Islamic State Part 8:Life In Madinah, Arguments Of The Jews And Christians
Life In Madinah
Islam has a specific way of life derived from its concepts concerning life and that is the Islamic culture which differs from all other cultures. It is characterised by three points: firstly, it is founded on the basis of the Islamic ‘aqeedah; secondly, the criterion of actions in life is based on Allah’s commands and prohibitions, i.e. life is based on halal and haram; thirdly, the meaning of happiness is to gain Allah’s pleasure, i.e. permanent peace of mind cannot be achieved without first gaining Allah’s pleasure. That is the Islamic way of life, the kind of life Muslims look up to and aim to achieve. In order to make the above possible, it is essential to have a State that implements Islam fully and executes its rules without exception. When the Muslims emigrated to Madinah they led a distinguished way of life, with the Islamic ‘aqeedah as its basis. The verses of the Qur’an concerning the social and penal codes came to be revealed at this time, in addition to the verses concerning other matters of worship which had not been revealed before. Zakat and siyam (fasting) were decreed in the second year of the hijrah. Adhaan too was decreed and the people of Madinah listened to it being delivered in the sweet voice of Bilal ibn Rabah five times daily. Seventeen months after the arrival of Allah’s Messenger (saw) to Madinah, the qiblah (direction of prayer) was transferred to the Ka’bah. Then the verses of Divine Legislation concerning matters of worship, diet, morals, relationships and penalties were revealed. Khamr (intoxicants) and the flesh of swine were forbidden, and the verses concerning the penal and criminal code were also revealed, as were those concerning business dealings, the complete forbidding of riba in all its guises and so on. Everytime the verses dealing with people’s life affairs were revealed to Allah’s Messenger (saw), he explained them and ordered the Muslims to abide by them. He (saw) looked after the Muslims’ affairs by sorting out their problems and settling their disputes by his sayings, actions and by his silence over what happened right in front of him, for his (saw) speech, actions and silence are all sources of the Shari’ah as Allah (swt) says in surah al-Najm,
"Nor does he speak (anything) of (his own) desire. It is no less than Revelation sent down to him." [TMQ 53:3-4]
Life in Madinah went on following that course with its distinct viewpoint, i.e. the Islamic one. The Islamic society, which is different from any other, was alive and flourishing then, thriving on the Islamic concepts and emotions and now that the rules of Islam were being implemented to the full it, offered solutions and guidelines to all the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was very pleased to see that the da‘wah had reached this stage with the Muslims settled in their deen, abiding by its rules individually and collectively without fearing any harm or persecution. They solved their problems according to Allah’s rules, always referring new matters that had arisen to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and never stepping out of line. They applied Allah’s rules in every action and from this did they achieve happiness and peace of mind. Many of the Muslims shadowed the Messenger of Allah (saw) in order to learn from him, to memorise the Qur’an and acquire knowledge. Islam grew and spread, and the Muslims became stronger and stronger by the day.
Arguments Of The Jews And Christians
The non-Muslims became aware of the strength and power of the Muslims within a short space of time. They realised that their strength was deeply rooted in hearts never short of sacrifice in the way of Islam, hearts that endured all types of suffering and persecution, hearts that were always ready to give up life itself for Islam. There they were in Madinah enjoying their deen and implementing its rules, a deen that was reaching new heights each day with the Muslims feeling true contentment and happiness. The enemies of Islam could not stomach this, and signs of revulsion began to outwardly manifest themselves in the neighbouring Jews. Their fears grew and they began to rethink and reconsider their position towards Muhammad (saw) and his companions now that the Muslims were becoming unshakable and many people were responding to the call of Islam. The Jews were enraged by those amongst them who converted to Islam. They feared that Islam would infiltrate their ranks and spread among them and so they attacked Islam, its beliefs and rules. Heated argument and a war of nerves ensued between the Muslims and Jews, this was to develop into a much fiercer dispute than the Muslims had to endure with Quraysh in Makkah. Conspiracy, hypocrisy and their furtive knowledge of the former Prophets and Messengers were the main weapons used by the Jews in their intellectual war against Muhammad (saw) and his companions. Some of their rabbis pretended to embrace Islam, sat with the Muslims and faked their piety. Soon they were to show signs of doubt and uncertainty by asking Muhammad (saw) questions in the hope of shaking the conviction of the Muslims in their ‘aqeedah and the Message of Truth which Islam stood for. The Jews were joined by a group of the Aus and Khazraj who embraced Islam hypocritically in the hope of causing animosity and confusion amongst the Muslims. The argument between Jews and Muslims turned into physical confrontation at times despite the oath between them. A vivid example of the Jewish stubbornness and hatred was reflected in Abu Bakr’s loss of temper on one occasion, bearing in mind that Abu Bakr was a man noted for his wisdom, patience and calm character. It is reported that Abu Bakr called on a Jew named Finhas to fear Allah and embrace Islam. Finhas replied, "We are not poor compared to Allah but He humbles Himself to us; we are independent of Him while He needs us. Were He independent of us He would not ask us to lend Him our money as your master pretends, prohibiting you to take interest and allowing us to. Had He been independent of us He would not have given us interest." Finhas was referring to Allah’s (swt) saying,
"Who is it that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan, which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply many times? It is Allah that gives (you) want or plenty, and to Him is your return." [TMQ 2:245]
Abu Bakr could not control his anger, he was so enraged that he hit Finhas in the face and said, "By whom my destiny rests, were it not for the treaty between us I would cut off your head, you enemy of Allah!"
The argument between the Muslims and Jews became very heated and went on for quite sometime. Meanwhile, about sixty Christian riders from Najran arrived in Madinah. They must have heard about the animosity between the Jews and Muslims and hoped that the rift would deepen so that Christianity could come to reign and rid itself from the old religion and the new deen, which were both challenging it for supremacy according to their claims. This group of Christians were in touch with the Muslims and the Jews. Allah’s Messenger (saw) regarded them, together with the Jews, as ‘People of the Book’ and invited them both to Islam. He (saw) recited to them Allah’s (swt) saying,
"Say: O people of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah. If then they turn back, say: Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s will)." [TMQ 3:64]
The Jews and the Christians asked him (saw) about the Prophets he believed in and he recited to them Allah’s saying,
"Say you: We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Ibrahim, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to Allah (in Islam)." [TMQ 2:136]
They could find nothing more to say to him. Their hearts would accept the evidence and the Truth was revealed, but they would not believe out of fear for their positions, reputation and status, some of them in fact admitted this. It has been narrated that Abu Harithah, one of the Christian delegation from Najran and one of the most knowledgeable scholars, confessed to a friend that he was convinced by what Muhammad (saw) had said, and when his friend asked him what prevented him from believing, he replied, "The way these people (the Romans or Byzantines) treated us. They have given us titles, paid us subsidies, and honoured us. But they are absolutely opposed to him, and if I were to accept him they would take from us all that you see." This proved that what prevented them from true belief was pig-headedness, stubbornness, selfish petty personal benefit and interest. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) invited the Christians to a mutual invocation of a curse if they opposed him and he read to them Allah’s saying,
"If anyone disputes in this matter with you, now after (full) knowledge has come to you, say: Come! Let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!" [TMQ 3:61]
They took council among themselves after which they declared that they had decided not to resort to cursing and to leave him (saw) to his deen whilst they would return to theirs. In addition to this they asked him to send a man whom he (saw) could trust to decide between them in certain financial matters in dispute among them. So the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah to judge between them according to Islam.
The force of the Islamic da‘wah, the power of the Islamic belief and the strength of argument emanating as it did from the truth managed to defeat all the arguments raised by the hypocrites, the Jews and the Christians. Their non-Islamic concepts soon vanished and only Islam remained as the overriding inherently correct ideology, with people now continuously discussing its rules and inviting others to it. So Islam became deeply rooted and its banner engulfed all ideological and ruling matters. However, the hearts of the hypocrites and the Jews remained bent on hatred towards the Muslims, begrudging and despising them all the more. Nevertheless, the authority of Islam in Madinah and the stability and solid foundation of the Islamic society dominated everything. The various expeditions and the show of strength displayed by the Muslims effectively managed to silence all the sick minds. The Word of Allah (swt) reigned supreme and the enemies of Islam were forced to remain quiet and to submit to the authority of Islam.
Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir
Islam has a specific way of life derived from its concepts concerning life and that is the Islamic culture which differs from all other cultures. It is characterised by three points: firstly, it is founded on the basis of the Islamic ‘aqeedah; secondly, the criterion of actions in life is based on Allah’s commands and prohibitions, i.e. life is based on halal and haram; thirdly, the meaning of happiness is to gain Allah’s pleasure, i.e. permanent peace of mind cannot be achieved without first gaining Allah’s pleasure. That is the Islamic way of life, the kind of life Muslims look up to and aim to achieve. In order to make the above possible, it is essential to have a State that implements Islam fully and executes its rules without exception. When the Muslims emigrated to Madinah they led a distinguished way of life, with the Islamic ‘aqeedah as its basis. The verses of the Qur’an concerning the social and penal codes came to be revealed at this time, in addition to the verses concerning other matters of worship which had not been revealed before. Zakat and siyam (fasting) were decreed in the second year of the hijrah. Adhaan too was decreed and the people of Madinah listened to it being delivered in the sweet voice of Bilal ibn Rabah five times daily. Seventeen months after the arrival of Allah’s Messenger (saw) to Madinah, the qiblah (direction of prayer) was transferred to the Ka’bah. Then the verses of Divine Legislation concerning matters of worship, diet, morals, relationships and penalties were revealed. Khamr (intoxicants) and the flesh of swine were forbidden, and the verses concerning the penal and criminal code were also revealed, as were those concerning business dealings, the complete forbidding of riba in all its guises and so on. Everytime the verses dealing with people’s life affairs were revealed to Allah’s Messenger (saw), he explained them and ordered the Muslims to abide by them. He (saw) looked after the Muslims’ affairs by sorting out their problems and settling their disputes by his sayings, actions and by his silence over what happened right in front of him, for his (saw) speech, actions and silence are all sources of the Shari’ah as Allah (swt) says in surah al-Najm,
"Nor does he speak (anything) of (his own) desire. It is no less than Revelation sent down to him." [TMQ 53:3-4]
Life in Madinah went on following that course with its distinct viewpoint, i.e. the Islamic one. The Islamic society, which is different from any other, was alive and flourishing then, thriving on the Islamic concepts and emotions and now that the rules of Islam were being implemented to the full it, offered solutions and guidelines to all the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was very pleased to see that the da‘wah had reached this stage with the Muslims settled in their deen, abiding by its rules individually and collectively without fearing any harm or persecution. They solved their problems according to Allah’s rules, always referring new matters that had arisen to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and never stepping out of line. They applied Allah’s rules in every action and from this did they achieve happiness and peace of mind. Many of the Muslims shadowed the Messenger of Allah (saw) in order to learn from him, to memorise the Qur’an and acquire knowledge. Islam grew and spread, and the Muslims became stronger and stronger by the day.
Arguments Of The Jews And Christians
The non-Muslims became aware of the strength and power of the Muslims within a short space of time. They realised that their strength was deeply rooted in hearts never short of sacrifice in the way of Islam, hearts that endured all types of suffering and persecution, hearts that were always ready to give up life itself for Islam. There they were in Madinah enjoying their deen and implementing its rules, a deen that was reaching new heights each day with the Muslims feeling true contentment and happiness. The enemies of Islam could not stomach this, and signs of revulsion began to outwardly manifest themselves in the neighbouring Jews. Their fears grew and they began to rethink and reconsider their position towards Muhammad (saw) and his companions now that the Muslims were becoming unshakable and many people were responding to the call of Islam. The Jews were enraged by those amongst them who converted to Islam. They feared that Islam would infiltrate their ranks and spread among them and so they attacked Islam, its beliefs and rules. Heated argument and a war of nerves ensued between the Muslims and Jews, this was to develop into a much fiercer dispute than the Muslims had to endure with Quraysh in Makkah. Conspiracy, hypocrisy and their furtive knowledge of the former Prophets and Messengers were the main weapons used by the Jews in their intellectual war against Muhammad (saw) and his companions. Some of their rabbis pretended to embrace Islam, sat with the Muslims and faked their piety. Soon they were to show signs of doubt and uncertainty by asking Muhammad (saw) questions in the hope of shaking the conviction of the Muslims in their ‘aqeedah and the Message of Truth which Islam stood for. The Jews were joined by a group of the Aus and Khazraj who embraced Islam hypocritically in the hope of causing animosity and confusion amongst the Muslims. The argument between Jews and Muslims turned into physical confrontation at times despite the oath between them. A vivid example of the Jewish stubbornness and hatred was reflected in Abu Bakr’s loss of temper on one occasion, bearing in mind that Abu Bakr was a man noted for his wisdom, patience and calm character. It is reported that Abu Bakr called on a Jew named Finhas to fear Allah and embrace Islam. Finhas replied, "We are not poor compared to Allah but He humbles Himself to us; we are independent of Him while He needs us. Were He independent of us He would not ask us to lend Him our money as your master pretends, prohibiting you to take interest and allowing us to. Had He been independent of us He would not have given us interest." Finhas was referring to Allah’s (swt) saying,
"Who is it that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan, which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply many times? It is Allah that gives (you) want or plenty, and to Him is your return." [TMQ 2:245]
Abu Bakr could not control his anger, he was so enraged that he hit Finhas in the face and said, "By whom my destiny rests, were it not for the treaty between us I would cut off your head, you enemy of Allah!"
The argument between the Muslims and Jews became very heated and went on for quite sometime. Meanwhile, about sixty Christian riders from Najran arrived in Madinah. They must have heard about the animosity between the Jews and Muslims and hoped that the rift would deepen so that Christianity could come to reign and rid itself from the old religion and the new deen, which were both challenging it for supremacy according to their claims. This group of Christians were in touch with the Muslims and the Jews. Allah’s Messenger (saw) regarded them, together with the Jews, as ‘People of the Book’ and invited them both to Islam. He (saw) recited to them Allah’s (swt) saying,
"Say: O people of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah. If then they turn back, say: Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s will)." [TMQ 3:64]
The Jews and the Christians asked him (saw) about the Prophets he believed in and he recited to them Allah’s saying,
"Say you: We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Ibrahim, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to Allah (in Islam)." [TMQ 2:136]
They could find nothing more to say to him. Their hearts would accept the evidence and the Truth was revealed, but they would not believe out of fear for their positions, reputation and status, some of them in fact admitted this. It has been narrated that Abu Harithah, one of the Christian delegation from Najran and one of the most knowledgeable scholars, confessed to a friend that he was convinced by what Muhammad (saw) had said, and when his friend asked him what prevented him from believing, he replied, "The way these people (the Romans or Byzantines) treated us. They have given us titles, paid us subsidies, and honoured us. But they are absolutely opposed to him, and if I were to accept him they would take from us all that you see." This proved that what prevented them from true belief was pig-headedness, stubbornness, selfish petty personal benefit and interest. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) invited the Christians to a mutual invocation of a curse if they opposed him and he read to them Allah’s saying,
"If anyone disputes in this matter with you, now after (full) knowledge has come to you, say: Come! Let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!" [TMQ 3:61]
They took council among themselves after which they declared that they had decided not to resort to cursing and to leave him (saw) to his deen whilst they would return to theirs. In addition to this they asked him to send a man whom he (saw) could trust to decide between them in certain financial matters in dispute among them. So the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah to judge between them according to Islam.
The force of the Islamic da‘wah, the power of the Islamic belief and the strength of argument emanating as it did from the truth managed to defeat all the arguments raised by the hypocrites, the Jews and the Christians. Their non-Islamic concepts soon vanished and only Islam remained as the overriding inherently correct ideology, with people now continuously discussing its rules and inviting others to it. So Islam became deeply rooted and its banner engulfed all ideological and ruling matters. However, the hearts of the hypocrites and the Jews remained bent on hatred towards the Muslims, begrudging and despising them all the more. Nevertheless, the authority of Islam in Madinah and the stability and solid foundation of the Islamic society dominated everything. The various expeditions and the show of strength displayed by the Muslims effectively managed to silence all the sick minds. The Word of Allah (swt) reigned supreme and the enemies of Islam were forced to remain quiet and to submit to the authority of Islam.
Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir
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