kahraman@cae.wisc.edu (08/11/90)
NATIONALISM IN THE VIEW OF ISLAM from the Twentysixth Letter by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi O MANKIND! WE CREATED YOU FROM A SINGLE PAIR OF A MALE AND A FEMALE, AND MADE YOU INTO NATIONS AND TRIBES, THAT YOU MAY KNOW EACH OTHER. QUR'AN: SURA 49, AYAT 13. In the same meaning, to know each other in order to establish social relations and help each other, and not to hate each other, and quarrel with each other. This topic has the following seven points under consideration: 2. To explain the principle of TA'ARUF and TA'AWUN (mutual acquaintance and and assistance) which the above verse clearly points to, we say that: An army is divided into divisions, regiments, battailons, squadrons and squads in order that the various relations of each soldier and his duties are specified and well understood, and that all the individuals within the army should perform their duties according to the rules of mutual cooperation and be guarded against the attack of the enemy. Thus these divisions and partitions are not for the purpose of rivalries and hostilities among the soldiers. Similarly, the whole Muslim society is a vast united army which is divided into tribes and nationalities, yet this society has a multitude of ones in its pious foundations. Its Creator is ONE; its PROVIDER of needs is ONE; its BOOK is ONE: its nation is ONE...one, one, and thousands of ones. Thus, this multitude of ones requires and forms the foundation of kinship, sincerity and unity in the Islamic United Nations (Umma in its true sense). Therefore, as the above verse stresses, divisions into tribes and nationalities are for the purpose of mutual acquaintance and assistance, not to antipathy nor for dispute and enemity. Translated from Turkish by Professor Suleyman Kurter Note from the post'er: Yes, let me ask the western white man, inspite of teaching Muslim people not to be united and in harmony and dividing them among themselves with rivalries through the exploitation of their national and racial differences, and brain-washing them with negative nationalistic lies, how come the west itself is forming increasingly unified institutions such as so called United Nations, Nato, and European Economic Community? Isn't it true that the most hatred filled nations like British, French and Germans can still come together on the basis of mere economic and military gains? Isn't it true that after WW-I, British and French occupied Muslim countries taught hatred towards Turks for years and years starting with elementary schools and up? Isn't true that they did the same thing to Turks, saying that "look,the Arab fought against you with British and you should leave Islam just because of that, and agree to the saying "As dog's skin cannot be fur, a friend cannot be from an Arab" by exchanging the words Arab and kafir in the original? Even today, go to any Muslim country's elementary school history books you'll see Turks being pictured as "bloody imperialists", and Arabs as "dirty, fithy desert men" Dememis mi bir herif, "Kabe pis arabin olsun, bize Cankaya yeter!" Iste sene 1990, gorun Turkiyeyi, gorun halimizi, gorun Iragi, Kuveyti, Arablari ve ibret alin. M. Kahraman.
alad@adelbert0.stanford.edu (Aladdin Nassar) (08/13/90)
In article <1990Aug11.155830.13901@laguna.ccsf.caltech.edu> kahraman@cae.wisc.edu writes: > > NATIONALISM IN THE VIEW OF ISLAM > > from the Twentysixth Letter by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi > > O MANKIND! WE CREATED YOU FROM A SINGLE PAIR OF A MALE AND A FEMALE, > > AND MADE YOU INTO NATIONS AND TRIBES, THAT YOU MAY KNOW EACH OTHER. > > QUR'AN: SURA 49, AYAT 13. > Just a remark concerning the translation of the above mentioned Ayia : The correct translation of "Sho'oub" (in Arabic) is "PEOPLES" and not "NATIONS". The implication is very important : The Muslim Umma should be one NATION made of different PEOPLES, with only ONE ruler (Amir Al-Mu'mineen). The correct understanding of this concept lead the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) to establish the Greatest and Golden era of Islam, while our disgraceful modern history is in part related to its misconception. Thank you very much, Jazakum Allah Khairan, Aladdin Nassar Graduate Student Civil Enginerring Stanford University