The Values of Islamic Civilization That Have Been Taken Away

A reflection for my brother who remains Istiqimah with his aqidah towards Allah.... For my brother who remains confident that Allah's help will definitely come to him...

The story below is a small part of the thousands or even millions of wisdoms that have been taken from the noble values of our faith and identity as Muslims.

Sheikh Muhammad Abduh, a great Egyptian scholar, was once furious and angry at the Western worldview, which considered Islam to be old-fashioned and backward. Muhammad Abduh loudly proclaimed to Joseph Ernest Renan (a French philosopher) the greatness, beauty, and majesty of Islam, which teaches a love of knowledge, support for progress, uphold justice, uphold civilization, and so on.

Renan, a keen observer of the Eastern world, issued a challenge to Sheikh Muhammad Abduh. Renan said:

"I know exactly the greatness of Islamic values in the Koran, but please show me one Muslim community in the world that can illustrate the greatness of Islamic teachings, and the greatness of Islamic civilization"

After Renan posed this question to Sheikh Muhammad Abduh, the Sheikh fell silent, unable to answer Renan's challenge. He felt as if a large rock was pressing down on his chest, crushing his mind and thoughts. He continued to consider his answer. However, after much thought, he finally fell silent, unable to answer.

After several decades, a group of experts and researchers from George Washington University in America examined and tested Renan's challenge. They compiled and adopted several noble Islamic values: honesty, trustworthiness, justice, punctuality, empathy, tolerance (tasammuh), wisdom, and so on, based on the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad's morals. These researchers developed indicators related to these noble Islamic values, which are now known as the Islamicity Index. 

They conducted a study of 208 countries to measure their Islamicity. The results shocked the world, especially the Muslim world. The most Islamic country recorded on the Islamicity Index was New Zealand. Ireland, on the other hand, ranked 140th on the Islamicity Index and 104th on the Islamic economy index.

Don't be offended if someone says there are many Muslims in Egypt, but they don't see Islam. Don't be surprised when you visit Canada and notice that houses are never locked, or that if you leave something behind, someone will return it.

Yes... We experienced this situation when we were children in our hometowns. A situation of honesty, justice, peace, and comfort. But we no longer find it today, even in our own villages. Muslims have abandoned the teachings of honesty, discipline, and trustworthiness. As a result, Muslim countries have a society that is always full of suspicion. They refuse to be honest when testifying, they manipulate the law, they manipulate justice, they don't obey the rules, and they find it very difficult to help their fellow human beings.

Muslims are becoming backward because they abandon Islamic teachings and fail to emulate the Prophet Muhammad. For example, the command to read, or Iqra', is generally practiced by people in developed countries where the population is predominantly non-Muslim. In Japan, people always use their free time to read. Indonesians use their free time to gossip. Yet, gossiping destroys one's rewards. 

How many Muslims throw trash out of their luxury car windows or litter on the side of the road, in public places, around mosques, or in our own homes without shame or guilt? How many Muslims are implicated in corruption cases without a sense of betrayal, even though they know that their wealth cannot be taken with them after death and that the punishment will be Hell...

But as a Muslim, I want to say this. Perhaps these researchers have forgotten that Islam owns Mecca and Medina. It is there that the noble Islamic values you seek lie, the foundation of the high Islamic civilization you seek to steal. And it is there that you seek the treasures of justice, happiness, honesty, tolerance, and so on... Yes, there in Mecca and Medina.

This is a brief reflection. The author copied it from the book "Character Education: Developing Islamic Character in Children." Written by Ridwan Abdullah Sani & Muhammad Kadri.

Thank you. Hope it's useful. Amen. Think Fresh, Do The Best.