In the Name of Allah, Most
Merciful, Most Compassionate
May the Blessings and Peace of
Allah be upon Prophet
Muhammad, on His Household and
His Companions
Islamic Lecture
Delivered by
Professor Abbas EL JIRARI
Thursday 23 Ramadan 1415
23 Février 1995
Topic :
The Islamic doctrines viewed
from
The perspective of religious
truths,
Historical positions and
modern challenges
In accordance with Almighty Allah’s saying :
“O ye who believe ! obey God,
and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ
in anything among yourselves, refer it to God and His Apostle if ye do believe
in God and the Last Day : That is best, and most suitable for final
determination”.
The Islamic doctrines viewed
from
the perspective of religious
truths,
historical positions and
modern challenges
I seek refuge with Allah from
the Evil One, the Accursed. In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
May the best prayer and Peace of Allah be upon Sidna Muhammad as well as on His
Household and Companions. There is no power or might save in Allah, the Most
High, the Exalted in Power.
“Glory
to Thee : Of knowledge we have none, save what Thou hast taught us : In truth
it is Thou who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom”.
“O my
Lord ! expand me my breast, ease my task for me ; and remove the impediment
from my speech”.
Your
Majesty the Commander of the Faithful,
My heart
is filled with love, faithfulness, veneration and loyalty to Your Majesty as I
sit here in your august presence, trying to keep abreast of your far-reaching
perception of the reality and future of the Muslim Ummah from the perspective
of development, innovation and unification. I ask Your permission, may Allah
enhance Your status, to address a topic which, I admit from the outset, is
thorny and difficult. I would not have dared to tackle it in Your august
presence amidst this honourable academic assembly had I not been convinced of
Your vast knowledge and patience. I hope, therefore, that my presentation will
be favoured with Your Majesty’s satisfaction, acceptance and forgiveness of
whatever possible errors.
The
present lecture is entitled : “The Islamic doctrines viewed from the
perspective of religious truths, historical positions and modern challenges”.
It is delivered on the basis of the following saying of Almighty Allah :
“O ye who believe ! Obey God,
and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ
in anything among yourselves, refer it to God and His Apostle if ye do believe
in God and the Last Day : That is best, and most suitable for final
determination”.
The
presentation is divided into thee parts. The first part speaks about the above
verse and some related matters. The second part raises the matter of the differing
views of Muslims and attempts to show the reasons for these differences and
their political and intellectual manifestations. As for the third part, it
talks about the possibility of overcoming this divergence.
The
verse under consideration in the present lecture is the fifty-eighth verse of
Al-Nisae Surah. Al-Nisae Surah is a long Surah, made up of one hundred seventy
five verses. Succeeding the Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran Surahs, it contains a lot
of legal provisions relating to the woman, the family, the matrimonial bonds,
the inheritance and the Islamic polity in its relations with other entities. It
also deals with the People of the Book, with the hypocrites and with the issue
of Jihad.
Scholars
are almost unanimous about the fact that Al-Nisae Surah is Madaniyah (i.e.
revealed in Al-Madinah), except for the following verse :
“God doth command you to
render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due”.
This
verse was revealed in connection with the story of the key of the Kaabah. When
the Prophet, may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him, entered
“Take if forever as an inherited relic.
Whoever usurps it from you is a downright wrongdoer”.
One
testimony to the fact that this Surah is Madaniyah is the saying of Mrs. Aisha,
may Allah be pleased with her, concerning this Surah :
“When the Al-Nisae Surah was
revealed, I had already been with [i.e. married] the Apostle of Allah, may the
prayer and peace of Allah be upon him”.
The was
in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.
Others
said that it was revealed in the Hijah time. Some scholars, such as Al-Nahhas,
thought that it was rather a Meccan Surah on the grounds that the opening
address is directed to the people :
“O mankind ! reverence your
Guardian-Lord”.
This
generalization, which asserts that all verses which begin with an address to
the people are Meccan is not always true. You have, for instance, Al-Baraqah
Surah which contains two verses started with an address of the people and is
Madaniyah :
“O ye people ! adore your Guardian-Lord”,
and
“O ye people ! eat of what is
on earth, lawful and good”.
Others,
like Alqamah, thought that the first part of the Surah was Meccan. However, the
likeliest opinion is that it is a Madaniyah Surah.
As for
the reasons behind its revelation, the book of the exegesis from the Sahih
of Al-Bukhari says, reporting on Ibn Abbas, that it was revealed in connection
with Abdullah Ben Hudafah. Abdullah Ben Hudafah, who was dispatched for a
mission at the head of a detachment, summoned them and asked them to gather
some wood and light a big fire. But they refused saying that they believed in
Allah and the Apostle only to escape fire. When they referred the issue to our
Master the Apostle of Allah, may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him, he
approved the reaction.
Reporting
on Al-Saddi, Al-Tabari said that it was revealed in connection with an event
involving Ammar Ben Yasser and Khaled
Ben Al-Walid. When Khaled was Commander of the Muslim army, a man asked
for Ammar Ben Yasser’s protection, which he accorded to him. Khaled Ben
Al-Walid, not appreciating this decision, referred the matter to the Apostle of
Allah (PBUH). Thought the Prophet
approved Yasser’s act, he still admonished him not to do such a thing again
unless he consults his commander.
The
verse deals with two issues. First, it enjoins people to obey Allah, the
Apostle and the ones in charge of authority. This injunction succeeds the order
to give back the trusts to their owners. By the ones in charge of authority is
meant the rulers in addition to those who tend to the affairs of tbe Ummah,
including the scholars, the governors, and the like.
Scholars
have different interpretation of the expression “those in charge of authority”.
I will not address them for Your Majesty, may Allah support You, are well aware
of them.
The
second issue tackled by this verse concerns the reference of any divergence
regarding the fundamentals, branches and the related matters to the Almighty
Allah and His Apostle, that is to say to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah in
accordance with Almighty Allah’s saying in Al-Shura Surah :
“Whatever it be wherein ye
differ, the decision thereof is with God”.
The
topic verse of the present lecture establishes a link between the pursuit of
arbitration in both the Book and the Sunnah and the state of faith : “If ye
do believed in God and the Last Day”. The verse likewise contains several
linguistic and stylistic indications, such as the lexical repetition of the
verb “obey” instead of using it only one be saying “Obey God and the
Apostle”. What is the reason for this lexical repetition ? The repetition
here is intended to assert the obligatory nature of obedience to the Prophet,
may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him, and to show that it is more
important than obedience to those in charge of authority. The aim is also to
avoid that people should think that obedience to the Apostle is restricted to
matters which Allah has enjoined him to convey to mankind and does not apply to
other matters relating to the worldy and religious concerns. Another goal lies
in the fact that the Apostle of Allah, may the prayer and peace of Allah be
upon him, discharges the role of conveying the message as well as of
implementing it whereas the role of those charged with authority is confined to
executive matters.
It has
been noted, Majesty, that when in other verses there is no mention of those
charged with authority, the verb “obey” is not repeated. In Al-Amran Surah, for
instance, it is said :
“And obey God and the Apostle”,
and in
Al-Anfal Surah, it is likewise said :
“And obey God and His
Apostle”.
The
second indication is found in the verb “differ” in Allah’s saying :
“If ye differ in anything
among yourselves, refer it to God and His Apostle”.
Difference
here is intended in the sense of mutual divergence and disagreement over
interpretation of some provisions in the Quran and other matters. Almighty
Allah says in Al-Anfal Surah :
“And fall into no disputes,
lest ye lose heart and your power depart”.
The third
indication relates to the term “anything” in
“If ye differ in anything
among yourselves, refer it to God and His Apostle”.
Anything is an all-encompassing term, covering all
matters.
The fourth indication concerns the phrase :
“Refer it to God and His
Apostle”.
In this
same part of the verse, which is used in a metonymical sense in which God and
His Apostle stand for the Holy Book and the Sunnah.
The
fifth and last indication relates to the phrase :
“If ye do believed in God and
the Last Day”.
Which is
formulated in the conditional mode for inducement and warning purposes. The
seme of belief is repeated here after it has been mentioned in the beginning of
the verse : “O ye who believe !” The
phrase “If ye believe” therefore means : “If you are real believers”.
I will
now move, with Your Majesty’s permission, to the second part of this lecture.
Islam
came as a religion which called upon the Arabs and the entire mankind to adopt
monotheism, seek knowledge and promote the mental faculties. Such a call has an
extensive impact on the elevation of the self, the development of thought, the
refinement of refinement of conduct and the promotion of the individual and
society alike, within the framework of one Ummah that embraces the entire
mankind with faith and tolerance.
In the
era of the Apostle, may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him, Islam
emerged as a crystal-clear religion, which dealt with matters of faith,
legislation and regulation in a transparent manner. With regard to the affairs
relating to the societal system, Islam did not adopt an approach which could
cause discord and dissension. It therefore secured strict adherence to the
legal provisions as well as to the obligations and rights they entail. It did
not tackle the matters of faith, particularly with regard to the potentially
controversial issues of the deity in view of the fact that the latter’s
inviolability had been proven in the Quran and the Sunnah.
But what
happened afterwards ? The Muslim’s approach and thinking were beset by certain
phenomena which diverted them more or less from the straight path that they had
been following in the era of prophet hood. These phenomena may be summarized in
two :
The
first phenomenon is related to politics. Following the death of the Prophet,
may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him, there arose the problem of his
succession. He left it to Muslims to choose the system which suited them best
provided that they would build it on the basis of three principles, namely
monotheism, justice and consultation.
With
your permission, Majesty, I will provide some basic data in this connection.
Following
the death of the Prophet, may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him,
Muslims gathered in Saqifat Beni Saidah and elected Abu Bakr, may Allah be
pleased with him. Abu Bakr would subsequently write a covenant nominating Omar
Ben Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. As for Omar Ben Al-Khattab, he
would set up a Consultation Council, made up of six Companions, namely Othman,
Ali, Talha, Al-Zubayr, Abdu Rahman Ben ‘Awf and Sa’ad Ben Abi Waqqas, may Allah
be pleased with them all. Omar added his son Ubaydullah Ben Omar, but he had
not say in deliberation, except in the case of a tie, in which he had the
casting vote.
However,
a calamitous event took place. It was the assassination of Omar Ben Al-Khattab,
may Allah be pleased with him, who was stabbed by Abi Lueluah. Othman, may
Allah be pleased with him, took over, but he was faced with a thorny problem,
that of inflicting a sanction on Ubaydullah Ben Omar. Ubaydullah Ben Omar had
hit Al-Hurmuzan, who was a Persian Prince, and also struck Jufaynah, who was a
Christian. In addition, he broke into Abi Lueluah’s house and killed his
daughter.
Othman,
may Allah be pleased with him, solved the problem in his own way by granting
pardon to Omar’s son, saying : “How can we slay today the son whose father was
murdered yesterday ? No, this can’t be done” He therefore granted pardon to
Ubaydullah Ben Omar, pledging to play the blood money from his private funds.
Yet,
this solution did not appeal to some Muslims, particularly those who were not
fully satisfied with the policy followed by Othman, may Allah be pleased with
him. Rebellion soon broke out and his opponents demanded his abdication. But he
clang to his divine right and to the divine ordinance. By the way, that was the
first time that such an idea was formulated. The rebels, however, broke into
his home and assassinated him, may Allah bless him.
Allegiance
was subsequently proclaimed in favour of Ali, may Allah bless him. Ali, for his
part, faced two problems :
1. Restoration of
security ; and
2. Death of Othman.
He faced
two oppositions, one led by Mrs. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, along
with Talha and Al-Zubayr, although Al-Zubayr withdrew in the end. This
opposition culminated in the Al-Jamal War, which broke out in the year 36 of
the Hijra. The second opposition was led by Muawiyah during the Siffin War in
the year 37 of the Hijra. This war was bypassed through a decision to have recourse
to arbitration on the basis of the Brook of Allah over the matters in which
they differed. Two arbitrators were thus selected, each one representing one
party. While Ali was represented by Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari, Muawiyah was
represented by Amru Ben Al-‘Aas. The arbitrators agreed among themselves to
depose the two opponents. When it came to the declaration of the result of the
arbitration, Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari said his opinion first. When it was the turn
of Amru Ben Al-‘Aas, he said : “This man has deposed his leader and I do depose
him too, but I confirm my leader”.
As a
result, the domination of the Islamic Caliphate was split in two, with
Following
Ali’s death, his supporters, in addition to the Shiites, rallied around
Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him. But Al-Hasan had a soft personality,
which made Muawiyah succeed in attracting him through the many promises he
made. He died in the year 50 of the Hijra, probably poisoned as upheld by some
people. Al-Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, came afterwards. He resembled
his father like two faces of a coin. He rallied under his banner the Shiites
who used to sympathize with his father, and tried to wage war. The Karbalae War
then broke out in 61 of the Hijra.
In the
aftermath of these events, the Caliphate system took on new dimensions thanks
to the Umayyad polity which established its reign firmly, the the Abbasside
polity. Yet, these two polities were net with a strong opposition on the part
of the Khawarij, on the one hand, then the Shiites, on the other.
The
second phenomenon concerns the development of the Islamic thought and its
subjection to some of the influences brought by followers of other creeds and
religions, such as the idea of embodiment advocated by the Jews, and the
sayings about the deity which were upheld by some of those who converted to
Islamic out of good or bad faith, such Abdullah Ibn Sabae, in addition to the
idea of idea of venerating the Imam to the extent of deification.
You have
other influences, such as the ideas relating to man’s freedom, which were
circulated by some Christians, notably John Al-Dimashqi.
Perhaps
the most outstanding intellectual reaction was the emergence of Ilm Al-Kalam
(Schotastic science) with a view to defending the Islamic faith through putting
forward rational evidences, with emphasis on two questions, the qualities and
the fate.
The
attitudes adopted by Muslims vis-à-vis this type of science were two-fold. The
first attitude was one of acceptance. The Holy Quran contained indeed
supporting arguments in this connection. Says Almighty Allah in Al-Baqarah
Surah :
“Say : Produce your proof”,
and in
Al-Nahl Surah :
“And argue with them in ways
that are best and most gracious”.
Those
who rejected this science also found in the Quran and the Prophetic traditions
substance for supporting their views. They invoked Almighty Allah’s saying in
Al-Imran Surah :
“It is He Who has sent down to
thee the Book : In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning)
; they are the foundation of the Book : Others are allegorical. But those in
whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking
discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden
meanings except God. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say : ‘We
believe in the Book, the whole of it is from our Lord :’ and none will grasp
the Message except men of understanding”.
They
also invoked the hadith of the Prophet, may the prayer and peace of Allah be
upon him, in which he said :
“People cannot go astray after
having been guided to the straight path unless they indulge in controversies”.
These
two positions brought about the division of Muslims into two categories. The
first category consisted of people who advocated man’s absolute free will in
the sense that whatever happens to the Muslims is the very working of the
Muslims themselves and that the divine will does not interfere there. Famous
among this group were Ma’bad Al-Jahani and his disciple Ghilan Al-Dimashqi.
The
other group were determinists who believed that man was not free. Foremost
among them was Jaaham Ben Qafwan, who thought that faith was knowledge of Allah
and that infidelity was ignorance of Almighty Allah. He used to think that the
act was the working of Allah alone and that deeds were ascribed to man only by
extension. He used to say that the science dealing with the deity was an
innovation, which led him to talk about the creation of the Quran.
The
influence of the foregoing two political and intellectual factors sowed the
seeds of discord among Muslims, first at the political level, and then it
turned into a divergence over questions of faith, which adopted argumentative
techniques that led to excessive interpretations to adapt texts to a specific
case or an imposed reality. Thinking methods and argumentation techniques thus
differed and became complicated.
The
issue of faith and infidelity was thus viewed from the perspective of their
perception of faith. Is it just an act of believing with the heart and
acknowledging with the tongue or should belief be supported with action ?
It is
from this perspective that each political party used to criticize the other
party. The Khawarij linked faith with work and considered anyone who did not
combine them in his conduct to be committing a grave offence, indeed an infidel
who would dwell forever in Hell. It should be mentioned that the Khawarij had
confirmed the Caliphate of Abi Bakr, Omar, Othman in his early reign, as well
as that Ali before the Arbitration. They viewed those who accepted the
Arbitration, those who were behind the Al-Jamal War, in addition to Muawiyah,
the Ummayyads and the Abbassides as perpetrators of the (Kabirah) Grave
Offense.
As for
the Shiites, save for the Zaydites who were moderate, they adopted a position
of deep reflection vis-à-vis all those whom they viewed to be usurpers of the
caliphate. They considered that the Imamah of Ali in succession of the Prophet,
may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him, was expressly stipulated in such
texts as the hadith of Ghadir Khum, in which the Prophet had said, on his way
back from pilgrimage :
“Ali is master of whover I am
master of . May Allah support those who support him and be hostile to those who
are hostile to him”.
The
Sunnah people, for their part, regarded this hadith as a mere honouring of Ali,
may Allah be pleased with him, and a tribute to his indisputable stance. The
Shiites thought that the Imamah was one of the pillars of religion and that it
should not have been neglected by the Prophet, May the prayer and peace of
Allah be upon him, nor should he have delegated it to the public. They thought
that the extirpation of the Caliphate from Ali was an injustice to him, or a
wisdom on his part.
There
are other groups, such as the Murjiah who were a peace-loving, neutral people.
They viewed the perpetrator of the Grave Offense as still a faithful whose case
should be referred though to Almighty Allah. They perceived faith as an act of
belief without need of work.
Then you
have the Mu’tazilah who also opted for neutrality, saying that the perpetrator
of the Grave Offense was neither a faithful nor an infidel. He was in a middle
position. They used to support the
opinion upheld by the proponents of man’s free will, and supported also the
determinist’s theory about the qualities of Allah. They were famous for their
rational approach to religious questions.
In the
morass of these diverging doctrines, there emerged a moderate current,
advocated by the Ahl Sunnah and Al-Jama’ah. In general, the Ahl Sunnah were the
counterpart of the Shiites. The appellation applies to those who follow the
guidance of the Sunnah of the Prophet, may the prayer and peace of Allah be
upon him, and proceed on the path charted by the Companions and the Successors.
According to the Shiites, it was the Ahl
Sunnah who supported the rise of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. The Ahl Sunnah
doctrines was further crystallized by Abi Al-Hassan Al-Ash’ari, who tried to
formulate faith in a rational way.
Amidst
these political differences and in view of the extensive geographic scope of
the Islamic lands and the complicated nature of issues and events, there
emerged some trends which looked into the fiqh provisions and formulated rules
accordingly. They examined occurrences and issued the suitable judgements. This
era may be considered a phase marking the Ijtihad process and ramifying, later
on, into the famous doctrines, namely the Abi Hanifa doctrine, the Imam Abi
Malek doctrine, the Al-Shafii doctrine, the Ibn Hanbal doctrine, the doctrine
of Jaafar Al-Sadeq who was the sixth Imam of the Ithnay Ashariya, the doctrine
of Zayd Ben Ali Ben Al-Husain Ben Ali Ben Abi Taleb, and the doctrine of
Abullah Ben Ibad Al-Khariji.
These
doctrines managed, with varying degrees, to attract the Islamic public opinion,
an appeal which could not be secured by the Ilm Al-Kalam (scholastic knowledge)
in spite of the fact that Al-Ash’ari spared no effort to get near to the
people. These doctrines soon prevailed on the scene to the extent that Ijtihad
could not be undertaken elsewhere than within the framework of one of these doctrines.
People observed their dictates so much that this led to a stagnation which
prevailed throughout the late centuries to date.
Now,
with Your Majesty’s permission, we come to the third and last part of this
lecture. First of all, it should be mentioned that the political positions
adopted and the thought embraced or produced served to shape the Islamic sects,
the Sunnah, the Shiites, the Khawarij, and others. Then the Ijtihad undertaken
by these sects or groups gave birth to subsidiary doctrines, some dealing with
faith and others with the fiqh. These groups used to approach provisions from
their own perspectives, blending the religious with the political, sometimes in
a spontaneously reconciliatory way and often with excessive interpretation.
Perhaps
it goes without saying that all these stances were the offshoot of a specific
epoch and peculiar conditions characterized by contradictions and conflict.
Today, there is no longer any room for such conflicts. There are, in fact, some
vestiges but they are not based on any grounds any more and do not interfere in
monitoring relations among Muslims. Their existence is confined to the books of
History.
Today,
we are in pressing need for distinguishing between what is purely historical,
which was subject to certain conditions and factors, and what is a religious
truth. In addition, we must differentiate between what relates to the faith and
what relates to the fiqh provisions. Regarding faith, there are no grounds for
divergence because faith is not subject to Ijtihad. As for the fiqh provisions,
there are matters which are considered immutable and are not subject to
difference. However, there are some matters which are governed by events and
cases. Even in this latter instance, it is possible to ward off differences. We
have, for example, a rule of utmost importance in connection with the bringing
of doctrines closer together. This rule calls for taking into consideration
differences and surpassing them through exchanging provisions, particularly
those which are supported with a cogent evidence although produced by a
differing doctrine.
Perhaps
if we look closely into this rule, and into other rules as well, and if we take
into consideration the objectives in gearing our provisions, we will then
realize the possibility of establishing rapprochement among the doctrines, and
maybe attain consensus after divergence as say mot of the Fundamentalists (Usuliyun).
Before and after starting this operation, we must contemplate the sources and
truths of Islam and look into the future of Muslims, their fate and their
needs.
Today,
Muslims are faced with a reality fraught with contradictions and conflicts. The
most conspicuous aspect of this reality is their lagging behind on the road of
progress. Likewise, Muslims are in a state of perplexity in the face of this
reality, entangled as they are in their political and doctrinal differences as
well as in their conflicting positions regarding adherence to religion,
language, heritage and identity in general.
Muslims
are also beset by a civilizational strife which lays bare their dispersion.
Among the features of this strife is the rocking of their faith as a result of
the rampant spread of all types of deviation. Muslims also suffer from
stagnation, a situation caused by the halt of Ijtihad and Istinbat (derivation)
as well as the current incapacity of the fiqh to grasp the essence, reasons and
objectives of matters and its consequent failure to respond to several
problems. They are likewise beset by intellectual lethargy, which impeded
creativity in the various fields of science.
Consequently,
there is a pressing need for a genuine understanding of Islam and a
conscientious comprehension of its truths and secrets. In other words, we must
comprehend the principles, characteristics, provisions, objectives, values and
components of Islam, in addition to understanding, in a sound way, the reality
in order to be able to solve problems in the light of these facts and on the
basis of a sound perception of the dynamism of history and its mutations.
The
moment we manage to do that, we will surely grasp fully the brilliant,
crystal-clear and positive aspects of Islam, which are apt to help forge our
authentic identity. We will then be able to make our conduct compatible with
this identity whether in the Muslim’s private or societal life. The Muslim
individual will take pride in his Islamic personality. Contradictions will
vanish and harmony between word and deed will prevail in accordance with a
logic stemming from the Islamic perspective which is based on the Wasatiya
(Middle way), facility, tolerance, rejection of excess and extremism and
compatibility with the natural disposition of man. The Muslim individual will
be endowed with a balanced personality which gives him the capacity to adapt,
the faculty to contain any event and the power to assimilate any innovation in
line with his interests, particularly that the observance of interests is one
of the basic pillars of legislation.
If the
faithful are genuine believers, they must know that there is no solution but to
refer all matters to the Almighty and to His apostle as stipulated in the verse
under consideration in this lecture. In other words, they must go back to the
sources of the revelation, to the Holy Quran and to the Pure Prophetic Sunnah.
Going
back to these sources means to understand them in the crystal-clear way in
which they came, without rehashing unuseful matters or going anew through the
already available lore. Interpretation should not be taken to extremes to the
extent of leading to deviation, fanaticism and excess.
To go
back to the sources is only possible if we transcend the phase of stagnation
fiqh so closely linked with traditions, to enter into the era of Ijtihad and
innovation just like what did the Imams who deduced the doctrines to which we
are adhering and in which we take immense pride. We should start from these
doctrines, and endeavour to develop, expand and innovate them bearing in mind
the necessary to achieve rapprochement in the areas of discord.
In this
context, it should be mentioned that the Ummah’s scholars and fuqaha should not
retreat to their ivory towers, thinking that the fiqh and faith questions are
extraneous to the general reality of Muslims who are aspiring to change this
reality.
Indeed,
the Muslims are looking forward, today, to recovering the distinct status that
they have lost and retrieving their dignity which is being trampled, hoping
they will secure the might whose way they have lost because they have forgotten
that it is Almighty Allah who is the originator and source of might. Almighty
Allah says :
“Says : ‘O God ! Lord of Power
(and Rule), Thou givest Power to whom Thou pleasest, ant Thou strippest off
Power from whom Thou pleasest : Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest,
and Thou bringest Low whom Thou pleasest”.
There
can be no power or honour for Muslims except through the crystal-clear Islam.
Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, was right when he said : “We are a people
who have been empowered with Islam. So whenever we seek power without Allah,
the Almighty will cause our humiliation”.
Majesty,
In their
pursuit of power and honour, the Muslims suffer, today, from political,
economic, social and cultural problems. Islam contains, though, a set of great
perennial values which may lead to the solution of these problems. Among these
values, we can cite faith in Allah, fear of Allah, justice, charity, tolerance,
peace, acquaintance with other people, in addition to other values stipulated
in numerous verses, such as :
“God commands justice, the
doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin”.
“The Believers are but a
single Brotherhood”.
“O mankind ! We created you
from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and
tribes, that ye may know each other”.
“Ye are the best of Peoples,
evolved for mankind”,
and
“Hold fast, all together, by
the Rope which God (stretches out for you)”.
So
numerous are the verses which deal with values. They are also widely known. But
who implements them ? Rather, who is able to abide by them, or use them to
awaken Muslims from their lethargy, to overcome their differences and to join
their ranks in order to proceed ahead on the Straight Path likely to change
their reality and achieve for them a brighter future ?
This is
a very intricate and thorny matter which should take into consideration three
items, namely the Islamic Society, knowledge and the State.
The
Islamic Society is ready to overcome these differences. As for the State, it
should lay the groundwork for a reconciliatory system in terms of doctrines
provided that it determines its political or regulatory pattern according to
the short-term or long-term circumstances.
It is
possible to give substance to this aspiration through setting up, at a first
stage, an intellectual and spiritual institution which cements all rifts. Its
to all Muslims in such a way as to unify them and harmonize their position in
an attempt to reconcile the religious truths stemming from the Quran with the
various social systems. This requires the establishment of basic mechanisms
founded on the sturdy Islamic pillars, in addition to patterns and models of
such systems. It also necessitates, first and foremost, the existence of the
pioneering leader.
These
requirements seem to be quite out of reach. Their achievement is a difficult
enterprise, or perhaps impossible as some would say. However, if we leave aside
compliments no matter how sincere and objective they may be, for indeed your
lofty thought and status transcend them, I can earnestly say that Your Majesty
has been favoured by Allah with the qualities necessary for shouldering such a
mission in view of your prominent status among those charged with authority in
the Muslim Ummah, including rulers and scholars. You are the precious jewel
adorning the noble Alaouite crown. Over and above, You are the grandson of the
Trustworthy Apostle of Allah. You stand at the vanguard of those who defend his
Sunnah. You are leading a people who has demonstrated its love of the pure family
of the Prophet ever since it hosted Moulay Idriss. Your people are still
reconciling between the Sunnah and Shiites. They still read a poem composed by
Al-Shafii, may Allah bless him, in which he says : “If the love of Muhammad’s
Family is viewed as Rafd, let the humans and the jinns then bear witness
that I an a Rafidi”. It shoulc be mentioned that Rafidi was the
title given to all the Shiites and was also used to call those who left Zayd
Ben Ali in reaction to his sound stances vis-à-vis the Companions. Moroccans
therefore combine between a love for the Sunnah and a leaning towards the pure
Shiite.
This is
why it is only natural that you should assume such a mission. You have already
made numerous initiatives in this connection. Suffice it to mention Your appeal
for bringing the Sunnah and the Shiites closer together, when You received the
members of the Islamic Revival Conference in September 1990. You are still
following up this rapprochement with keen interest and care. Shall I remind of
Your esteemed speech with which You opened the previous Summit Conference, and
in which You called for setting up a supreme organ to serve as a reference
framework in matters of Islam, which would also publicize the pure image of
Islam and rid it of the allegations which have been wrongly ascribed to it ?
This organ would also endeavour to bring Muslims closer together, observing all
the while the characteristics of each environment and region.
We
beseech Almighty Allah to achieve this hope at Your hand. The Muslims
throughout the world, are looking forward to that day.
We pray
the Exalted in Power to crown Your efforts with success, to perpetuate the
Ummah’s rally around You, to support You with the devotion of the sincere and
loyal members of this Ummah, to grant You his assistance and to lift Your
banner ever high with the might of Islam. May Almighty Allah give You his
strong support, grant You perfect health and quietude and extend to You his
lavish favours and blessings. May the Almighty preserve Your beloved Crown
Prince His Royal Highness Prince Sidi Mohamed as well as his loyal brother His
Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid and the entire honourable Royal Family. May
the Most High bless the reforming, militant Imam Moulay Mohamed V, honour his
soul and make him rest in peace, Amen.
I turn
the floor to the Commander of the Faithful to conclude.
“God and His Angels send
blessings on the Prophet : O ye that believe ! Send ye blessings on him, and
salute him with all respect”.
“Glory to thy Lord, the Lord
of Honour and Power ! He is free from
what they ascribe to Him ! And Peace on the Apostles ! And Praise to God, the
Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds”.