Working for the Common Good

1. Working for the Common Good Abdullah Hasan Winter conference 25/12/09 bradford

2. Purpose of creation & meaning of ‘ibadah I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship Me. I do not want any sustenance from them, nor do I want them to feed Me. [51:56] Islam is a comprehensive way of life Not a just a private matter { وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ }

3. Purposes of the Shari'ah • Imam Ibn al Qayyim wrote: “Shari'ah is based on wisdom and achieving people's welfare in this life and the afterlife. Shari'ah is all about justice, mercy, wisdom, and good. Thus, any ruling that replaces justice with injustice, mercy with its opposite, common good with mischief, or wisdom with nonsense, is a ruling that does not belong to the Shari'ah, even if it is claimed to be so according to some interpretations.” (Shamsuddin Ibn al-Qayyim, I`lam Al-Muwaqi`in, ed. Taha Abdul Rauf Sad, Beirut: Dar Al-Jeel, 1973) الشريعة مبناها وأساسها على الحكم ومصالح العباد في المعاش والمعاد. وهي عدل كلها، ورحمة كلها، وحكمة كلها، ومصلحة كلها، فكل مسألة خرجت عن العدل إلى الجور، وعن الرحمة إلى ضدها، وعن المصلحة إلى المفسدة، وعن الحكمة إلى العبث، فليست من الشريعة، وإن أدخلت فيها بالتأويل

4. How it achieves the Objective By sending Messengers to direct mankind { وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ }. This includes the whole of humanity, Muslims and Non Muslims alike. Imam Alusi said:والظاهر أن المراد بالعالمين ما يشمل الكفار، ووجه ذلك عليه أنه عليه الصلاة والسلام أرسل بما هو سبب لسعادة الدارين ومصحلة النشأتين إلا أن الكافر فوت على نفسه الانتفاع بذلك وأعرض لفساد استعداده عما هنالك، فلا يضر ذلك في كونه صلى الله عليه وسلم أرسل رحمة بالنسبة إليه أيضاً كما لا يضر في كون العين العذبة مثلاً نافعة عدم انتفاع الكسلان بها لكسله وهذا ظاهر خلافاً لمن ناقش فيه.

5. The Prophetic ingredients of social enterprise • (1) Simplicity of the Message: • The Prophet preached a simple. Message of peace and salvation from the Hellfire: • { قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ } – Say, He is Allah the one. • The Prophet did not give long speeches • The sahabs understood this and sacrificed for it. Example of Bilal. • Other simple messages in the Qur’an. How Allah created the universes, how He brings the rain down etc..

6. (2) Concern for Humanity: • ‘A’ishah narrated: “Once, when I saw the Prophet in a good mood, I said to him: “O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah for me!” So, he said: “O Allah! Forgive ‘A’ishah her past and future sins, what she has hidden, as well as what she has made apparent.“ So, I began smiling, to the point that my head fell into my lap out of joy. The Messenger of Allah said to me: “Does my supplication make you happy?“ I replied: “And how can your supplication not make me happy?” He then said: “By Allah, it is the supplication that I make for my Ummah in every prayer.“ Reported in ‘Sahih Mawaridadh-Dhaman’ (# 1875), and it is in ‘as-Silsilah as-Sahihah’ (# 2254)

7. A unique feature of Islam The Qur’an is for the whole of humanity The word ‘Insan’ (humanity) is mentioned 64 times Bani Adam (children of Adam) is mentioned 6 times The word ‘naas’ (people) 240 times in the Qur’an All this indicate that the Qur’an speaks/addresses all people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

8. The five objectives of Islam Kulliyatul Khams – the Shar’ah came to preserve: Ad-Deen(Religion) Al-Nafs(Life) Al-’Aql(Intellect) An-Nasland an-Nasab (Lineage) Al-Maal(Wealth) - Others such as freedom, ird has been added by scholars.

9. The Prophetic ingredients of social enterprise • (3) Social engagement: • { وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِيناً وَيَتِيماً وَأَسِيراً } • The Prophet was known among the Non Muslims to be honest • He sent a delegation to Habasha in order to spread Islam • He went to Taif to find support

10. Hilf al Fudul This collaboration was established to implement justice in Mecca by supporting the oppressed and ensure people not to be oppressed. Ibn Ishaq narrated that the age of the prophet at the time of this agreement was twenty years.

11. Reasons Behind the collaboration A man from the Zubaid tribe came to Makkah with a trade which he sold to Al-A‘as bin Wail. However, he refused to pay the money so the man went asking help from Bani Makhzum and others but they refused to help him and were harsh with him. The man went next morning to a hill and yelled with this poetry while the Quraish were gathering around the Ka'ba: O people of fakhr I am a oppressed man in my trade..........in the centre of Mecca away from my home and tribeExhausted and tired in my Umra which has not finished yet........O men who stand between the two rocksprotection of the Haram is to whom his dignity is wasted.......No protection must be given to those who do wrong and oppress At the time these lines were heard, Al-Zubair bin Abdulmutalib stood up and said: this man must never be abandoned. So he gathered with Bani Hashim, Bani Zuhra, Bani taym bin Murra in the house of Abdullah bin Jud'an and agreed to establish a pact to protect the citizens and non citizens of Makkah..

12. Intra Muslim collaboration • ‘Intra Muslim collaboration means that Muslims must: • Stand united against racism & Islamaphobia • Put their house in order first • Focus on the big picture • Move away from subsidiary issues which divide the Muslim community

13. Qur’an enjoins collaboration ‘’enjoin one another in goodness...’’ Conditions of cooperation: It must be something that is good/halal Muslims should not compromise their principles Muslims should understand that there is a benefit in this cooperation The collaboration must not lead to something that is harmful to the Muslims

14. Areas where Muslims and non-Muslims can work together Sex education for children Fighting for civil rights Crime and Drugs Prostitution Global warming: وأخرج الطبراني عن ربيعة الخرشي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " تحفظوا من الأرض فإنها أمكم، وإنه ليس من أحد عامل عليها خيراً، أو شرّاً إلاّ وهي مخبرة " The Prophet said: ‘’Preserve the earth for verily she is your mother. No person will do a deed, whether it is good or evil except that she will speak of it’’