SEXUAL ETIQUETIES IN ISLAM

Thafheemul Qura'an Digitalization Project

(A Digitalization Project under the Directorate of Islamic Publishing House (IPH), Kozhikode)


Al Jamia AL Islamia Campus, Santapuram, p.o Pattikkad. 679325
Malappuram dist. Kerala. India
Tel: 9946036295 / 9447426247 thafheem@gmail.com


Behind the Digitalization Project
Director
Sheikh Muhammad, Karakkunnu

Chief Editor
T.K.Abdulla

Convener
V.K.Abdu




Asst.Convener
K.A.Naser

Co-ordinators
C.K.Abdul Latheef
P.V.Abdulshukoor

Editorial Board
P.T.Abbdurahman (editor)
C.T.Abu Darr (Executive editor)
O. Abdurahman
.VA.Kabeer
T.K.Ubaid
Ashraf Keezhparamp
Prof. Yaseen Ashraf
V.K. Jaleel
A.A.Haleem
Shihabudheen Ampalappuzha
K.T.Hussain
K.A.Razak
Sadrudheen Vazhakkad
K.Zuhairali
Jafar Elampilakode
Saleem Mundumuzhi






Content management
K.Abdullah Hassan
V.K.Ali
Dr.Salam Vaniyampalam
Haiderali Santapuram
M.U. Abdul Hafeed
P.Z.Ibrahim
K.A.Kader Faizi
K.Abdul Kareem
M.K.Muhammed
C.C.Nurudheen
K.P.Abdullah hayder
V.T.Samad
M.Zainudheen
A. Abdussalam Pulappetta
O.P.Hamza
T.Abdulla Faizi
Bushairudheen Sharqi
Mohammed Ishaq Moideen
K.Alavikutty Moulavi
K.M.Ashraf



Thafheemul Qura'an

Thafheemul Qura'an is the magnum opus of Sayyid Abul A'ALA Al Moududi, the world renowned Islamic scholar and revivalist leader of 20th centuary. The six volume thafseer is a monumental work in the history of Qura'anic exegeses, which he took thirty years to complete. Its chief characteristic lies in presenting the meaning and message of the Qura'an in a language and style that communicate easily with the hearts and minds of the educated men and women of modern era. It shows the relevance of the Qura'an to the individual and social problems of life. When we read the Thafheem we will realize the fact that Islam is a complete code of life, which comprises all walks of human life. It discusses a vast variety of subjects including theological disciplines like Hadith, Fiqh, Ilmul kalaam as well as modern disciplines like History, Philosophy, Sociology etc. It has been translated partially or completely into almost all Indian languages like Arabic, English, Persian, Pushtu, Turkish, Japanese, Thai, Sinhala and Russian. This thafsir has made far reaching impact on contemporary Islamic thinking in the subcontinent and, through its translations, even abroad.







Digital version


>> The first ever Endeavour in Malayalam to disseminate the contents of the Qura'an with the help of modern information/digital technology.
>> A method that will cater to a wide spectrum of users ranging from beginners to researchers.
>> The entire six volumes of Thafheemul Qura'an will now be available on the Malayali's computer screen.
>> A new reading format fully utilizing the versatile potentials of the digital media.
>> A database that can shed light in to the recesses of Qura'anic knowledge and exegesis.


















Thafheemul Qura'an Digitalization Project.


Features
Uthmania Script
Index facility and English Translations.
Malayalam and English Translations
Word-by – word meaning
Detailed description of Thafheem words
Easy reading facility of Thafheem
Book marking facility
Thilava of three reciters
Multiple word search options
Copy and paste facility
Subject based search
Thajweed Learning facility
Pictures, Maps, Movie clips and Audio Clips
Qura'an Library
Qura'an Quiz

THE SICK NATIONS OF THE MODERN AGE

By
Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi



The whole of mankind----Muslims as well as non-Muslims, and the peoples of the East as well as the West----are today beset with a grave evil: their lives are governed by a culture that was born in crass materialism and as now totally steeped in it. The practical policies as well as the theory of this culture are based on perverse and unstable foundations. Its philosophy and science, its ethical values and social system, its law and politics, in short every feature of this culture, made a wrong direction. And it has now reached a critical stage of decline which is not very far from collapse and total ruin.

This culture had its origin among a people who were not blessed with any clear and pure source of divine wisdom. They had their leaders of religion no doubt, but these divine were not endowed with wisdom or knowledge or armed with any law of divine origin. They had no assets or equipment except a fallacious religious concept which was inherently incapable of guiding them along the right lines. On the other hand it could not but act as an obstacle to the progress of science and philosophy. This is precisely what it did, with the result that those who were eager to progress threw religion overboard and adopted a different course where they had no guide except observation, experience, speculation and deduction. And they came to depend entirely upon these undependable guides, which are themselves incapable of functioning rightly without light and wisdom from a higher source of guidance. With the help of these guides, they no doubt made appreciable endeavours in the spheres of thought, research and organization; but in every one of the fields in which they worked, they made a wrong start and set out in the wrong direction. They started from atheism and materialism, and consequently looked upon the universe as an object without a Creator or Master. Similarly, they studied the phenomena of nature and the living creatures with the presumption that there was no reality beyond what could be directly perceived or experienced. With the help of experience and speculation, they studied and comprehended the law of nature, but they could not perceive its maker. They found the world of matter at their feet and began to press the forces into their service. But they had no idea that they were not the masters of rulers of this world in their own right but only the vicegerents of the real sovereign. This ignorance of and indifference to, the divine Creator and Master of the universe made the concept responsibility alien to their minds. And consequently they raised the whole edifice of their civilization and culture on unsound and insecure foundations. They abandoned God and began to worship the self, which, raised to the level of divinity, put them in grave difficulty. And it is the worship of this false and dangerous god that now leading them, in all fields of thought and action to deceptive and dangerous courses. The intermediary stages of these courses are no doubt very attractive, but the last and ultimate stage is total ruin and destruction. It is indeed this false god that has made science a weapon for the destruction of mankind, vitiated morality with self-indulgence, hypocrisy and unfettered freedom, and subjected the economic life of men to crass selfishness and fratricidal conflict. Again, it is this god that had injected the poison of selfishness and self-indulgence and luxuries living into every aspect of social life, and made politics for mankind by corrupting it with nationalism, racial discrimination and the worship of power. In short, this was the pernicious seed that was sown during the European Renaissance and which was grown over the centuries into a massive and deadly tree. Its fruits are sweet but poisonous, its flowers are attractive but full of thorns; its twigs and branches are green and verdant but are exhaling a deadly breeze which is imperceptibly poisoning the blood of all mankind.

The people of the West who themselves planted this pernicious tree, are now disgusted with it. It has created such serious problems in all aspects of their life that every attempt to solve them raises countless new difficulties and complications. Any branch that is lopped off is replaced by several thorny branches that run out to be equally, or even more dangerous. For instance, the attack on capitalism has resulted in the birth and rise of communism. Attempts to cure democracy of its ills have led to the rise of dictator ship. Endeavours to solve social problems have led to feminism and birth control. Efforts to eradicate social evils by law have resulted in large scale law-breaking and crime. In short, an endless crop of troubles has sprung from this pernicious tree of civilization and culture, making life hell for the peoples of the West. These troubles hurt every fiber of their being and they writhe in unbearable pain. Their souls are uneasy and restless and crave for the elixir of life; but they know not where to get it. Most of them still labour under the delusion that their troubles arise from this or that branch of the deadly tree; they are, therefore, wasting their time and energies chopping off the branches that appear harmful to them. It has not yet dawned upon them that all the trouble lies at the root, that their system of civilization and culture is poisoned at the heart, and that it is vain and foolish to expect a healthy branch from a rotten root.

On the other hand, there is a small group of right minded men who have realized that the tree of their civilization is rotten down to its roots. But, since they have lived under the shadow of that tree for generations, and its fruits have become a part of their being and lives, they fail to see what other kind of roots could be capable of growing into a sound tree and yielding wholesome fruits.

In the event, both these groups are in practically the same position. They both badly need a panacea for their ills and troubles, but do not know what that panacea is and where it can be had.

This is indeed the time when the way of life enunciated by the Qur’an and preached by the Prophet of Islam should be presented to the West. Its people should be told that this is the panacea and the elixir for which their souls are thirsting; this is the tree whose roots as well as branches are sound and healthy, whose flowers are fragrant and without any thorns, whose breeze is pleasant and life-giving. They should be informed that Islam offers pure practical wisdom and provides a perfectly sound starting point for thinking and theorization. It offers the knowledge that is capable of shaping individual character in the most perfect way. It offers to men a spiritualism that is not meant for monks or other recluses but constitutes a source of solace and peace of mind for men of the world who are involved in the struggle for life. It offers to mankind sublime and stable rules of law and morality which are based upon comprehensive knowledge of human nature and cannot be distorted in the pursuit of selfish ends. It offers sound and salutary principles of culture and civilization which override the unnatural distinctions of class and the artificial ethnic division and seek to organize mankind on purely rational foundations. Moreover, these principles help to bring about a sound and peaceful atmosphere of justice, equality, generosity and fair mutual dealings. This atmosphere rules out any conflict among individual or classes over their respective rights or interests: on the other hand it ensures ready and wholehearted cooperation among all groups and individuals in the promotion and private happiness and public welfare.

It is time that the nations of the West were warned of the impending catastrophe and told, that, if they want to avert the disaster and save their culture from destruction, they should rid themselves of all the prejudices and hatreds that they have inherited from the religious bigots of medieval Christendom, and which they have retained in spite of having discarded all the other legacies of the Middle Ages. They should approach the teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam with an open mind, grasp and assimilate them, and accept them.

The Muslim nations are in a different stage from that of the Western peoples. Their maladies as well as the cause of their maladies are different; but the remedy that they need is the same as that indicated for the West. They must return to the kind of life and the course of conduct that God has presented in His Last Book through the agency of His Last Prophet.

The conditions in which Islam came into conflict with Western culture in the preceding century were very different from those in which it had clashed in its heyday with earlier civilizations. Islam came into conflict with the civilization of Rome, Persia, India and China at a time when it governed and effectively directed the intellectual capacities and practical abilities of its followers. They were an active and vigorous people surcharged with the spirit of Jihad---pooling down all their energies and capabilities to uphold the Word of Allah and were prepared to sacrifice even their lives for the sake of their mission and causes. At the same time they possessed superb intellectual powers and through their wisdom and sagacity were able to understand and explain the law of Islam to meet the requirements of changing times. Spiritually as well as materially, they were powerful and dominant people and were in fact the leaders of civilized mankind. None of the contemporary civilizations could resist their advance. Wherever they went, they revolutionized the people’s ideas and way of thinking their pet theories and ideologies, their morals and habits, their behaviour and outlook of life—in fact, they changed the entire fabric of their being. They were a dynamic people and had an extraordinary capacity of influence others but were not themselves easily susceptible to external influence. No doubt they did adopt what was good in others but their own culture and civilization, was so superior and virile that whatever was adopted by them from outside adopted itself to the genius and character of their own civilizations, and no external factor could produce any undesirable effect. On the other hand, their impact on other civilizations proved to be revolutionary. Some of the non-Muslim civilizations were totally absorbed by Islam and they lost even their separate identity; others, that had a stronger fibre, were so overwhelmingly influenced by Islam that their basic postulates and doctrines underwent considerable changes.

But that was in the heyday of Islamic civilization. For centuries, the Muslims continued to hold sway over a large part of the world. Their sword as well as their pen ruled supreme. (Military as well as intellectually they were the greater power on the surface of the planet). But ultimately their zeal began to waive and their energies began to flag. Their spirit of endeavour declined and they lost the ability to interpret the Shariah in the changing conditions. The Book that had for centuries the source of all knowledge and the fountain-head of all their power and dynamic existence was forsaken and began to treated merely as an object of veneration and formal respect. The precepts and life example of the greatest of men that ever walked over the earth had given their civilization the best of forms possible, a comprehensive and complete system of thought and action, was ignored and abandoned. Consequently, their progress was retarded and the running stream of their life and civilization turned into a stagnant pool. They lost the leadership of civilized mankind, and the deep and far-reaching influence of their thoughts, sciences, civilization and political supremacy on the other nations of the world began to wane. And then another civilization came on the scene and began to advance rapidly. The principles of endeavour and struggle and intellectual discernment which had been abandoned by the Muslims were taken over by the Western nations. While the Muslims fall into a stupor, the West started for going acting upon those very principles to achieve progress which the Muslims had forsaken. They marched on until they captured the leadership of mankind which the better part of the globe. Their thoughts and ideas, arts and sciences, and principles of civilization and culture dominated their lives and engulfed completely their minds and souls. And when, after many long centuries, the Muslims woke up from their slumber, they found that they lost the field and that their leadership and eminence in all fields and that their leadership and eminence in all fields of life was a matter of past and nations of the west were ruling the roost. They realized that they were equipped with all the knowledge essential for progress and their ideas and sciences dominated the world of learning. Their culture prevailed, their law held the filed. They were the rulers of the best part of the world. The Muslims had lost everything.

Today, Islam and Western civilization are in conflict with each other in very different conditions and circumstances. Western civilization is of course no match for Islam: indeed, if the conflict had been with Islam as such no other civilization could possibly have the better of Islam. But the tragedy is that Islam with which Western civilization happens to be in conflict today is a mere shadow of the real Islam. The Muslims are devoid of Islamic character and morals, ideas, and ideology, and have lost the Islamic spirit. The true spirit of Islam is neither in their mosques nor schools neither in their private lives nor in the public affairs. Their practical life has lost all its association with Islam. The Law of Islam does now govern their private or collective conduct. No aspect of their civilization or culture has remained firmly embedded to truly Islamic pattern. In the circumstances, the conflict is not between Western civilization and Islam as such: the struggle is between the stagnant and backward cultural position of the present-day Muslims and the civilization of the West which is throbbing with life and zeal, with the light of knowledge and the vigour of activity. The results of this highly unequal struggle are only natural: the Muslims are in retreat; their civilization and culture are being worsted, and they are gradually losing themselves in the rising tide of Western civilization. Their minds and souls have passed under the sway of the West. Their thinking is being moulded by Western thought. Their ideas and morals, their economy and social life, their law and politics---all are dominated by the West and rapidly adopting its complexion and character. The new generations of Muslims are growing in the belief that the law of life that they have learnt from the West is the true law of life. This is, in fact, the defeat of the Muslims; but unfortunately, it is being treated at the discomfiture of Islam itself.

The Problem is not confined to any single Muslim nation; the entire world of Islam is passing through this critical revolution. And much of the blame for this dangerous situation must be accepted by our leaders of religion. It was their duty, right at the outset of the revolution, to bestir themselves and try to comprehend the principles and essential features of the new civilization of the West and to go out to the Western lands to study the intellectual and scientific foundations on which the edifice of that civilization was being raised. With the help of ijtihad they should have striven to persuade the Muslims to accept and press into service the useful practical knowledge and press into service the useful practical knowledge and scientific discoveries that had enabled the Western nations to achieve such remarkable progress. And they should have sought to fit these new instruments of progress, in keeping with the principles of Islam, into the educational system and social life of the Muslims. They could thus have helped the Muslims to make up the loss that they had suffered as a result of centuries of stagnation and to catch up with the times. Unfortunately, however, most of the ulema had themselves lost the true spirit of Islam. They did not have the ability to interpret the principles and laws of Islam in the light of the changing conditions. They had little juristic insight or practical wisdom. They had lost the power of action and were utterly incapable of deducing the eternal and flexible principles of Islam from the Book of God and the teachings of the Prophet, and applying them to the changed conditions of life. On the contrary, they were obsessed with the past and addicted uncritical acceptance and blind imitation of our dead elders. With the consequence that whenever any problem arose they did not turn to Divine Book, which is above the limitations of time and space, but, instead, devoted their attention to books produced by men who were not Apostles of God and whose wisdom and foresight could never transcend the limitations of time and conditions and varying circumstances of life. The teachings of these persons however wise and pious were, therefore not all the capable of guiding the Muslims at a time when the conditions of life had changed radically, and the world of knowledge as well as the practical fields of human activity had undergone revolutionary changes which only God Almighty could know and which could not possibly have been foreseen, centuries earlier, by any person not endowed with prophetic insight and powers. It is true that the ulema did try to meet the challenge of the new civilization; but they were not equipped with the instruments required for effective resistance. The sweeping tide of a new civilization cannot possibly be stemmed with inertia and at a best some out-dated stagnant ideas. Dynamic forces cannot be defeated with inertia and inaction. The trend of events cannot be altered with out-dated logic and outworn arguments. New and up to date weapons cannot be met with old and rusty ones. The lines on, and the methods by, which the ulema sought to organize Muslim resistance to the new civilization were inherently incapable of achieving success. It was obviously impossible for a nation that had been overtaken by the tide of Western civilization to shut its eyes to the reality and escape the effects of the tide. Nor could a nation that had passed under the sway of modern civilization, backed by political supremacy, protect its life from its inevitable influences. What ultimately happened was, in the circumstances, practically unavoidable. After having been worsted on the field of battle, the Muslims were naturally defeated in the spheres of civilization and culture also. And today, we find the tide of western civilization and culture rising rapidly in all parts of the world of Islam, sweeping the new generations of Muslims farther and farther away from Islam.

Unfortunately, most of our ulema are not yet able to see their fault. In almost all the Islamic countries, a large section of leaders of religion still stick to the old attitude that was initially responsible for their failure. With a few exceptions, the ulema just do not try, seriously to comprehend the prevailing trends and the mental make up of modern men and women. Of course, they never tire of denouncing and decrying the factors and forces that tend to alienate the new generation from the fundamental principles of Islam; but they are not prepared to take the trouble of providing the necessary remedies. They have proved incapable of solving the various complicated intellectual and practical problems that the new conditions of life have created for the Muslims of the present age. These problems can be solved only through the interpretation of the principle of Islamic theology and law in the light of the changed conditions (ijtihad), but our ulema seem to shun any such endeavour. The manner in which they are trying to explain the teachings and laws of Islam is calculated to repel rather than attract the modern-educated mind. Indeed some of their explanations are so crude and unacceptable that one earnestly wishes that they were never heard or read by any non-Muslim or a misguided Muslim. These ulema are still living in the eighteenth century, they still breathe, live and think in that old world, and talk in terms that could have meaning and relevance only in that world. In fairness to these ulema is must be conceded that Islamic learning’s survives in the present-day world largely due to their efforts; they must also be given credit for whatever religious education we find amongst the Muslims today. Nevertheless, the two centuries that stand between them and modern times practically rules out any effective association between Islam and the present day world. Consequently, a young man who devotees himself to Islamic education, as it is imparted today, is ill equipped for the struggle of life and the race for progress. On the other hand, one who wants to succeed in worldly life remains indifferent to the teachings of Islam. This explains why everywhere in the Muslims world we find two groups and school of thought diametrically opposed to and often at loggerheads with each other. One of these is the standard bearer of Islamic learning and culture, but is incapable of leading guiding the Muslims in all spheres of life. The other group is controlling the intellectual, literary and political affairs of the Muslims, but is ignorant of the principles and essential features of Islam, alien to the spirit of Islamic culture, and unaware of the character of the communal organization of Islam and its social laws. Except for a spark of faith in the recess of his mind, a Muslim belonging to this latter group does not at all differ from a non-Muslim. But it is this group that possesses intellectual and practical power, and it alone has the capacity and the strength to run the affairs of the community. Accordingly, this group is misleading the nation and taking it farther and farther along the path of perdition, and there is no opposite force to stop it and show the right path to the people.

I can foresee the disastrous consequences of this situation, and shudder at prospect. Unfortunately, I cannot claim the high degree of learning and knowledge that one would need to guide the community back to the path of redemption; nor do I have the power to reform such a large community out of such hopeless degeneration. But God has endowed me with a sensitive and sympathetic mind which prompts me to press into service the little knowledge and insight that I have, and call both these groups to revert to the principle source of Islamic teachings and the mainspring of Islamic civilization. In view of my awareness of my own limitations and the immensity and difficult nature of the task that I have undertaken, my endeavour seems rather insignificant to me; but even an insignificant effort is better than inaction, and final success or failure can be determined to extend the scope of my endeavour as far as I can.

Battle of Badr

During the first decade or so of the Prophethood at Makkah the Message had proved its firmness and stability. This was the result of two things. First the Messenger who possessed the highest qualities of character was performing his Mission with wisdom foresight and magnanimity. He had shown by his conduct that he had made up his mind to carry the movement to a successful end and therefore was ready to face all sorts of dangers and obstacles in the way. Secondly the Message was so charming that it attracted the minds and hearts of the people irresistibly towards itself. So much so that all obstacles of ignorance superstition and petty prejudices failed to check its advance. That is why the Arab upholders of the ways of "ignorance ' who looked down upon it in its initial stages had' begun to reckon it as a serious menace during the last period of the stay of the Holy Prophet at Makkah and were bent on crushing it with all the force at their command. But in spite of the above-mentioned strength the movement still lacked certain things to lead it to victory.



First, it had not yet been fully proved that it had gathered round it a sufficient number of such followers who not only believed in its truth but also had such an intense devotion to its principles that they were ready to expend all their energies and all that they possessed in the struggle for its success and establishment. So much so that they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the fight against the whole world itself even though they should be their own nearest relative. It is true that the followers of Islam had endured the severest persecutions at the hands of the Quraish of Makkah and had given a good proof of the firmness of their faith and their strong relation with Islam yet further trials were required to show that Islam had succeeded in acquiring such a band of followers which considered nothing dearer than its ideal and was ready to sacrifice life for it.



Secondly though the voice of Islam had reached' every part of the country its effects were yet scattered and its acquired strength was spread here and there: it had not yet gathered sufficient force essential for a decisive conflict with the old established order of "ignorance".



Thirdly Islam had yet no home of its own and had not established itself firmly anywhere in the land where it could consolidate its power and make it a base for further action. For the Muslims were scattered all over the country and were living among the unbelievers as aliens whom their bloodthirsty enemies wanted to uproot from their own homes.



Fourthly, the Muslims had not yet had an opportunity to demonstrate practically the blessings of the system of life based on Islam. There was neither any Islamic culture, nor any social, economic or political system; nor were there any established principles of war and peace for their guidance. Therefore the Muslims had no opportunity for demonstrating those moral principles on which they intended to build their entire system of life; nor had it been proved on the touchstone of trial that the Muslims as a community were sincere in the proclamation of the Message. Allah created opportunities for making up these deficiencies. During the last four years or so of the Prophet's stay at Makkah, the voice of Islam had been proving effective at Yathrab and the people for various reasons had been accepting the message more readily than other clans of Arabia. So much so that in the twelfth year of Prophethood on the occasion of Hajj a deputation of 75 people met the Holy Prophet in the darkness of night. These people not only accepted Islam, but also offered to give him and his followers a home. As this was a most epoch making opportunity provided by Allah, the Holy Prophet took advantage of it. The significance of this offer was quite clear to the people of Yathrab, and they fully realized that this was not an invitation to a mere fugitive, but to the Messenger of Allah so that he should become their leader and ruler. Likewise they knew that they were not inviting the Muslim refugees to give them shelter from persecution but to assemble them from all over the country for their integration with themselves to form an organized community. Thus the offer of the people of Yathrab was to make Yathrab the "City of Islam." Accordingly the Holy Prophet accepted their invitation and made it the first "City of Islam" in Arabia. And the people of Yathrab were fully aware of the implications of this offer. It was indeed a declaration of war against the whole of Arabia, and an invitation to their own social and economic boycott as well. And when the Ansar from Yathrab declared their allegiance to the Holy Prophet at Aqabah, they knew fully well its consequences. During the course of the formal declaration of allegiance, Asad-bin- Zurarah, the youngest of all the delegates from Yathrab, stood up and said, "O people of Yathrab! Just listen to me and consider the matter carefully in all its aspects. Though we have come to him, regarding him only as a Messenger of Allah, we should know that we shall be inviting the enmity of the whole of Arabia. For when we take him away to Yathrab, we shall be attacked and our children may be put to the sword. Therefore if you have the courage in your hearts to face it, then and then only, you should declare your allegiance to him and Allah will give you its reward. But if you love your lives more than him and his Message, then leave this matter and frankly excuse yourselves, for at this time Allah may accept your excuses."



Abbas bin Ubadah bin Naalah, another member of the delegation, reiterated the same thing, saying, Do you understand the implication of the declaration of your allegiance to this person?" (Voices, "Yes, we know it.") "You are challenging the whole world to war by your declaration of allegiance to him. There is every likelihood of a serious menace to your lives and properties. Therefore consider it well. If you have any idea lurking in your minds that you will then hand him over to his enemies, it is much better to leave him alone now, because that conduct shall bring shame and disgrace to you in this world and the next. On the other hand, if you have sincerely resolved that you will endure all kinds of consequences that will follow as a result of this invitation, then it would be the best thing to take the oath of allegiance to him because, by God, this will surely bring good to you in this world as well as in the next world." At this all the members of the delegation cried with one voice, "We are ready and prepared to risk all our wealth and our noble kith and kin for his sake." It was then that the famous oath of allegiance, which is known as the "Second Oath of Allegiance at Aqabah" was taken.



On the other side, the people of Makkah also understood fully well the implications of this matter from their own point of view. They realized that Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), who, they knew well, had a great personality and possessed extraordinary abilities, was going to gain a strong footing, by this allegiance. For this would help integrate his followers, whose constancy, determination, and unwavering fidelity to the Messenger had been tried, into a disciplined community under his wise leadership and guidance. And they knew that this would spell death for their old ways of life. They also realized the strategic importance of Al-Madinah to their trade, which was their chief means of livelihood. Its geographical position was such that the Muslims could strike with advantage at the caravans traveling on the trade route between Yaman and Syria, and thus strike at the root of their economy and that of other pagan clans very effectively. The value of the trade done by the people of Makkah alone on this route, not to count that of raif and other places, amounted to about two hundred thousand dinars annually. As the Quraish were fully aware of the implications of the oath of allegiance at Aqabah, they were greatly perturbed when they got wind of it the same night. At first they tried to win over the people of Al-Madinah to their side. But when they saw that the Muslims were migrating to Al- Madinah in small groups, they realized that the Holy Prophet was also going to emigrate soon from there. Then they decided to adopt an extreme measure to prevent this danger. A few days before his migration, the Quraish held a council to consider the matter. After a good deal of argument; they decided that one person should be taken from each of the families of Quraish other than that of Banu Hashim to put an end to the life of the Holy Prophet. This was to make it difficult for the family of the Holy Prophet to fight alone with all the other families of the Quraish and thus to force them to accept blood-money for his murder instead of taking revenge from them, but by the grace of Allah their plot against the life of the Holy Prophet failed because of his admirable foresight and full trust in Allah, and he reached Al-Madinah safe and sound. When they could not prevent his emigration, it occurred to them to exploit Abdullah bin Ub who had begun to cherish a grievance against the Holy Prophet since his arrival at Al-Madinah. He was an influential chief of Al-Madinah and the people had agreed to make him their king. But when the majority of Aus and Khazraj clan became Muslims and acknowledged the Holy Prophet as their leader, guide and ruler, all his hopes of becoming a king came to an end. Therefore the Quraish wrote to him, "As you have given shelter to our enemy, we tell you plainly that you should either fight with him yourself or exile him from your city otherwise we swear by God that we will invade your city, kill your males and make your females our slave girls." This letter added fuel to the flames of his jealousy and he was inclined to do some mischief, but the Holy Prophet took timely precautions and defeated his evil designs. The Quraish got another opportunity to hold out a threat. When Sa'ad bin Mu'az, another chief of Al-Madinah, went to Makkah to perform Umrah, Abu Jahl interrupted him at the very door of the Kaabah, saying, "Do you think we will let you perform Umrah in peace when you give shelter and help to renegades from us? Had you not been a guest of Ummayyah bin Khalf, you would not have gone alive from here." Sa'ad replied, "By Allah, if you prevent me from this, I will retaliate in a worse manner and block your route near Al-Madinah." This incident virtually led to a declaration from the people of Makkah that they would prevent the Muslims from a pilgrimage to the Kaabah, and from the people of Al-Madinah that as a retaliation they would block their trade route to Syria against the opponents of Islam. As a matter of fact there was no other alternative for the Muslims than to keep a strong hold on this route so as to force the Quraish, and the other clans, whose interests were vitally bound with this route, to reconsider their inimical and antagonistic attitude towards them. That is why the Holy Prophet attached the greatest importance to this problem. As soon as he was free from making the preliminary arrangements for organizing the newly formed Muslim Community and settling peace terms with the neighboring Jewish habitations, he adopted two measures in this connection

First, he entered into negotiations with those clans who lived between the Red Sea and this route so as to make alliances with them or at east to persuade them to make treaties of neutrality with the Muslims. He was successful in this, and he entered into a treaty of non-alignment with Juhainah, which was a very important clan of the hilly tract near the sea coast. Then, at the end of the first year of Hijrah, he made a treaty of defensive alliance with Bani Damrah, who lived near Yanb'u and Zawal Ushairah. In 2 A. H. Bani Mudlij also joined the alliance, as they were the neighbours and allies of Bani Damrah. Then it so happened that quite a large number of these people were converted to Islam as a result of the missionary work done by the Muslims.



Secondly, he successively sent small bands of his men on this route to serve as a warning to the Quraish, and himself accompanied some of them. In the first year of Hijrah, four expeditions were sent there, that is, the expedition under Hamzah, the expedition under Ubaidah bin Harith, the expedition under Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas and the Al-Abwa' expedition under the Holy Prophet himself. In the first month of the second year two more incursions were made on the same route. These are known as Buwat Expedition and Zawal Ushairah Expedition. Two things about all these expeditions are noteworthy. First, no blood was shed and no caravans were plundered in any of these expeditions. This proves that the real object of these expeditions was to show to the Quraish which way the wind was blowing. Secondly, not a single man from the people of Al-Madinah was sent by the Holy Prophet on any of these incursions. All the bands consisted purely of the immigrants from Makkah so that the conflict should remain between the people of the Quraish themselves and should not further spread by the involvement of other clans. On the other side, the Quraish of Makkah tried to involve others also in the conflict. When they sent bands towards Al-Madinah, they did not hesitate to plunder the people. For instance, an expedition under the leadership of Kurz bin Jabir al-Fihrl plundered the cattle of the people of Al-Madinah from the very vicinity of the city to show what their real intentions were.



This was the state of affairs when, in Sha'aban, 2 A.H. (February or March, 623 A.D.) a big trade caravan of the Quraish, carrying goods worth $50,000 or so, with only a guard of thirty to forty men, on its way back from Syria to Makkah, reached the territory from where it could be easily attacked from Al-Madinah. As the caravan was carrying trade goods worth thousands of pounds, and was scantily guarded, naturally Abu Sufyan, who was in charge of it, from his past experience feared an attach from the Muslims. Accordingly, as soon as he entered the dangerous territory, he despatched a camel rider to Makkah with a frantic appeal for help. When the rider reached Makkah, he, following an old custom of Arabia, tore open the ears of his camel, cut open his nose and overturned the saddle. Then rending his shirt from front and behind, he began to cry aloud at the top of his voice, "O people of Quraish despatch help to protect your caravan from Syria under the charge of Abu Sufyan, for Muhammad with his followers is in pursuit of it; otherwise I don't think you will ever get your goods. Run, run for help." This caused great excitement and anger in the whole of Makkah and all the big chiefs of the Quraish got ready for war. An army, consisting of 600 armored soldiers and cavalry of 100 riders with great pomp and show marched out for a fight. They intended not only to rescue the caravan but also to put to an end, once for all, the new menace from the Muslims who had consolidated themselves at Al-Madinah. They wanted to crush that rising power and overawe the clans surrounding the route so as to make it absolutely secure for future trade. Now the Holy Prophet, who always kept himself well informed of the state of affairs, felt that the decisive hour has come and that was the right time when he must take a bold step; otherwise the Islamic Movement would become lifeless for ever and no chance would be left for it to rise again. For if the Quraish invaded Al-Madinah, the odds would be against the Muslims. The condition of the Muslim Community was still very shaky because the immigrants Muhajirin had not been able to stabilize their economy during the short period (less than two years) of their stay at Al-Madinah; their helpers, the Ansar had not yet been tried; and the neighbouring Jewish clans were antagonistic. Then there was a strong group of hypocrites and mushriks in Al-Madinah itself; above all, the surrounding clans lived in awe of the Quraish and had all their religious sympathies with them. The Holy Prophet, therefore, felt that the consequences of this possible invasion would not be favorable to the Muslims. The second possibility was that they would not invade Al-Madinah but try only to escort their caravan safely and securely by a mere show of force. In that case, too, if the Muslims remained inactive, it would affect their reputation adversely. Obviously, this weak stand in the conflict would embolden the other Arabs also and make the position of the Muslims very insecure in the country and the surrounding clans would, at the instance of the Quraish, start hostilities against them, and the Jews, the hypocrites and the mushriks of Al- Madinah would openly rise against them and not only endanger their security of life, property and honor but make it difficult for them even to live there. The Muslims would not be able to inspire the enemy with awe so as to keep safe from them their life, property and honor. A careful study of the situation led the Holy Prophet to make up his mind to take a decisive step and go into the battle with whatever little strength he could muster, for thus and thus only could he show whether the Muslim Community had the right to survive or was doomed to perish.



When he arrived at this momentous decision, he called the Muhajirin and the Ansar together and placed the whole position before them, without any reservation. He said, "Allah has promised that you will confront one of the two, the trade caravan coming from the north or the army of the Quraish marching from the south. Now tell me which of the two you want to attack!" A large majority of the people replied that they wanted to attack the caravan. But the Holy Prophet who had something else before him, repeated the same question. At this Miqdad bin 'Amr, a Muhajir, stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Please march to the side to which your Lord commands you; we will accompany you wherever you go. We will not say like the Israelites, 'Go and let you and your Lord fight we will wait'. In contrast to them we say, 'Let you and your Lord fight; we will fight by your side to our last breath'." Even then he did not announce any decision but waited for a reply from the Ansar who had not yet taken any part in any battle of Islam. As this was the first opportunity for them to prove that they were ready to fulfill their promise of fighting for the cause of Islam, he repeated the question without directly addressing them. At this, Sa'ad bin Mu'az, an Ansar, stood up and said, "Sir, it appears that you are putting the question to us." When the Holy Prophet said, "Yes", the Ansar replied, "We have believed in you and confirmed that what you have brought is the Truth, and have made a solemn pledge with you that we will listen to you and obey you. Therefore, O Messenger of Allah, do whatever you intend to do. We swear by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth that we are ready to accompany you to the sea shore and if you enter it, we will plunge into it. We assure you that not a single one of us will remain behind or forsake you, for we will not hesitate at all to go to fight, even if you should lead us to the battlefield tomorrow. We will remain steadfast in the battle and sacrifice our lives in the fight. We do hope that by the grace of Allah our behavior will gladden your heart. So, trusting in Allah's blessing, take us to the battlefield." After these speeches it was decided that they should march towards the army of the Quraish and not towards the trade caravan. But it should be noted that the decision was of an ordinary nature. For the number of people, who came forward to go to the battlefield, was only a little more than three hundred (86 Muhajirs, 62 from Aus and 170 from Khazraj). Then the little army was ill-armed and hardly equipped for battle. Only a couple of them had horses to ride and the others had to take their turn in threes and fours on the back of a camel, out of the 70 they had in all. Above all, they had not got enough weapons for the battle; only 60 of them had armors. It is, therefore, no wonder that with the exception of those who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Islam, the majority of those who had joined the expedition, were so filled with fear that they felt as if they were knowingly going into the jaws of death. Then there were people who always looked at things from a selfish point of view. Though they had embraced Islam, they did not realize that their faith would demand the sacrifice of their lives and properties from them; they were of the opinion that it was a mad expedition prompted by irrational enthusiasm for religion. But the Holy Prophet and the true Believers had realized the urgency of that critical hour which required the risk of life: therefore they marched straight to the south-west, wherefrom the army of the Quraish was coming. This is a clear proof of the fact that from the very beginning they had gone out to fight with the army and not to plunder the caravan. For if they had aimed at plundering the caravan they would have taken the north-westerly direction and not the south-westerly one.



The two parties met in combat at Badr on the seventeenth of Ramadan. When the two armies confronted each other and the Holy Prophet noticed that the Quraish army outnumbered the Muslims by three to one and was much better equipped, he raised his hands up in supplication and made this earnest prayer with great humility: "O Allah! Here are the Quraish proud of their war material: they have come to prove that Thy Messenger is false. O Allah! now send that succor that Thou hast promised to give me. O Allah! If this little army of Thy servants is destroyed, then there will be left none in the land to worship Thee." In this combat the emigrants from Makkah were put to the hardest test for they had to fight against their own near and dear relatives and put to the sword their fathers, their sons, their paternal and maternal uncles and their brothers. It is obvious that only such people could have come out successful in this hardest of tests as had accepted the Truth sincerely and cut off all relations with falsehood. And in another way the test to which the Ansar were put was not less hard. So far they had only alienated the powerful Quraish and their allies by giving shelter to the Muslims against their wishes but now, for the first time, they were going to give fight to them and to sow the seeds of a long and bitter war with them. This was indeed a very hard test for it meant that a small town with a population of a few thousand inhabitants was going to wage a war with the whole of Arabia. It is obvious that only such people could take this bold step who believed in the Truth of Islam so firmly that they were ready to sacrifice every personal interest for its sake. So Allah accepted the self-sacrifices of the Muhajirin and the Ansar because of their true faith, and rewarded them with His succor. The proud, well-armed Quraish were routed by these ill-equipped devotees of Islam. Seventy men of their army were killed and seventy captured as prisoners and their arms and equipment came into the hands of the Muslims as spoils of war. All their big chiefs, who were their best soldiers and who had led the opposition to Islam, were killed in this Battle. No wonder that this decisive victory made Islam a power to be reckoned with. A Western research scholar says that before the Battle of Badr, Islam was merely a religion and a state but after the Battle it became the state religion, nay, the state itself.

Topics of Discussion
It is this great Battle that has been reviewed in this Sura. But let it be noted that in some respects this review is quite different from the reviews that are usually made by the worldly commanders after a great victory Instead of gloating over the victory the moral weaknesses that had come to the surface in that expedition have been pointed out so that the Muslims should try their best to reform themselves. It has been impressed upon them that the victory was due to the success of Allah rather -than to their own valor and bravery so that the Muslims should learn to rely on Him and obey Allah and His Messenger alone. The moral lesson of the conflict between the Truth and falsehood has been enunciated and the qualities which lead to success in a conflict have been explained. Then the Sura addresses the mushriks the hypocrites the Jews and the prisoners of this war in a very impressive manner that should teach them a good lesson. It also gives instructions in regard to the spoils of war. The Muslims have bean told not to regard these as their right but as a bounty from Allah. Therefore they should accept with gratitude the share that is granted to them out of it and willingly accede to the share which Allah sets apart for His cause and for the help of the needy. Then it also gives normal instructions concerning the laws of peace and war for these were urgently needed to be explained at the stage which the Islamic Movement had entered. It enjoined that the Muslims should refrain from ways of "ignorance" in peace and war and thus should establish their moral superiority in the world. It also meant to demonstrate to the world in actual practical life the morality which it had been preaching to the world from the very beginning of Islam and had been enjoining that practical life should be based on the same. It also states some articles of the Islamic Constitution which help differentiate the status of the Muslims living within the limits of Dar-ul-Islam (the Abode of Islam) from that of the Muslims living beyond its limits.

99 Names of Prophet Muhammad(s)

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How to Train your WillPower to Work for You?

Abdur Rauf Shakir

Many people fail to get ahead because they have no willpower to do what they know they should be doing. Nor can they help themselves to avoid the things which they know will ruin them. Many such people would like to give up smoking, to stop using drugs, or to avoid affairs outside of marriage. Many find that gambling or alcohol addiction is wrecking their lives. Yet these people have no willpower to set their life on the right course. They feel helpless. And have to deal with a nagging conscience the pricks them with what they would have done, or should have done.

Yet there are some strong-willed people who seem to be able to do what they know is right and avoid what they know is wrong. Such people experience peace of mind knowing that they are doing the right thing. Their willpower is obviously working for them.

But how do they do it? What is the secret? The secret is that you can train your willpower. Suppose you made a resolution to skip lunch for a month and actually stuck to your decision. You may save your lunch money, lose a few pounds, develop sympathy for the poor, and give your digestive system a much-needed rest. More importantly, you will strengthen your willpower.

The reason this works is that you teach yourself to avoid lunch even when you know you could have it if you decide. Your stomach may growl, but you won’t listen. Thus you train yourself to ignore the calling of your lower physical self and reach for the higher goals of real human achievement. Doing the right thing even when your desires are calling for something else.

Every year, for one month, able Muslims go through a similar fasting exercise. They observe the fast as a compulsory practice which God prescribed in His revealed messages, especially in the final revealed book. One of the many benefits they experience from fasting is its training aspect.

The willpower they develop in that one month helps them to continue doing the right thing and avoiding the wrong throughout the year. They find the fast such an effective method of spiritual training and of achieving closeness with their creator that many Muslims also keep some additional, optional fasts on other days of the year.

They eat an early breakfast before dawn and a late dinner after sunset. From dawn to sunset they would have no food or drink; they would also refrain from sexual activity. Whereas the baser selves regularly call for these things, Muslims train themselves with the help of God to fulfill their natural needs in the time and manner that God declared suitable for human dignity and well being.

During the fast Muslims also train themselves to always avoid lying, cheating, backbiting, and all manner of false speech and immoral actions