Religious lore vs historical data assessed in commemoration of Eid-i-Milad-un-NABI (SAW)!
Dr Javid Iqbal
The patriarch of Middle Eastern Prophets: Hazrat Ibrahim (AS)’s birth in the house of ‘Azar’ the idol maker, his rebellion against ‘Nimrod’ who wanted to be the temporal and the spiritual lord, remains a religious lore. History is silent on his twin marriage to Syeda Sarah (RA) and Syeda Hegira (RA) siring two sons Hazrat Ishmael (AS) and Hazrat Isaac (AS) who head the two distinct branches of Ahle-i-Kitab/people of the book; Ishmaelites and Israelites. Distinct, yet united at the root, Ishmaelites are the Arabs/Muslims and Israelites/Judeo-Christians.
Modern world remains locked in what some commentators like to call the civilisational conflict. Conflict amongst the sons of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) who share the religious lore! The lore, which Prophet Mohammad (SAW) brought forth by attesting all that, had come to pass. Pre or post Islamic being a misnomer, it is present right since inception. The tale from Adam (AS) to Prophet Mohammad (AS) is woven in the same fibre!
The Israelites get their name from Hazrat Yaqub (AS)/Jacob s/o Hazrat Isaac (AS). Israel was another attribute of Hazrat Yaqub (AS). The prophetic trail continues; Hazrat Yousuf (AS)/Joseph was s/o Hazrat Yaqub (AS). Taken on an excursion by his envious step-brothers, they related a false tale of having lost him, bringing back his blood stained shirt. He had actually been thrown into a well, from where he was taken out by a caravan of merchants. Witnessing his handsome appearance, they planned to sell him in Egypt to the highest bidder. That proved to be highly placed ‘Aziz-i-Misr’. His wife Zuleikah fell for him, with Hazrat Yousuf (AS) resisting her advances. Eventually he became ‘Aziz-i-Misr’ and helped his step-brother with food supplies as Canaa’n [prophetic land in Iraq, right from Hazrat Ibrahim’s time] faced famine. Prophets are not given to revenge; the step-brothers were excused. Hazrat Yaqub (AS)/Jacob/Israel got the glad tiding of son being alive. Grieving for his son, he had lost his eyesight. Our own Ghani Kashmiri captures it in a moving couplet, which sends into a swoon, the masters of Persian language like Allama Iqbal:
Ghani Roz-i-Siyah Pir-i-Canaa’n Ra Tamasha Kun
Ki Noor-i-Didaish Roshan Kunad Chasham-i-Zuleikah Ra!
Ghani means to convey that anyone, anywhere overtaken by grief ought to remember the pain of Hazrat Yaqub (AS) who grieved whilst the light of his eyes; Hazrat Yaqub (AS) was setting alight the eyes of Zuleikah. That, implies the poet, would take off the intensity of pain! The Israelite tale continues, as the Hebrews, the people who helped by Hazrat Yousuf (AS) to settle moved from Canaa’n to Egypt for economic reasons. Eventually they became the bonded labour of Pharaoh’s. Jews form an important part of history; Hazrat Musa (AS)/Moses hardly finds a mention, though he saved his people from tyranny of Pharaoh’s. The Hebrew exodus from the land of Pharaohs is a biblical tale, which finds echo right from old to New Testament and comprehensively in Quran. History is silent on exodus; at the most the texts might put it in a footnote on legends without historical backing.
The exodus led to Israeli settlements after the Sinai crossing. Thousands of years later Jews claimed the land based on records in the testaments, although prosecuted by Pauline Christianity, they had dispersed around the globe, some taking refuge in suburbs of Medina and in Khyber. St Paul, originally an orthodox Jew converted to Christianity, carrying orthodoxy with him. He gave Christianity a new name ‘Pauline’ which was intolerant of other faiths. Still, we hear of Judeo-Christian civilisation opposed to, what is called the ‘Islamic orthodoxy’? Even after it is known to all and sundry that Jewish Rabbis took Jesus Christ to the court of Pontius Pilate to get the crucifixion verdict! The verdict they thought got carried out; Al-Quran in 004.157 (An-Nisa [Women]) denies it comprehensively: That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not! Jesus Christ came to Beni-Israel’s with the final word on divine law, the ultimate warning on persistent transgression.
Born and bred among Ishmaelites, the revelation came to Prophet Mohammad (SAW) of the unmistakable common link between Ummah/Nations of various hues. The definition of nationhood is different in Islamic lore than the commonly taken western definition of geographical boundaries dividing nations and bringing into vogue geo-political concepts. ‘Kul-i-Ard/Arz; Ard/Arz-ul-Allah’ remains the Islamic slogan. Planet ‘Earth’ like all other planets in the universe belongs to Allah; Rubb-ul-Alameen. ‘Rubb’ springs from ‘Murabi’ the nearest equivalent in English would be the ‘prime mover’ one that sets in motion the events. How the events shape is left to the participants in the event, of course with guidance, as to how to shape up. In sporting terms, some authorities have likened it to a coach, who prepares the team, gives them guidelines, but does not participate in the event. Differences existing between various races, differences in physical features, differences of belief are recognised. The distinction however need not come in the come in the way of a common human bond. The concept of a global village was the gift of Prophet Mohammad (SAW). We woke upto it, 1400 years later. As to the existent differences in belief, the guidelines are clear ‘Lakum Dinakum; Walia-i-Deen’ [Unto me my religion, unto you yours (109:6)]! The wheel had turned full cycle! With the advent of Prophet Mohammad (SAW) religious lore and history remained parallel lines, no more. As an author notes ‘bright & glaring he stands in the full glow of history’!
Being scientific, a dictate of advancing civilisation, makes us toe the historical data. Civilisational affect indeed! One that bred conflict, where as the religious lore breeds faith, love, understanding. Provided, the lore is taken in the spirit, in which it grew over millennia.
Yaar Zinda, Sohbat Baqi
[Reunion is subordinate to survival]
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