The Islamic civilization has distinct elements with its prominent features and obvious characteristics, which creates for that civilization a complete unique unit of independent landmarks with regards to its foundation, its purpose and principles, despite the existence of some common factors between it and other civilizations.
The basis of the Islamic civilization is not the glorification of the mind, as was the case with the Greeks, nor the glorification of power and the extension of influence and power, as it was with the Romans. It is not based on caring about physical pleasures, military power and political dominance, as it was with the Persians, nor giving high consideration to spirituality, as the case is with Indians and some Chinese.
Moreover, its foundation is not set on the dominance of the clergy, with the myths and legends that accompanied it which led to the darkness of the Middle Ages in Europe, nor being overly fascinated by scientific knowledge, abusing the resources of the Universe and concentrating too much on the materialistic side of life, as is the method of the contemporary civilization inherited from the Greeks and Romans. The basis of the Islamic civilization is monotheism, the intellect, knowledge, work, the soul, populating, cultivating and constructing the earth, respect for the mind and honor towards man; that is, what encompasses all fields of human life. Thus, the Islamic civilization is completely unique and independent. It has a specific comprehensive constitution by which it is radically different from the principles of other civilizations. The Islamic civilization surpassed other civilizations with what it contains of the power of the spirit of jihad, diligence, fairness, justice, tolerance of the opponent, benevolence and the spread of knowledge through the entire world. It is for this reason that this civilization is again a candidate to lead humanity by virtue of the elements it possesses.
Belief is considered as the very substance of the path to happiness and the greatest caller to acquire knowledge and establish a civilization. Every civilization that is not based on the belief in Allah and monotheism is a civilization that is torn with internal conflict, with sects fighting amongst themselves and destroying each other. For this is a civilization in which other gods beside Allah, with different names, are worshipped, which leads to the corruption of human life and to misery!! Allah says: {Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) gods besides Allâh, then verily both would have been ruined. Glorified be Allâh, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!}(Al-Anbiyâ’:22)
He also says: {No son (or offspring or children) did Allâh beget, nor is there any ilâh (god) along with Him; (if there had been many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allâh above all that they attribute to Him!}(Al-Mu’minûn:91)
The Almighty also says: {Say (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam] to these polytheists, pagans, etc.): “If there had been other âliha (gods) along with Him as they assert, then they would certainly have sought out a way to the Lord of the Throne (seeking His Pleasures and to be near to Him).”}(Al-Isrâ’:42)
The reflection of this is seen in what has happened and what is currently happening in many civilizations. They diverge from their aims and deviate from their destination, bringing misery, even if they originally meant to bring well-being to mankind. Allah says: {They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allâh (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allâh), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilâh (God - Allâh) Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him, (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).}(At-Taubah:31)
Islam is a universal religion that came to create well-being for every time and place, language and sex, color and race. Allah says: {And We have not sent you (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not.}(Saba’:28)
He also says: {Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion (of right and wrong, i.e. this Qur’ân) to His slave (Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) that he may be a warner to the ‘Alamîn (mankind and jinns).}(Al-Furqân:1)
The Almighty says: {Say (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]): “O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allâh - to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.”}(Al-A’râf:158)
Furthermore, Allah says: {And We have sent you (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).}(Al-Anbiyâ’:107)
Islam instilled a firm doctrine that does not change with circumstances, and a legislation based on the principles of justice, truth and goodness to suit human nature in every time and place. This is the case because it originated from Allah; Who knows what is best for His creation and what benefits them. Allah says: {Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything).}(Al-Mulk:14)
Moreover, Islam is not a religion for a special category or color, or a particular gender of people; it is for the white, black, yellow and red. It is for the people of the past, the present and the future. A researcher will not be able, however great his scientific ability may be, to find in what the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) brought anything which was only limited to the area he was living or only suited for his people or his race. That is a clear sign that his call is global, that it is not biased to any particular category of people, nor is it directed to any certain sect; its legislations and morals are all suitable for all humans of every time.
We cannot say that justice or good manners are not fit for any certain people or any certain time, as they are suitable for all – but this all-embracing view is only found in Islam. As for some other religions, the fact that their application is limitated to only one area, one group of people or one race is clearly obvious. An example of this prejudice is clear with the Jews in the manner in which they deal with those who belong to other religions. Allah Almighty says the following about them: {Among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is he who, if entrusted with a Cantar (a great amount of wealth, etc.), will readily pay it back; and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, because they say: “There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).” But they tell a lie against Allâh while they know it.}(Âl-’Imrân:75)
The Islamic view of man is that Allah created him to be His viceregent and to populate, cultivate and construct the earth. Allah says: {He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein}(Hûd:61)
He, the Almighty, also says: {He it is Who has made you successors generations after generations in the earth, so whosoever disbelieves (in Islâmic Monotheism) on him will be his disbelief. And the disbelief of the disbelievers adds nothing but hatred, with their Lord. And the disbelief of the disbelievers adds nothing but loss.}(Fâtir or Al¬Malâ’ikah:39)
In the religion of Islam, anyone commits a sin if he is neglectful of any knowledge that might benefit humanity, and populate, cultivate and build this planet. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent at a time when mankind lived at the center of scientific and cultural backwardness. People were busy with philosophies and debates, immersing themselves in them instead of busying themselves with construction, work, and cultivating, building and populating the earth
The Prophet (pbuh) rescued mankind and raised it through the religion of Islam, the religion that creates a civilization, and encourages population growth, cultivation and construction, without there being any struggle between populating and building the earth and enriching the soul.
There is no contradiction within the soul of a Muslim between worship and work, or between building and his spiritual life and working to please His Lord, rather all that is for Allah and on the path that leads to His Pleasure, Allah says: {Say (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]): “Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).}(Al-An’âm:162)
Having good morals in Islam is a form of worship. The Prophet (pbuh) even informed us that the aim of his mission was to perfect morals. He said (pbuh): “I was sent to perfect good morals.” [Malik]The path to civilization and happiness is a path of good morals that urges people to perform virtuous acts. Morals in Islam include all aspects of life; man dealing with himself, with Allah and with others. It also includes dealing with Muslims and non-Muslims, the young and the old, men and women, those one agrees with and those one disagrees with.
Islam commanded the believers to be generous, courageous, just, merciful, humble, and to have good manners when dealing with others. It also commands them to be honest, modest, forbearing, and to have a sound heart and love the good, and so on. In ascertaining the importance and the necessity of justice, even with the violator, Allah says: {O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allâh and be just witnesses and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety, and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Well¬-Acquainted with what you do.}(Al-Mâ’idah:8)
The Almighty says that the message of Islam is a mercy for all the worlds and not just a private message only to those who believe in him. About the message of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Allah says: {And We have sent you (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).}(Al-Anbiyâ’:107)
This morality is an integral part of the Islamic civilization and an essential pillar of it. Good morals cannot be absent from a Muslim for any reason, whatever it may be; if it is in order to populate, cultivate or build on the earth, or in order to fulfill any certain interest, or any other reason. Allah taught his Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) good morals, so as to be an example of good morals and ethics, and to be a good model in everything. Allah says: {Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day and remembers Allâh much.{ (Al-¬Ahzâb:21)
Allah describes just some of his mercy and his eagerness to guide people to the path of happiness. Allah says: {Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allâh, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers (he [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam] is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.{ (At-Taubah:128)
There is no priesthood in Islam which cannot be questioned or any secret that cannot be fathomed. On the contrary, Allah has commanded us to contemplate and ponder over His signs and proofs, and over the creation and the nations. Allah says: {Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.}(Âl-’Imrân:191)
He also says: {Thus do We explain the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, laws, etc.) in detail for the people who reflect.}(Yûnus:24)
Moreover, He says: {With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) the reminder and the advice (the Qur’ân), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.}(An-Nahl:44)
The Almighty says: {Do they not think deeply (in their ownselves) about themselves (how Allâh created them from nothing, and similarly He will resurrect them)? Allâh has created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, except with truth and for an appointed term. And indeed many of mankind deny the Meeting with their Lord.}[See Tafsir At¬Tabarî, Part 21, Page 24].(Ar-¬Rûm:8)
Furthermore, Allah says: {Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.}(Al-Hashr:21)
Almighty Allah also taught us that knowledge is not just a set of assumptions , but that the correctness of any information must be proven. Allah says: {Say (O Muhammad Peace be upon him), “Produce your proof if you are truthful.”}(Al-Baqarah:111)
There are no secrets that no one has knowledge of or any priesthood that cannot be deciphered by anyone.
Inner peace means human internal happiness and one’s survival from conflicts that ravage many of the people in modern civilization. Thus, peaceful coexistence is established in man’s mind between the life of this world and the Hereafter, between worship, work and the populating and constructing of this life, between the spiritual and materialistic aspects of worldly life, and between knowledge and religion. Inner peace in the Islamic civilization is a clear landmark that is the result of monotheism, which smoothly and easily combines all of the above in the believer’s soul. In Islam, the world is not an aim or a target in itself; rather, it is a cultivation land for the Hereafter, and a corridor and a bridge that leads to it. This is evident in the words of Allah: {But seek, with that (wealth) which Allâh has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allâh has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allâh likes not the Mufsidûn (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupts).}(Al-Qasas:77)
It is also evident in the following Ayah: {Then when the (Jumu’ah) Salât (prayer) is finished, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allâh (by working, etc.), and remember Allâh much, that you may be successful.}(Al-Jumu’ah:10)
That is: when you complete your prayer, go to your worldly work, as long as it is permissible, and try your best to be sincere while performing it, by doing it only for the sake of Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) said to one of his companions: “You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah’s sake, even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife’s mouth.” [Malek] In our religion, there is no separation between this world and the Hereafter, provided that we do not get caught up in this world so much that we forget to work for the Hereafter. Allah says: {O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert}(Al-Munafiqûn:9)
He also says: {But seek, with that (wealth) which Allâh has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allâh has been good to you}(Al-Qasas:77)
Loving your work, loving your wife, playing with your children and caring for them, and other matters within the limits of the religious legislation and the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), if any of this is done for the sake of Allah, one will be rewarded for it. The Almighty says: {Say (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]): “Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).}(Al-An’âm:162)
One’s life will be entirely for Allah, even those affairs that we do for our own selves are obedience to Allah, the Almighty, provided that one’s intention is good. External peace will be with people, relatives and those who we are not related to, as well as with those who agree or disagree with you. In fact, even the greeting of a Muslim to his Muslim brother is: peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. No religion, in any period of time, gave freedom and protection like that experienced under the rule of Islam. How much the world has lost by the degradation of some of the Muslims!! Allah says: {and let not the hatred of some people in (once) stopping you from Al¬-Masjid¬al¬Harâm (at Makkah) lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Help you one another in Al¬-Birr and At¬-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment.}(Al-Mâ’idah:2)
Islamic civilization obliges its followers to have sound hearts and pure souls. Allah says the following concerning the supplication of the believers: {And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.}(Al-Hashr:10)
He also says: {88. The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, 89. Except him who brings to Allâh a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifâq (hypocrisy)].}(Ash-Shu’arâ’:88-89)
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Do not harbor grudges, jealousy or enmity against one another; and do not show your backs to one another; and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to avoid speaking with his brother, one turning his face to one side and the other turning his face to the other side, beyond three days. Lo! The better of the two is the one who greets the other first.”[Muslim] He (pbuh) also said, urging us to love and be close to others: “By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other. Shall I tell you about what will strengthen that for you? Spread the Salam among each other.”[Tirmidhi]The Prophet (pbuh) was asked: “Which people are the best?” He replied: “The best people are those whose tongues are truthful and their hearts are Makhmoom”. They said: “We know the meaning of a truthful tongue, but what is a heart that is Makhmoom?” He said: “It’s a heart that is pious and pure, with no sin. This heart has no aggression, malice or envy in it.”[Ibn Majah]
The Islamic civilization brought light to the soul, and at the same time it did not forget the physical side of man, nor did it neglect it. Allah Almighty created man of physical and spiritual components. He provided him with all the means of life in both its physical and spiritual sides. He prepared for the body a good environment in which it could live on earth, and He created for the spiritual side sustenance which was revealed from the heavens to man through the messengers of Allah. Allah says the following about the creation of man from physical and spiritual components: {28. And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: “I am going to create a man (Adam) from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.” 29. “So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) the soul which I created for him, then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him.”}(Al-Hijr:28-29)
The soul and the flesh are two inseparable components that are never detached from one another except by death. Both the soul and the flesh have their own needs and requirements. The body lives on food, drink and clothing, and if we neglect any of these aspects, we find that the whole body would be affected. If a person does not eat enough food, he will grow weak and sick and he will not be able to live a good, stable life. The same is true about drink and clothing.
The neglect of any of the requirements of the body affects the whole body, and it becomes too weak to live and so it is not able to assist its spiritual part to live a peaceable life.
The soul also has requirements. It cannot live without love, affection or sacrifice. How can the soul live when it cannot find a god to worship, pray to, fear and run to?! How can a soul live when it is hollow from the inside and cannot find support or repose, or cannot find peace, a spirit of generosity, or find inside himself a tender, loving heart which is at ease and is roused by the warmth of the love between the people?! If man fails to provide his soul with such needs, it would be the same as if he failed in providing his body with its need of food and drink. How can one live with a peace of mind, and how can his condition be settled when half of him is groaning with pain?! Unfortunately, western civilization neglects the joys of the soul, which results in its misery in this world, in spite of all the luxury they have. Contemporary civilization excels in serving the body and the materialistic side of existence, but forgets or neglects that the body without a soul has no happiness, success or tranquility, and indeed is not civilized, and so such souls have no real civilization.
It has become known that the application of human rights is a criterion to determine the extent of the commitment of a certain state to the principles of justice, fairness and protection of the rights of its citizens and their freedoms. It is also considered as a standard for measuring the extent to which these people perceive and are aware of these rights. Indeed the most important element in democratic regimes is to take care of human rights.
The Islamic civilization has launched a unique realistic blueprint for human rights. This is the greatness of the Islamic civilization: it was never merely a civilization of hollow slogans. It is for this reason that the most prominent aspects which distinguish human rights in Islam are the following:
1-That the source of these rights is based on the fact that sovereignty and governance are for Allah Alone. The Almighty says: {Say (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]): “I am on clear proof from my Lord (Islâmic Monotheism), but you deny (the truth that has come to me from Allâh). I have not gotten what you are asking for impatiently (the torment). The decision is only for Allâh, He declares the truth, and He is the Best of judges.”}(Al-An’âm:57)
The Islamic project conceived rights according to the divine perception of this creature (man), and what best suites him.
2-Stability: it does not change with time or changing circumstances and conditions.
3-Taking into account the fact that human rights are fulfilled when there is a state of perfect belief: for the application of human rights in Islam stem from (and are the fruit of) the state in which a person is governed by the fear of Allah Almighty, which is the state of perfect belief, as was described by the Prophet (pbuh): “It is to worship Allah Almighty as if you can see Him, for although you cannot see Him, He can see you.”[Muslim] (25)
4-Harmony and integration between human rights and the nature of this religion. Islam did not leave rights just as they are; rather Islam put them in the context and framework of the religious legislation, and in line with the perspective of the aims of the religion. Islam connected human rights with its disciplines and morals, and ascertained that violation of those morals is a violation of these rights. Islam, after all this, linked human rights with religion, and considered them to have a divine origin. It is for this reason that these rights are considered as duties for a Muslim individual, and not just simply rights. The building of rights in Islam is a fully integrated structure that is in harmony with the divine nature of this religion.
5-Human rights emerge in Islam from the fact that the reins of power and influence of the society is in reality subordinate to the reins of power and influence of its members, and not the opposite, as is imposed on the community in the case of man-made systems. Allah says: {Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidences, and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allâh by committing the major sins) in the land!}(Al-Mâ’idah:32)
6-Human rights in Islam are very forward for their time, compared to other systems. These rights are guaranteed for man by Islam, and they did not materialize as a result of intellectual conflicts, revolutions or demands, as is the case in the history of human rights in democratic systems and the causes for its inception, as happened in France, America and other countries. Rather, the principles and laws of human rights in Islam were revealed by Allah Almighty, without prior discussions about them, or longing to achieve them, or after a long struggle to attain them.
7-Human rights in Islam are realistic and linked to life. They tackle the need of the human, unlike rights in foreign legislations, which have a philosophical nature.
8-There are human rights which are exclusively called for by Islamic law. The most important of these are the rights of parents and close relatives from the children, rights of people with their kins, rights of the fetus, the right to religious and worldly education, the right for permissible earnings and the prevention of usury, and the right to advocate good as well as the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice.
9-The Islamic method pertaining to human rights is based initially on human dignity and motivating strong feelings about the belief in Allah Almighty, unlike other ways that are used to address this issue. It is also based on the concept that Allah Almighty subjugated everything in this universe for the benefit of man according to an integrated harmony of the entire system of life, as it is common knowledge that history has not once encountered any civilization which has implemented human rights without considering the interests of the people. But if the basis of human rights is different from that mentioned above, then we should take into account how easy slogans are when they are adorned and released through the throat (as empty words), and are raised on banners, but how hard it is to discover or detect the facts and intentions lying behind these slogans, especially when those raising them are people who one is not usually suspicious about.
Despite the human civilization that pervaded his mission (pbuh), some may wonder at the backwardness of Muslims and the condition they are suffering from nowadays, despite all that has been mentioned above about the greatness of the civilization of Islam! This wonder, however, disappears when we learn that the condition of Muslims today does not represent the reality of their religion, for many of them suffered backwardness when they abandoned the principles of their religion and what is mentioned in their book and in the Sunnah of their Prophet (pbuh). This is certainly true, since the world has not known a civilization that has caused happiness for all mankind other than the Islamic civilization. It is sufficient to read the books of history and hear the quotes of the fair-minded, even of the non-Muslims, in order to learn what the world has lost after the degradation of Muslims!
