Andalusia (Part I)

The Iberian Peninsula

Andalusia was the name used by the Muslim population of the Iberian Peninsula for the territory that was under Muslim rule from 711 CE until the fall of Granada in 1492 CE.

Historians recorded that in the early 5^th century, Germanic tribes invaded the peninsula, namely the Suebi, the Vandals and their allies, the Sermatian Alans. All of them created several kingdoms, but only the Kingdom of Suebi endured after the arrival of another wave of Germanic invaders, the Visigoths, who conquered all of the Iberian Peninsula and expelled or partially integrated the Vandals, and the Alans. After that the Visigoths conquered the Suebi kingdom in 584.

In the late fourth and early fifth centuries they became federates of the Western Roman Empire, and in 410 Alaric led the Visigoths in an attack on the city of Rome. They declared independence and established a Gothic state with Toledo as its capital. The Visigoths’ religion was Arianism, while the original people of Andalusia were Catholic Canaanites. They were subject to the Gothic rule and were tolerant towards them. During his reign (586-601) Reccard declared his conversion to Catholicism in 589.

 “Arianism is a belief declared by the Alexandrian presbyter Arius (258-376). It affirmed that Christ is not truly divine but a created being. The fundamental premise of Arius was the uniqueness of God, who is alone self-existent and immutable. Christ, who is not self-existent, cannot be God” (Encyclopedia Britannica).

When the emperors Gratian (367-383) and Theodosius I (379-395) took up the defense of orthodoxy (Catholicism), Arianism collapsed. In 381 when the second Ecumenical Council met at Constantinople, Arianism was proscribed and the Nicene Creed was approved. Yet Arianism continued among some of the Germanic tribes, especially in the Iberian Peninsula to the end of the 7^th century.

Why conquering Andalusia

Before the Islamic rule, four classes in conflict constituted the population of Andalusia: (1) The ruling colonialist class of Goths; (2) The Roman elite (the feudal lords and clergymen); (3) The Jews and (4) The indigenous working class. That conflict caused domination, oppression and persecution against the lower class, the indigenous.

The Visigoths occupied the country for about three centuries, however, as related by Prof. Husayn Mu’nis in his book “Fajr-al-Andalus” (I quote from www.islamqa.info): “…their authority was not well established in the land at first, because of the religious conflicts that occurred between them and the original people, and because of the disputes that occurred among their rulers. Hence, throughout the sixth century the land was subjected to civil wars, chaos and problems that resulted from them, until the time of the last Visigoth ruler whose name was Roderic.”

"What is clear and indisputable is that Roderic felt that he was not fully in control and all his life he feared an attack from his many enemies. These enemies were not only the sons of Wittiza, whose kingdom Roderic had usurped, rather they included most of the Iberian, Roman and Jewish people, i.e., most of the people of the land, which the Goths had invaded”.

Prof. Husayn Mu’nis mentions that the local people rejected Gothic rule. He quoted Rafael Balasteros, the Spanish historian, as saying: “If the Arabs had not interfered in the Peninsula’s affairs in 711 CE and put an end to this age of turmoil, the Goths would have inflicted unimaginable harm on Spain”.

So the population of Andalusia, due to the Goths’s oppression, sent word to the Muslims in North Africa, asking them to help and save them. Julian, the ruler of Ceutah sent word to Moosa bin Nusayr (governor of the Umayads) asking him for help against the one who had usurped his father’s kingdom. The Jews who were being persecuted by the Goths also sought help from Muslims in North Africa to save them from the oppression of Roderic.

Before the military action, Moosa bin Nusayr asked permission from the Khalifa in Damascus. The Khalifa asked him to be cautious, “send first a military detachment to know the situation at place”. Only then, in 711 Muslim military entered Spain under the leadership of Tariq bin Ziyad with the help of the ruler of Ceutah. That military action could really be called jihad, because they were invited by an oppressed people, and because they did it to liberate the oppressed from the atrocity they were subjected to. Jihad is not terror as usually described by the media nowadays. Jihad is the action of liberation against the oppressors, as we find in the text of the Qur’an: « What is wrong with you, that you do not fight in the way of God, and for the oppressed men, women, and children who say: Our Lord, bring us forth from this town whose people are evildoers and appoint for us a protector from You, and appoint for us from You a helper” (4:75).

Muslims came to Andalusia with four purposes, motivated by their faithful devotion to God:

1.    Establishing Human freedom; the Qur’an says: “O mankind! We have indeed created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may come to know each other. Truly the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most God-conscious among you. Truly, God is all-Knowing, all-Aware” (49:13).

2.    Respecting God’s ordinances; the Qur’an says: “Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and do not follow beside Him any masters. Little do you remember” (7:3).

3.    Establishing Social justice; the Qur’an says: O you who have attained to faith! Be upright in justice; witnesses for God, even though it be against yourselves, or parents and kinsmen, whether the person be rich or poor; God is better caretaker of both. So do not follow any whim, lest you swerve, for if you twist or refrain, surely God is ever aware of what you do” (4:135).

4.    Promoting skills to enrich the country, because they believed that God has given them opportunities to exploit all what is on earth, in the skies and around it to be of use to them and to fulfil their needs in life as easily as possible, as the Qur’an says: “And He (God) has disposed for you whatever is in the heavens, and whatever is in the earth; all being from Him. Surely in that there are signs for a people who reflect”

(45:13). “It is He (God) Who made the earth tractable for you, so walk in its flanks and eat of His provision; and to Him is the resurrection” (67:15).

Europe’s benefit

According to Juan Vernet in his book “The Art of Islamic Spain” (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Abrams, 1992),

“Muslims entered Spain not as aggressors, but as liberators. In this multicultural society, many Jews and Christians held government positions”.

“Throughout the period of Islamic rule, Al-Andalus was a remarkable example and outstanding model of tolerance”

(Benchrifa, Mohamed: “The Routes of al-Andalus” http://mirror-us.

Unesco.org/culture/al-andalus/html_eng/andalus2.htm).

“When Muslims first arrived in Spain in 711 CE, they were mainly composed of Arabs and Berbers from North Africa. Within two decades a majority of the inhabitants of Andalusia, especially most of the Unitarian Christians and the oppressed class, accepted Islam freely in recognition of the peace, security and the freedom of religion and expression under the Muslim rule. They intermarried within various ethnic groups including the native Spanish-Muslim population, with the result that Spain became a fairly homogeneous country within a few generations” (Dr. A. Zohoor).

“At a time when even kings could not read or write, a Moorish king had a private library of six hundred thousand books. At a time when ninety-nine percent of the Christian people were wholly illiterate, the Moorish city of Cordova had eight hundred public schools, and there was not a village within the limits of the empire where the blessings of education could not be enjoyed by the children of the most indigent peasant and it was difficult to encounter even a Moorish peasant who could not read and write” (S. P. Scott in “The History of the Moorish Empire in Europe” quoted from: www.cyberistan.org/islamic/quote3.html).

Muslim civilization

Andalusia was the main route of Islamic civilization and the most important bridge through which Islamic civilization moved to whole Europe and had an impact on various scientific, intellectual, social and economical fields.

Andalusia remained for eight centuries (711-1492) a radiating beacon of civilization, even when it was politically weak, when a part of the kingdom was overthrown. In fact, during those centuries in Spain, Muslim rulers have almost never been in peace. There was disintegration within them. Some of them made alliances with neighbouring enemies against one another, but scientists, philosophers and lawyers all continued in their researches and works. They achieved a lot of success for the benefit of the renaissance in Europe and ultimately the whole world.

Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931), a French scholar recorded: “No sooner had the Arabs completed the conquest of Spain than they started to carry out the message of civilization there. In less than a century, they managed to give life to dead lands, reconstruct ruined cities, set up magnificent buildings, and strengthen close trade relation with other nations. They then started to dedicate themselves to studying sciences and arts and to translate Greek and Latin books and set up universities which continued to be a place for culture in Europe for a long time” (G. Le Bon: “Civilization of Arabs”, quoted from: islamstory.com).

To be continued…

Life's Strive

In the Qur’an there is a short Surah with title “al-‘Asr”. If we translate “al-‘asr” with “the time” then we could translate the Surah as follows: “By the time! Indeed mankind is in loss, except those who attain to faith, and do good works, and enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other to be steadfast” (Qur’an 103:1-3).

But I was stunned when reading the explanation of Dr. Salah Al-Khalidy about the word “al’asr”. Indeed, “the time” is one of the meanings, but there is another possibility to use the word for “the act of bringing out something with special effort”, as for example ‘asr al-laimoon = squeezing out juice from a lemon.

So in that surah we can use both meanings. The surah is talking about mankind who lives his life in a given time. This time given to him by the Creator is meant for a purpose. God has gifted each person with a certain skill, for which one should strive his whole life, with accentuated effort. When that limited time comes to an end, then he will be questioned by the Creator: what have you done with all the facilities and options given to you in that limited time?

The surah explains that everyone is bound to loose himself unless he or she be of those who have achieved these four guidelines:

1.   To attain faith in God, the Creator.

2.   To do good works, according to the guidance.

3.   To enjoin one another to truth.

4.   To enjoin one another to endurance.

All those elements need vigilance and special effort. Any person, who wants to avoid the loss, should draw out most of his skills and capacities in achieving fruitful deeds for humanity, as much as possible.

This clear God’s decree (in Surah Al-‘Asr) may also be considered as an explanation of the declaration in another surah of the Qur’an, surah “At-Tin”, in which God says:

Certainly We created man in the best conformation. Then We rendered him to the lowest of the low. Except those who attained to faith and have done the good deeds, so they shall have a reward never be cut off” (95:4-6).

And as you can observe, “the good deeds” in this surah had been explained and included in Surah Al-‘Asr “enjoining one another to truth” and “enjoining one another to endurance”, because, in fact, although the work of individuals is essential, yet the cooperation is necessary to bring out good results.

Good Intention and Sincerity

For a faithful believer all actions he does are aimed to satisfy the society he lives in, and to be accepted by the Almighty God. Umar bin al-Khattab said: I have heard the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) was saying: “Actions are to be judged only by intentions, and a man will have only what he intended. Thus he whose emigration was for the sake of God and His messenger, his emigration shall be counted for the sake of God and His messenger; and he whose emigration intended to achieve some worldly gain or for a woman he intended to marry, then his emigration will end to which he emigrated for” (Reported by Muslim, An-Nasai and Abu Dawud).

A person has to do his actions as excellently as possible and with sincerity. Shaddad bin Aws said about the slaughter of animals:

Two things I remember the messenger of God (God’s blessings upon him) having said: “Verily, God has enjoined excellence on doing everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way; when you slaughter, do it nicely, by sharpening the knife, so to let the slaughtered animal die comfortably” (Reported by Muslim in his Collection of Hadith).

Surely this would be no easy task, as the life of human being in this world is full of toil and misery. Consciously or not every person will meet sorrow, worry and pain, with the rare moments of true happiness and satisfaction. This human condition is described by God in the Qur’an as follows: “O mankind! Surely you must strive (to attain) to your Lord, a hard striving until you meet Him” (84:6).

Practically all people strive, work hard, but most of them do not know for what purpose. The Qur’an guides people to make sense of their life.

It says: “Or has he not been informed of what is in the scriptures of Moses and (of) Abraham who fulfilled (the commandments): that no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another; and that human being shall have nothing but what he strives for; and that his striving shall soon be seen, then shall he be rewarded for it with the fullest reward, and that to your Lord is the goal” (53:36-42).

“So, he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it. And he who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it”

(99:7-8).

The last Messenger of God used to encourage his followers to work as hard as they can. Anas bin Malik (one of his companions) reported that the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) said: “If the Final Hour comes while you have a palm sprout in your hand and it is possible to plant it before the Hour starts, you should plant it” (Al-Adab al-Mufrad by Al-Bukhari).

“And say: Act, for God will surely see your action, and (so will) His messenger and the believers; and you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the visible, and He will tell you what you used to do” (9:105).

Paying for Frivolous Discourse?

Human beings are created by God, the Creator, for a certain purpose. That purpose is “worshiping God alone”, which means obeying Him in all situations. And if they are aware of that purpose, then they will avoid doing things that only meet their own needs.  God says: “O mankind, worship your Lord Who created you and those who lived before you, so that you might remain conscious of Him” (2:21). But if they spend a lot of time for that, which is not consistent with that purpose, then this is not acceptable. And if they are conscious of God then they will always remember God’s saying: “Indeed God enjoins justice and excellence in behaviour and deeds), and to be generous to kinsfolk; and He forbids lewdness, and abomination and oppressive attitudes. He exhorts you, so that you may be mindful” (16: 90).

Let us reflect on this verse of the Qur’an: “And among people THERE IS HE WHO PAYS FOR FRIVOLOUS DISCOURSE to lead others astray from the Way of God without knowledge, and take it in mockery. For such there will be a humiliating punishment. And when Our signs (ayat) are recited to such (a one) he turns away disdainfully as though he never heard them, as though there were a deafness in his ears. So give him tidings of a painful chastisement” (31:6-7).

At the time of the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) the

Qur’an was revealed in portions, that is why we see many ayat (verses) narrating the reactions of people, which is very useful for our reflection.

Even today some people prefer to fill their time by making up, telling or listening to unfounded stories, which are of no benefit, just for the purpose of “killing” time. They even do it by “paying” with their wealth and energy. They do not realize that time is among the greatest bounties God has given human beings. Secondly, human beings are gifted with their capabilities, power and awareness, which they can use to elevate their standard of life. As a third grace, which is indispensable as a guide for them, they have the Qur’an and the Prophet’s teachings. Those who want to have a successful life and also have success in the Hereafter, should use all three gifts together, so that they may reach their goal positively.

God says: “And those who strive for Our sake, We shall assuredly guide them in Our ways, and truly God is with the virtuous” (29:69).

And what is worse than “killing” one’s time, is alluring others to kill theirs with all kinds of diversions, in order to encourage them to disregard their real duties, disregard what God enjoins, and disregard what God forbids. And the most blameable, is that some of them ridicule God’s guidance. And to mock God’s guidance is very dangerous, as God reminds us in His admonition: “God will requite them for their mockery, and will leave them for a while in their overweening arrogance, bewildered” (2:15).

In any case, the “frivolous discourse” leads to loss in the life of this world and in the life to come. One should be mindful in his talk and the way he uses his minutes, his hours and his lifespan. Talk should only be used for correct and useful purposes.

Addressing the believers, the Qur’an says: “O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and (always) speak with a true and just utterance” (33:70). And again:

“O you who have attained to faith! Why do you say what you do not do. It is severely hateful in God’s sight that you say what you do not do” (61:2-3).

The Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) said: “Whoever believes in God and in the Hereafter should either speak good words or keep quiet” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). He even often warns people from backbiting, talking calumny and slandering.

Abu Hurairah narrated: One day the Messenger of God (God’s blessings upon him) asked his companions: “ Do you know what backbiting is? “ They replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “It is saying something about your brother which he dislikes”. Someone asked: Supposing that what I said about my brother was true? The Messenger of God said: “ If what you say about him is true you have backbitten him and if it is not true you have slandered him“ (Muslim’s Collection of Hadith).

The teaching of this Hadith helps keep real brotherhood, good relationships and mutual solidarity between people.

There is no doubt that the speech of a person translates the expression of his mind, his intellect, his emotion or his belief. Thus, while uttering his speech one should be cautious of what could be the consequence of it. The Qur’an is very clear in this matter:  for any word uttered by a person, there is a sentinel recording it. If one has a bad intention or bad thoughts caused either by his intellect, his emotion or his belief, which is not yet put into action or uttered, he may be forgiven by God; but as soon as it comes into action or into uttered words, then it is immediately recorded by the watcher (an angel specially sent for that purpose): “ Not even a word can he uttered but there is a watcher with him, ever-present “  (50:18). If a person has a good intention, in word or action, but could not realize it for a reason out of his control, then he will be rewarded with one point of credit; and if he realizes it he will get ten points.

God says: “Whoever brings a good deed (by action or word), shall receive tenfold the like of it, and whoever brings an evil deed (by action or word) shall only be requited the like of it; and they shall not be wronged “ (6: 160).

What is Loyality?

In most dictionaries “loyalty” is defined as “a feeling of faithfulness or allegiance” or “a feeling or attitude of devoted attachment and affection”.

From my point of view, feeling alone is not enough, it has to be combined with sincere attitude of faithfulness and allegiance.

Loyalty to God

For a Muslim, the utmost loyalty is to God, the Almighty.

And as long as a person is totally loyal and faithful to God, all loyalties to others are guaranteed. 

In order to keep living in peace, we need to have many loyalties: parentage, marriage, neighborhood, citizenship, brotherhood in faith, and, last but not least, harmony with all creation of God (unless one needs to protect oneself in case of an attack from the outside).

The Muslim is a person whose utmost loyalty is to God alone: “Say: Truly, my prayer, my ritual sacrifice, my living, my dying – all belongs to God, the Lord of all being. No associate has He. And thus have I been commanded, and I am the first of those who submit” (6:162-163).

The Qur’an tells us that a covenant was taken from all descendants of Adam, which is binding accordingly on each individual. Adam’s seed carries on the existence of Adam and succeeds to his spiritual heritage. God has given the descendants of Adam certain gifts and faculties, which give us special spiritual obligations which we must faithfully fulfill: “And when your Lord took from the Children of Adam, from their loins their seed and made them testify against themselves: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes, indeed we testify, lest they should say on the Day of Resurrection: Truly, of this we were unaware. Or lest you should say: It is merely that our fathers were idolaters before and we were descendants of theirs; will you then destroy us on account of what the erroneous did?” (7:172-173).

Although descendants of Adam were already given certain powers to know God through His creation, of which they are a part, yet God bestowed upon them guidance through His messengers. Those messengers (last of whom was Muhammad, God’s blessings upon them all), reminded people their Covenant with God: “We have verily sent Our messengers with clear signs, and We revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance, so that mankind may uphold justice.. “ (57 :25). “And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him that: there is no god except Me, so worship Me!” (21 :25).

The last prophet/messenger was sent for all human beings to remind them as well of their covenant with God, asking them to be totally loyal to God. God says: “This (Qur’an) is indeed a reminder. Let him who will, then, choose a way to his Lord” (76 :29).

If we ponder on the Qur’an and we reflect upon the creation of God in ourselves and in the world around us, we can, then, dig out the remembrance of our covenant with God. To fulfil our covenant with God is to perform His ordinances, but if we disobey, then this means breaking God’s covenant. And God says: “Those who break God’s Covenant after it is rectified, and who sunder what God has ordered to be joined, and do mischief on earth: These cause loss (only) to themselves” (2:27).

Loyalty to parentage

Whereas God is the ultimate cause of man’s coming to life, his parents are its outward immediate cause, so the preceding call to God is followed by the injunction to honour and cherish one’s parents: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and to be kind to parents. If they should reach old age with you, one of them or both then do not say ‘Fie’ (or ‘Ugh’) nor repulse them, but speak to them gracious words. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say: My Lord, have mercy on them, just as they reared me when I was little” (17:23-24).

Loyalty and trust are the most important ingredients in building an intimate relationship between husband and wife, thus in building a family entity. It is very important for a young man and a young woman to choose an acceptable spouse, for there is, according to the Qur’an, a firm pledge between husband and wife: “... and they (women) had taken from you a firm pledge” (4:21), so that they may have mutual respect and kind treatment towards each other. “… wives have rights similar to those due from them, with justice; but their men have a degree above them” (2:228), because they are responsible for the maintenance of the family.

Loyalty to others

After being loyal to parents, there are others to whom one has to show loyalty as well: the relatives, the needy, the neighbours, the friends, and the wayfarers. All those have the right of one’s loyalty and respect: “And worship God, and associate nothing with Him. And be kind to parents, and near kindred, and to orphans, and to the needy, and to the neighbour who is near, and the neighbour who is stranger, and to the friend at your side, and to the wayfarer, and to what your right hands own. Surely God loves not the conceited, and the boastful” (4:36).

The Prophet (God’s blessing upon him) said: “Do not nurse malice against one another, do not nurse aversion against  one another, and do not be inquisitive about one another, and do not outbid one another (with a view to raising the price) and be fellow-brothers and servants of God”; (Narrated by Abu Hurairah and reported by imam Muslim in his Collection of Hadith).

Loyalty to Laws

Every Muslim today, wherever he may be is often confronted with laws that are not in conformity with Islamic Law. Although this may vary in degree of importance or in interpretation, the fact is that the community or its legitimate leaders alone can remedy this discrepancy if they decide to do so or are persuaded to do so. However, it is not for the individual to violate such laws that might be binding to him. Because each person in his own country has a covenant with the authority or with the nation and is bound through it to obey the laws that are established in the land. Every person needs to fulfil his covenant as God has ordered it so:

“O you who have attained to faith! Fulfil your bonds ...” (5:1).

It is regrettable to see that some Muslims allow themselves to violate or deceive civil laws here or there. This means those who do so have no loyalty to God who ordered believers to be firm in their engagement. There is an important warning in this respect. God says:

“O you who have attained to faith! Do not betray God and the Messenger and betray your trusts while you are aware” (8:27).

It means we should not be false to God in our behaviour as the servants of God, who should obey His guidance. We should not be false to the Messenger, as he has conveyed to us God’s ordinances. And we should not be false to the trust that has been put in us. We have to respect the trust and confidence of our fellow men, which occurs every day in our life.

An Inspiring Story - Zulqarnain

All event stories in the Qur’an are true and correct because the Creator and the Lord of all the worlds narrated them. Many of them may have happened before people started recording events. These stories were narrated for our benefit, and as God says: “Indeed, in their stories there is a lesson for those who are endowed with insight; it could not be a discourse invented … “ (12:111). 

The purpose of this story is to give a lesson to those who exercise functions of authority, and to promote issues within a society, such as being well organized, utilizing the energies available, helping the needy, being firm in upholding justice among people, with sincere faith in God and the Day of Resurrection.

The Qur’an tells us about Zulqarnain, without mentioning his original country, his lifetime or the places where he exercised his authority, because the main purpose in relating his story is only the teaching of lessons. God endowed him with power and provided him ways and means for his great works. His power extended over East and West and over people of diverse civilizations. He was just and righteous, not selfish or grasping. He protected the weak and punished the unlawful. He was a God-conscious leader; he recognized that God gave him power and opportunities as a trust. He was a faithful believer and did not forget God in his speeches to the people.

In his three expeditions he utilized the right means for the achievement of a particular goal. God says in the Qur’an:  “Indeed We empowered him throughout the land, and endowed him with (the knowledge of) the right means to achieve anything (that he might set out to achieve); and so he chose the right means (in what ever he did)” (18:84-85).

Let us try to dig out the lessons:

First Expedition: In the first expedition to the West he found a turbulent and unruly people. He had great power and got authority over them, so that he could act in one of the two ways: either to be just and handle them with wisdom or to be cruel and unjust towards them. Zulqarnain chose the peaceful way and ruled with justice. He protected the weak and the innocent; he punished the guilty and the headstrong. He always remembered that the true punishment would come in the Hereafter – the true and final justice before the Throne of God. The Qur’an records: “And he marched westwards till, when he came to the setting of the sun, it appeared to him that it was setting in a dark, turbid spring; and nearby he found a people. We said: O Zulqarnain, either punish them or treat them kindly. He said: As for him who does wrong, we shall chastise him, then he shall be returned to his Lord and He shall chastise him with an awful chastisement. But as for him who believes and acts righteously, he shall have the fairest reward, and we shall speak to him mildly in our command” (18:86-88).

The lesson we can take here is the importance of exercising justice and good behavior towards people, especially for those who hold authority over others in whatever position they are.

Second Expedition: This time Zulqarnain marched to the East. There, he seems to have found a primitive people. The Qur’an says: “Then he followed (another) way; (he marched eastwards) till, when he came to the setting of the sun he found that it was rising on a people for whom We had provided no coverings against it: Thus it was, and We did encompass with Our knowledge all that he had in mind” (18:90-91).

Zulqarnain came to this region with strong power and authority but did not fuss over their primitiveness. He might either have left them to the enjoyment of peace and tranquility in their own way, or he might have started to educate them gradually; there is no detailed information about it. However, Zulqarnain was God-conscious and wise. He did not act like the waves of the European migrants in America following the arrival of Christopher Columbus, in the 15^th Century. Each wave more determined than the last to seize control of the “New World’s” vast natural resources: In South America, Francisco Pizarro slaughtered the Inca. In Mexico, Hernan Cortes destroyed the Aztecs. Millions and millions of natives perished. Today, the population of Native Americans is widely scattered and many tribes and ancient customs have been lost forever.

The Aborigines (in Australia) are among the most ancient races in the entire world. The European migrants were the ones that governed the country. Beginning in 1909 - and continuing into the 1970s - the Australian government instituted a policy of removing Aboriginal children from their parents to destroy any trace of their native heritage.

Third Expedition: The important lesson we can learn from Zulqarnain’s third expedition to the East is that he has managed to achieve the building of a great construction, which was vital for the people in the region. He was keen to exploit his technical proficiency and the skills of local labor’s energy to fulfill the wish of the people and realize that construction. When he finished the planned construction, Zulqarnain did not forget to admonish the people, that whatever success he obtained is firstly by the grace and mercy of God, who made everything available to achieve what has been intended. He also reminded them that nothing in this world is everlasting, and that the time will come when this solid construction will be leveled.

The Qur’an says: “Then he followed (another) way; until, when he reached between the two barriers he found on this side of them a folk that could scarcely comprehend speech. They said: O Zulqarnain, truly Gog and Magog are causing corruption in the land. So shall we pay a tribute on condition that you build between us and them a barrier? He said: That wherein my Lord has empowered me is better; so help me with (your labour’s) strength, and I will build between you and them a rampart. Bring me ingots of iron; until when he had levelled up (the gap) between the two flanks he said: Blow; until when he had made it a fire, he said: Bring me molten copper to pour over it. And so they were not able to scale it, nor could they pierce it. Said he: This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will level it, for my Lord’s promise is (always) true”  (18:92-98).

Beside this, Dr. Ahmad Khairi Al-Umari, in his book “Qur’anic Compass” wrote a very interesting analysis about the Story of Zulqarnain. According to him, God made all the stories in Surah Al-Kahf in such a way, that they would inspire Muslim readers of the Qur’an to think deeply and dig out the purpose of these stories. The Surah starts with youth bearing the burden of a different belief and faith, which seems so fragile at the beginning, to the point that it will be saved in a cave, then passes through different stages and eventually reaches the highest stage: Zulqarnain’s story. The distance between these two stages should be determined by the Qur’anic compass, which sets the trend, the constants and the target.

According to Al-Umari, the first expedition of Zulqarnain was towards the sunset, symbolising all degradation of civilisations to “the dark turbid spring”. That spring was not expulsing vital water for its surrounding, but expulsing unhealthy fluids destroying everything. It symbolized the degradation of morality in the civilisation. But although this society had a lame civilisation, yet it was possible to treat it and bring it up to a better one. This is what Zulqarnain has done during his time of power in that region of the world, by establishing a constitution based on the ordinances of God and by following His guidance.

The second expedition shows that when people are uncivilised, you cannot create a constitution for them, you first have to educate them from the ground up.

In the third expedition Zulqarnain found a people who seemed enough civilised but who complained from hostile people (the Qur’an named them “ya’jooj and ma’jooj”) who used to cause corruption in the land; they come from the other side of the mountainous area. Both names come from the Arabic word “ajjaja” which means creating pulsation. He said that most probably this name “ya’jooj and ma’jooj” is to describe their disturbing and destroying character. Thus, to protect the complainants, Zulqarnain agreed to help them build what they needed, not merely a barrier, but a solid rampart, which would prevent the hostiles to pass through. He refused to take tribute, but instead asked them to take part in the construction of the rampart with their labor’s strength. This decision of Zulqarnain shows his wisdom and sincerity in helping people and encouraging them to elevate their level of life in a humanly, brotherly spirit.

Rejecting Egoism

Abdullah bin ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet

(God’s blessings upon him) said: “The faithful

believer who mixes with people and endures 

their injury is better than the person who 

does not mix with people nor endures their  

injury“ (Reported by Al-Bukhari in “Al-adab   

al-mufrad”, as well as by Ibn Majah and at-

Tirmidhi in their Collections of Hadith).

Muslims have an obligation to do a cult of prayers (salat) five times a day. In every prayer they repeat several times a formula saying “iyaka na’budu wa iyaka nasta’een” wich means: “You alone (o God) we worship and from You alone we ask for help”.  And again: “Ihdina as-sirata al-mustaqeem” which means: “Guide us (o God) to the Straight Path”!

These repeated formulas incite faithful believers to be sociable persons, far from being selfish or egocentric, as they do not say “You alone I worship” nor: “from You alone I ask for help”. They do not say: “Guide me” but: “Guide us”.

A faithful believer should not be concerned with himself excessively, nor should he seek or concentrate on gaining just his own advantage, pleasure or wellbeing without regard for others. No, instead he should be sociable, helping the needy, providing safety to the helpless, and should be ready to come to the aid of the weak when they need it.

God says: “You will not attain to piety until you spend of what you love; and whatever thing you spend God knows of it” (3:92).

“And they (the true believers) give food despite (their) love of it to the needy, and the orphan, and the prisoner (saying in their hearts): We feed you only for the sake of God; we do not desire from you any reward, nor any thanks” (74:6). A faithful believer when he gives to others should do it sincerely for God’s sake, not seeking any gain, except from God, as God says: “And do not grant a favour seeking greater gain” (74:6).

All what we just mentioned above was about individuals, but the same is also true for groups of people, whether it be families, tribes or nations; each group should avoid being egocentric. They all should be sociable, honoring each other, and helping each other.

The show of mutual ridicule is not to be taken lightly, as most often it is a sign of arrogance, selfishness or malice. We may have fun with people and share the happiness of life in such occasions as during wedding festivities, but we must never laugh at the expense of other people in contempt or ridicule. Speaking ill of others can be considered defamation. Backbiting remarks or taunts of sarcasm result in pain for others and create more difficulties with one another. The same applies to offensive nicknames, which also amounts to defamation.

God says: “O you who have attained to faith! Do not let any people deride another people: who may be better than they are; nor let any women deride (other) women who may be better than they are. And do not defame one another, nor insult one another, by nicknames. Evil is the name of immorality after faith! And whoever does not repent, those – they are the evildoers. O you who have attained to faith! Shun much suspicion. Indeed some suspicions are sins. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you love to eat the flesh of his brother dead? You would abhor it. And be conscious of God. Verily, God is an acceptor of repentance, a Dispenser of grace!” (49:11-12).

The Qur’an reminds mankind that all human being belong to one human family, without any inherent superiority of one over another. Therefore they have to respect and safeguard each other’s dignity. The evolution of mankind into nations and tribes is meant to foster and not to diminish their mutual desire to understand and appreciate the essential of humanity's unity. All racial, national or tribal prejudice is condemned: “O mankind! We have indeed created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may come to know one another. Truly the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most God-fearing among you. Truly God is Knower, Aware” (49:13).

There is a Hadith of the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) says: “Behold, God has removed from you the arrogance of pagan ignorance with its boast of ancestral glories. Man is but a God-conscious believer or an unfortunate sinner. All people are children of Adam and Adam was created out of dust” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi in his Collection of Hadith).

Modesty in one's behaviour is demanded from a true believer in God. The Qur’an records among the admonitions of Wise Luqman to his son the following saying: “And do not turn your cheek disdainfully from people and do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Truly God does not like any swaggering braggart. And be modest in your bearing and lower your voice; indeed the most hideous of voices is the donkey’s voice” (31:18-19).

Abu Hurairah, a companion of the Prophet narrated that the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) said: "God increases the honour of one who forgives and one who serves another seeking the pleasure of God, God will exalt him in ranks" (Reported by Muslim in his Collection of Hadith).

There is no place for egocentrism in the life of a faithful believer in God and in the Day of Resurrection, as he or she is only a servant of God exercising a duty ordered by His or Her Lord, with a clear guidance. He is only one among other fellow human beings, all servants of God.

Qur’an vs. Unbalanced Consumption

According to latest statistics the world's wealthiest 10% account for nearly 80% of consumption of goods and services, while the poorest 10% account for only 1.5% of consumption. Furthermore, it is reported that the world's richest 85 persons own $1.7 trillion, the same net asset shared by the world half poorest population, that is by 3.5 Million people.

From these and other current statistics we can see a great gap between the poor and the wealthy of our so-called "civilized world". Moreover nearly 1 Billion people, that is 1 in 7 of the world's population is suffering from chronic undernourishment.

There is a great shame in that we live in a world where the few very wealthy with their extravagant wasteful lifestyle live together with the mass of poor and needy struggling for their survival. All this in an age of great technological and scientific advancement in medicine, agriculture, communications and transportation that could all help alleviate the suffering of the poor. The Qur’an describes those who neglect to help the needy, or do not urge people to help, as people who deny Faith, because by denying their responsibility in this life they deny their accountability in the Hereafter. Because they treat the helpless with contempt and lead arrogant selfish lives, even if they are physically exercising their regular prayers, while their hearts and minds are not earnestly seeking the presence of God. The Qur’an says: “Have you seen him who denies the Judgment? That is he who repels the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the needy. So woe to them who pray, those who are heedless of their prayers, those who make a pretense, and deny all assistance (to the needy)” (107:1-7).

Most of this kind of problems come from selfishness that leads a person to concentrate his behavior and actions to what he believes is of benefit for him alone. The Qur’an warns such people by saying: “Let them not suppose those who are niggardly with what God has given them of His bounty, that it is better for them; nay, it is worse for them; what they have withheld, they shall have hug around their necks on the Day of Resurrection; and to God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth; and God is aware of what you do”  (3:180).

The Qur’an considers the wealth possessed by someone to be a gift from God, and it is meant to be a trial for him, and he will be questioned in the Day of Judgement on how he earned it and how he used it: “And know that your wealth and your children are a trial, and that with God is tremendous wage”  (3:180).  This tremendous wage is of course for those who spend from their wealth, that which is due to the poor and the needy.  The Qur’an also states that of the wealth one possesses there is a part due to the needy, and not only for him and his own family’s consumption: “...and in whose wealth there is an acknowledged due for the beggar and the deprived, and who affirm the truth of the Day of Judgement, and who are apprehensive of the chastisement of their Lord”  (70:24-27).

Talking of good servants of God, the Qur’an mentions: “And who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor parsimonious, but between such lies moderation”  (25:67)

We understand from this verse that they do not consume their wealth wastefully, nor are they niggardly, but they take a moderate way, as they are mindful of the needs of the poor and the needy. And they remember God’s admonition: “And give the kinsman his due, and the needy and the traveller (as well); and do not squander. Indeed squanderers are brothers of devils, and the Devil was ever ungrateful to his Lord” (17:26-27). And we know that squandering is spending resources lavishly and wastefully, and this is what we witness today in some societies that live beside neighbours that lead lives of misery.

So a Muslim should refrain himself and his family from spending the income on luxurious and extravagant consumption. He should limit his consumption within the basic standard of the society around him, and not to provoke envy, rivalry and jealousy with those of less means. Furthermore, we need to keep in check the amount of consumption and refrain from wasteful attitudes.

The Qur’an and the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) ordered Muslims not to waste resources, nor to be excessive in consuming the goods of this world: "O children of Adam! Don your adornment at every place of worship, and eat and drink, but do not be excessive; He truly does not love those who are excessive" (7: 31).

Even in performing our religious obligations, such as performing wudhu (Ablution for prayer), we need to be careful not to use too much water. Abdullah bin Omar narrated that the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) saw Sa’ad bin Abi Waqas one day was doing wudhu (ablution) using a lot of water, so he interrupted: "What is this israf (= excess)?" Sa’ad answered: Even in wudhu there is israf? The Prophet said: "Yes, even if you are on a river flowing" (Reported by Ibn Majah).