the Jews were the slang goats and subject to the prejudiced mind of the Westerners, right then they lived in the Muslim countries, during both the Arab and Turkish Empires with peace and harmony. Even when they were involved in intrigues to weaken the Usmani Caliphate at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of 20th century, they were a rich and prosperous ethnic group in Turkey, due to having a chance to make progress with their due merit and abilities. So far as in Europe, till long after the medieval times, contemptuous thinking about them was commonly found in the veins of the Western societies. Classical literature of the European languages also has the blazes of the same feelings. The great poets of the caliber of Shakespeare could not keep their masterpieces free of the smack of sarcasm about the Jews. ‘An Outline Of American History’ tells that when this country was getting its formation and people from almost all over the Europe were making it their home, the early settlers were looking askance at the flood of the Jews and Roman Catholics as new immigrants to America.
Islam sternly disapproves favoritism and discrimination on the ground of belonging to a particular faith, race, color, language or being son of a special soil. Justice, protection of lives, honor and property and opportunities to make progress are the equal rights of all the citizens of the state. There is an example in the life time of our Holy Prophet, be peace and blessings upon him, there occurred a dispute between a hypocrite and a Jew. The Hypocrite wanted to take the case to Ka’ab bin Ashraf, the chief of a Jew tribe, while the Jew preferred to go to Muhammad, be peace and blessings upon him, seeking justice. Once a case of a Jew, who was falsely accused of theft, was brought to the Holy Prophet, SAW. The allegation was fabricated to save a man of a Muslim tribe from the punishment, who actually committed the crime. Allah, SWT, Himself, interfered and through Divine Revelation the matter was made clear. A careful investigation also proved the innocence of the Jew and he was acquitted.
Within the Muslim Ummah, between the community members, only merit has to work. The Quran has made it clear that the criterion of man’s excellence and superiority over his fellow men is not through anything else but the quality of ‘Taqwa’, virtuous nature, nobility and moral character.
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Al-Hujurat: 13)
The Messenger, be peace and blessings upon him, explicated the same fact in his famous sermon on occasion of his Farewell Pilgrimage, when he said:
“O People, Your Lord is One, and you are progeny of one father (Adam), all of you are from Adam and Adam was (created) from clay. The most honorable among you in the sight of Allah, is the one who is the most righteous. No Arabian has on the Non-Arabian and no Non-Arabian has on the Arabian any superiority, but only because of his piety.”
No one is entitled to safeguard his personal interests and amass the wealth and make fortunes using his social status, personal influence and his access to the power galleries as the tools. Only the merit has to be the principle to be followed. Even the matters of admittance at court or having permission to attend someone require the merit. Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, himself was not allowed to ignore the merit. Once, during the heat of the resistance of the Islamic mission by the Makkan pagans, some of the chiefs of the Quraish came to visit the Prophet, SAW. Being immensely desirous for enhancing his Dawa’ Cause, he thought it a golden chance to convey the Message of Islam to them. While he was engaged in talk with them, one of his companions, Abdullah bin Umm Maktum (RA), a blind man, not knowing who were present there with the Prophet, happened to enter there and interrupted the talk by making some queries. Muhammad, be peace and blessings upon him, disliked the interruption and slightly rebuffed him. Within a moment Jibril ascended with the revelation of the opening verses of Surah Abasa in a hard tone:
“(The Prophet) frowned and turned away. Because there came to him the blind man. And how can you know that he might become purified (from sins), or he might receive admonition, and admonition might profit him. As for him who thinks himself without need (of Guidance), to him you attend.”
This rule of merit was strictly followed by the companions of our Holy Prophet, SAW, particularly by his first four Caliphs. Once, some of the prominent chiefs of Quraish, long after they had embraced Islam, went to Madinah to pay a visit to Omer (RA), the second Caliph. Those were the days when Muslim armies were engaged in wars against two super powers of that time. Omer’s (RA) mind was preoccupied with the serious situation on the borders. He had to make consultations with the Muslims present there in Madinah. Famous Makkan leaders like Suhail bin Amr and Harith bin Hesham were eager to meet with the Caliph, but ordinary people from Ansar and Muhajerun, for whom these Quraysh leaders used to feel disdain in the ignorance, were getting prominence and importance in the court of the Caliph, whom he called for consulting the matters.
The Makkan chiefs thought it their insult by getting ignored and when they were out for a little, Harith ibn Hesham disapprovingly gave some bemoaning remarks about what had happened to them. Suhail bin Amr, replied: “Omer is not to be blamed, but actually we are blame worthy. It was our failure to accept Dawat of Muhammad (SAW) while those whom we deemed to be the lowers of our society surpassed us in this matter.”
After a little while, they again entered to and after having a chance of talking to Omer, they complained about the treatment meted out to them and confessed their remissness in taking a lead in accepting Islam. They asked Omer (RA) how to make amends. Omer (RA), said nothing except only pointing out to the borders of Syria, where Muslims were engaged in battles with the Roman Empire. Which meant only deeds and performance is the criterion for gaining position.
None of the Messengers invented any notion for his people to be the 'Chosen People'. All the Prophets were adherents to the principle of merit. Allah, the Most Exalted, had established the standard of merit almost 4000 years ago. He tested the loyalty and obedience of his Prophet Irahim (AS) through some very serious trials. On proving his competence to the status of 'Khalil' he was made Imam of entire mankind. He was naturally eager for his children to inherit the legacy of Imamah. But it was made clear to him that only on coming up to the set standard is the touchstone for gaining a position in the sight of Allah:
"And (mention O Muhammad) when Ibrahim was tried by his Lord with words (commands) and he fulfilled them. (Allah) said: "Indeed I will make you Imam (leader) for the people." (Ibrahim) said: "And of my descendants?" (Allah) said: "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers." (Al-Baqarah: 124)
And this criterion of the merit was fully implemented by Muhammad, be peace and blessings upon him. Bilal (RA), a Negro, flat-nosed, freed slave got a thousands, thousands time higher degree over Abu Lahab, the radiant faced uncle and a senior Quraishi leader by chosing to be the bitterest oppnents of Islam and the Prophet, SAW. Bilal (RA) enjoyed the position one of the closest companions, and in a modern term, private secretary of the Holy Prophet, SAW and one of the most honored citizens of the Islamic State of Madinah. Regerdless of his color and race through out the Muslim history Bilal (RA) has been enviously looked upon by the great Sultans, Emperors, kings and the heads of the Muslim states and their governments as the most revered personality, while Abu Lahab was cursed:
"Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he. His children and wealth will not benefit him. He will be burnt in a Fire of blazing flames. and his wife too, who carries wood (thorny bushes to put on the way of the Prophet and used to slander him). In her neck is a twisted rope of palm fiber." (Surah Abe Lahab)
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