DEMOCRACY IN ISLAM

I have been neglecting my blog for quite some time – I am really (100x) swamped with so many things to do ….

Last Saturday, I attended a lecture by Prof Murat Cizakca and boy, did I enjoyed the 3 ½ hours session. The topic discussed was pertaining to Islamic economy and re-distribution of income.

One of the thought-provoking discussions during the session was pertaining to the profit and loss sharing mechanism in Islamic financial contracts (e.g., mudaraba and musharaka) – and the discussion continued to power sharing of the government and state.

Islam promotes justice and equity for all à therefore, all Islamic countries ideally should be practicing democracy. A case in point to illustrate the ideal concept is during the Prophet saw’s time, the Prophet being a messenger of Allah swt who gets the revelation first hand from the Angel Gabriel, held consultations with the Sahabah. Therefore, those people out there who never stop to accuse Islam of being a proponent to autocracy know little about the religion at all.

However, we must also not forget that Islam also wants all its followers to be moderate in everything that we do. We know what 100% freedom/democracy entails à if not restrained, full democracy can create havoc to a nation, too.

The fundamental concepts of democracy, namely, protection of individual rights, freedom of speech, freedom of information, and pluralism are enshrined in a constitution, adopted by parliaments, elected by universal suffrage, and enforced by independent courts and an accountable and transparent administrative system. Sadly, this model is absent in large parts of the world, including many countries with conservative Islamic traditions.

I found one article written by Salman Ahmad (a lecturer in University of Hyderabad) which was published last month titled “Ethical Crisis in Capitalism: Filling the Ethical Void with Islamic EconomicTeachings in Economic Practices” which I personally find very interesting. Below is the abstract of the paper :

“This paper discusses the ethical void in Capitalism which does not look prominent in welfare societies and states. But, its effects become more eminent in tough economic conditions and more so in developed regions where economic relationships by themselves will not result in win-win situation for all parties concerned in a Capitalist economy. Unbridled pursuit of self interest, moral relativism, inventive-led economic choices and apathy to communal responsibilities would lead to a society where economic interests become the sole basis of maintaining and sustaining relationships. This inner void of identity and purpose at individual level and social void in the form of a stratified society bound together only for economic interests can be better filled with incorporating religion. Humans are much more than utility driven species, they are capable of using both instrumental and critical reasons to differentiate right from wrong and need reinforcement to adopt virtues influenced by an inner urge other than material interests as in Capitalism. This inner urge can be rekindled by looking beyond utility maximization to reacknowledge the fundamental identity that humans are moral being than just an instrument for material advancement.”

I do not know when will the act of religion profiling will stop especially in the West, however, I wish to end my entry with something that I hope will make you stop and think :

In Islam, we are taught to only do good in the world and all our deeds are going to be judged in the Hereafter because as Muslims, we believe that life does not end after death. Therefore, as believers, we know that if we were to do evil things, we will be punished in Hell.

Riding on the same notion, the non-Muslims should also not judge the Muslims at large for the acts of a few fanatics out there. In fact, all religions promote peace and harmony, so it is kind of strange when Islam (out of the many religions out there) is being singled out unless the West is really scared that their “Christendom” is moving towards “Islamdom” due to the high conversion rate of their citizens to Islam in the past decade.

I just hope that we (Muslims and non-Muslims alike) can all live peacefully with no race/religion profiling whatsoever in this world.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 1431

The Islamic new year (1^st Muharram 1431) fell on Friday, exactly 1 week before 1^st January 2010.

Muslims consider this day to commemorate the Hijrah or emigration of Muhammad to Madinah city.

Unlike the New Year celebrations of other cultures, the Islamic New Year is celebrated quietly. Prayers are offered and readings from Quran are done throughout the day. Muslims do not traditionally celebrate the starting of a new year but they take time to reflect upon human mortality. The most important aspect of the Islamic New Year is the narration of the story of the Flight to Madinah.

The Islamic calendar was first introduced by the close companion of the Prophet saw, 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab. During his leadership of the Muslim community, in approximately 638 A.D., he consulted with his advisors in order to come to a decision regarding the various dating systems used at that time. It was agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamiccalendar was the Hijrah, since it was an important turning point for the Muslim community. After the emigration to Madinah (formerly known as Yathrib), the Muslims were able to organize and establish the first real Muslim "community," with social, political, and economic independence. Life in Madinah allowed the Muslim community to mature and strengthen, and the people developed an entire society based on Islamic principles.

The Islamic year has twelve months that are based on a lunar cycle. Allah swt says in the Quran:

"The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year) - so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth...." (9:36).

"It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory, and the moon to be a light of beauty, and measured out stages for it, that you might know the number of years and the count of time. Allah did not create this except in truth and righteousness. And He explains His signs in detail, for those who understand" (10:5).

And in his final sermon before his death, the Prophet Muhammad saw said, among other things, "With Allah the months aretwelve; four of them are holy; three of these are successive and one occurssingly between the months of Jamaadil and Sha'ban."

Islamic months begin at sunset of the first day, the day when the lunar crescent is visually sighted. The lunar year is approximately 354 days long, so the months rotate backward through the seasons and are not fixed to the Gregorian calendar. The months of the Islamic year are:

1. Muharram ("Forbidden" - it is one of the four months during which it is forbidden to wage war or fight)

2. Safar ("Empty" or "Yellow")

3. Rabiul Awal ("First spring")

4. Rabiul Thani/Akhir ("Second spring")

5. Jamaadil Awal ("First freeze")

6. Jamaadil Thani/Akhir ("Second freeze")

7. Rajab ("To respect" - this is another holy month when fighting is prohibited)

8. Sha'ban ("To spread and distribute")

9. Ramadhan ("Parched thirst" - this is the month of daytime fasting)

10. Shawwal ("To be light and vigorous")

11. Dzulkaedah ("The month of rest" - another month when no warfare or fighting is allowed)

12. Dzulhijjah ("The month of Hajj" - this is the month of the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, again when no warfare or fighting is allowed)

To all my Muslim brothers and sisters, Happy New Year – May we always be in the protection of Allah swt.