In their month-long retreat during the fast of Ramadhan Muslims are specifically permitted, as we noted earlier, to
engage in sexual relations with their wives during the night which follows the
day of fasting. This union of husband and wife during the nights of Ramadhan injects a spiritual content into sexual relations and then
elevates that spiritualized sex to a status worthy of participation in a
spiritual retreat.
What Islam achieves here is nothing less than revolutionary,
for the satisfaction of the sexual needs of man have almost universally been
held to be incompatible with his highest spiritual strivings. The religious
mind through the ages has maintained an aloofness from sex-life which it has
either held in contempt or reluctantly tolerated. Islam makes a break with the immediate
past and works for the integration of man’s sex life into the period of his
most intense and sustained spiritual mobilization. In doing so it spiritualized
the sex bond and established a philosophy of sex which is the sine qua non for the emancipation of woman in this
modern age.
So long as sex is considered to be
incompatible with man’s spiritual strivings, woman’s status in society will
always be problematic. Such a philosophy of sex, which excludes sexual life
from the world of the sacred, and which recognizes no reality for woman beyond
her material reality, eventually causes man to approach woman for the
satisfaction of lust and base carnal passion. When so ever this occurs the mind
creates an image of woman as a toy, a plaything, and an object to be used and
abused; and herein lies the explanation for the continued exploitation of woman
in the modern world. The feminist movement in the Western world seems to have completely
overlooked this aspect of the problem.
As soon as sex is spiritualized, as it
is in the fast of Ramadhan, man approaches woman with lightrather than lust. And in the flame of spiritual
illumination sex attains a status which is truly sacred, a gift from Allah Most
High through which a man and woman attain peace, tranquility, intense pleasure
and contentment and most important of all, a union and unity which facilitates
the approach to The One. It is in this context that we can properly examine the
statement of the Prophet
“Three (things) have been made dear
to me (by Allah) in this world of yours – women, and fragrance (of perfume);
and prayer has been the cooling of my eyes.”
(Ahmad and al-Nasa’i)
Shaikh Muhiyuddin Ibn ‘Arabi, in his
famous work Fusus
Al-Hikam, comments on this
saying of the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) in some detail:
“Then Allah drew forth from him
(namely man) a being in his (i.e., man’s) own image, called woman, and because
she appears in his own image, man feels a deep longing for her, as something
yearns for itself … Thus women were made beloved to him”*.
[* Ibn Arabi., The Bezels of Wisdom translated by R.W.J. Austin (London:
SPCK, 1980) p. 274 ]
Ibn ‘Arabi also directs our attention
to woman as medium in which, and through which, man can contemplate Allah Most High:
“When a man loves a woman, he seeks
union with her, that is to say the most complete union possible in love. And
there is in the elemental sphere no greater union than that between the sexes.
It is precisely because such desire pervades all his parts that man is
commanded to perform the major ablution (i.e., to take a bath after sexual
intercourse). Thus the purification is total, just as his annihilation in her
was total at the moment of consummation. Allah is jealous of His servant that
he should find pleasure in any but Him, so He Purifies him by the ablution, so
that he might once again behold Him in the one in whom he was annihilated,
since it is none other than He whom he sees in her.”
Indeed woman is the most perfect such
medium, according to Ibn ‘Arabi:
“Contemplation of the Reality
without formal support is not possible, since Allah in His Essence, is far
beyond all need of the Cosmos. Since, therefore, some form of support is
necessary, the best and most perfect kind is the contemplation of Allah (Most
High) in women.”
It is important that we should note
that the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) said: “Three
things have been made dear to me…” He did not say: “Three things did I love.” The implication is
that it was the Divine will which ordained that women be loved more than all
else in the world. The reason, as Ibn Arab explains, is that of all the Ayah or signs of Allah Most High which exist
in the world, woman is the closest Ayah of
Allah to man. She is the closest “window” to heaven! Hence man should approach
woman with the respect which is due to the sacred. And, through woman, he
should seek to approach his Lord.
This is not to say that the celibate is
incapable of spiritual progress. It is rather a view to the effect that in
negating sex in order to pursue spiritual growth, man is, in fact, disregarding
an in-built mechanism in his own nature which so balances the physical and the
spiritual as to allow the one to contribute to the growth of the other.
Finally we may note that the
spiritualization of sex, which is initiated in fasting, makes a significant
impact on sexual morality since it establishes the firmest possible foundations
for chastity. It is in the context of the permission to approach wives during
the nights of Ramadhan that the Qur’an finds it appropriate
to observe that:
“They (your wives) are apparel for
you, and so are you for them.”
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:187)
Thus when a husband goes to a woman
other than his wife or wives for his sexual satisfaction, he deprives his wife
of her clothing and thus subjects her to a certain kind of nakedness with all
its attendant vulnerability and embarrassment. Chastity is an imperative for
stable and happy family life. And this is the foundation of the stable family
unit without which an enduring civilization cannot be established.
Ramadan is
the month of collective spiritual retreat for the entire community of Muslims.
They are permitted to eat and drink until the white thread of dawn is distinct from the black thread (i.e., until the whiteness of the day is distinct from the darkness
of the night) and must then abstain from drink and sex until sunset:
“…and eat and drink until you can discern the white
streak of dawn against the blackness of night, and then resume fasting until
nightfall…”
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:187)
Prior to the revelation of the Qur’anic
verses relating to fasting, Muslims fasted without taking an early morning
meal. Ibn Abbas (radiallahu ‘anhu) has commented on those Qur’anic verses
as follows:
“When the people offered the night prayer, they were asked
to abstain from food and drink and (intercourse with) women. They kept fast
till the next night.”
(Sunan Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Siyam)
This was the way that the Jews and
Christians fasted, for the Prophet (sallalahu
ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam)
has said:
“The difference between our fasting and that of the
recipients of previous scriptures (Jews and Christians being specifically
referred to) is eating shortly before dawn.”
(Mishkat Al-Masabih, Kitab al-Siyam)
The implication of the Hadith is that Jews and Christians fasted
without a morning meal, i.e., their fast commenced after the evening meal and
continued until the following sunset. In all other respects their fast for a
day was similar to the Muslim fast.
With the revelation of the new Shari’ah (Sacred Law) the Muslims were now
required to fast from dawn to sunset for the entire month of Ramadhan. They were specifically permitted to take a morning meal
and were specifically permitted to go to their wives during the nights of
fasting:
“It is lawful for you to go in unto
your wives during the night preceding the [day’s] fast: they are as a garment
for you, and you are as a garment for them. Allah is aware that you would have
deprived yourselves of this right, and so He has turned unto you in His mercy
and removed this hardship from you. Now, then, you may lie with them skin to
skin, and avail yourselves of that which Allah has ordained for you, and eat
and drink until you can discern the white streak of dawn against the blackness
of night, and then resume fasting until nightfall; but do not lie with them
skin to skin when you are about to abide in meditation in houses of worship. These
are the bounds set by Allah: do not, then, offend against them – [for] it is
thus that Allah makes clear His messages unto mankind, so that they might
remain conscious of Him.”
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:187)
This change from the previous law of
fasting to the new (as well as other such changes) is referred to in the Qur’an
as Naskh (abrogation or supersession):
“We do not abrogate any Ayah
(revelation) or cause it to be forgotten but (that) We (replace it) with that
which is superior to it or similar to it.”
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:106)
No verse of the Qur’an itself was ever
abrogated, and since revelation came down declaring that religion had been perfected,
it follows that no abrogation of the Qur’an at any time in the future is
possible. Abrogation was always with reference to previous revelations.
Secondly, when a previous Shari’ah law was abrogated in the Qur’an the
abrogation applied to all of mankind. Hence that abrogated law lost its operational
validity for those previous communities who followed it.
In the chronological sequence of the
revelation of the Qur’an there appears to be a direct link between the
revelation of the verses relating to the promulgation of the fast of Ramadhan, on the one hand, and the relations between Muslims and
Jews (as well as Christians) on the other.
It is significant that fasting was not
made obligatory on the Muslims during the thirteen years which were spent in Makkah
prior to the Hijrah. Yet we know that the verses of the Qur’an
pertaining to fasting had already been sent down to the lowest heaven on the night of power:
“Behold, from on high have We bestowed this [divine writ] on
Night of Power.”
(Qur’an,
al-Qadr, 97:1)
It was therefore on the basis of
deliberate Divinely ordained chronological sequence that this particular revelation
(and all other revelation) was sent down at the time when it was sent down.
The point we are about to argue is that
the chronological sequence, as it pertains to fasting, was clearly determined
by the Jewish attitude towards the Prophet (sallalahu
ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam)
and his message. Consider the following
events.
On arrival in Madinah, after the Hijrah, the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) did two things which were profoundly significant for Christians
and Jews.
Firstly, he performed his prayers (Salat) while facing in the direction of
Jerusalem, and ordered all his followers to do likewise. The Jews held
Jerusalem to be their Divinely-ordained spiritual capital and hence it became
the direction to which they turned in prayer (Qiblah). The Christian attachment to Jerusalem was no less profound. In
turning towards their Qiblah
in prayer, the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) dramatically impressed upon the Jews and Christians that he worshiped
of the same one God whom they worshiped. He also directed dramatic attention to
his link with the following:
his
link with the Prophets David and Solomon (‘alaihi
al-Salam) who, as Prophet-Kings, had established the holy city of
Jerusalem;
his
link with the Temple built by Solomon; and
his
link with the Rock (al-Sakhrah) which Jews and Christians held to be
sacred because of their belief that it was associated with the momentous
sacrifice of Abraham (‘alaihi al-Salam).
Our analysis is that this act of the
Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) was supposed to facilitate
their assessment and acceptance of his claim to be the Prophet about whom both Moses
and Jesus (‘alaihi al-Salam) had
spoken. But Allah Most High knows best!
It is also interesting to note that
Europe as well, developed mysterious obsessive bonds with Jerusalem and the
Holy Land and that those mysterious bonds are now taking mankind to a disaster
that will end all disasters. Those mysterious bonds caused a European Pope (all
Popes are mysteriously European) to launch European crusades or Holy Wars to
wrest control over Jerusalem from Muslims.
Secondly, he fasted with the Jews on
the days when they fasted and in accordance with the Law of Fasting in the
Torah. Thus, as stated earlier, the fast commenced after the night prayer and
did not end until the next night. And during the time of fasting, food, drink
and sexual relations were prohibited.
The Jewish law can still be located
today in the Torah where, in respect of The Day of Atonement (YoumKippur), it states as follows:
“It shall be as Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you
shall practice self-denial (i.e., fasting); on the ninth day of the month at
evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe this your Sabbath.”
Leviticus (23:26-32)
The decision by the Prophet to fast
with the Jews served to reinforce the previous decision (to pray in the
direction of Jerusalem) in impressing upon the Jews in Madinah (and Christians
in Palestine, Syria, South Arabia, and Abyssinia) that he worshiped the same
God that they worshiped and that he recognized the Torah as Divine revelation.
Our assessment is that this act of the
Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) was also supposed to
facilitate Jewish assessment and acceptance of his claim to be the Prophet for
whom they were, in fact, waiting. But Allah knows best!
Fully seventeen months elapsed, after
the arrival of the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) in Madinah, before the Jewish rejection of the Prophet and their
open animosity towards him (as well as Islam and the Muslims) became manifest.
The event which triggered their open hostility, and which exposed in public
what was concealed in their hearts for some time, was the conversion to Islam
of their learned Rabbi, Abdullah Ibn Salaam (radiallahu ‘anhu)
Abdullah Ibn Salaam had come with his
entire family to the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) and had taken the Shahadah, thus
recognizing Muhammad (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) as the awaited Messenger of Allah whom the Jews were expecting.
In doing so he affirmed that Allah Most High had chosen, as His final
messenger, one who was not a Jew. The implication of this was that Allah Most
High, in His final chapter of revealed Truth, had chosen a prophet from the
seed of Ishmael rather than Isaac. With the acceptance of the Prophethood of Muhammad
(sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) by their own learned Rabbi, the moment of bitter truth had arrived
for the Jewish people. In the act of accepting Muhammad (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) as a true Prophet like onto Moses and Abraham (‘alaihi al-Salam), their Rabbi,
Abdullah bin Salam, implicitly admitted that the Torah contained lies. (See our
book entitled: ‘The
Religion of Abraham and the State of Israel – A view from the Qur’an’.)
It was indeed a bitter Truth, and it
confirmed Allah’s stern warning when He established His Covenant with Abraham (‘alaihi al-Salam). They were warned
that if they engaged in wicked conduct they would lose their covenanted status
and as a consequence Prophets would no longer emerge from their seed. Here is
what the Qur’an has to say about that event in which Allah Most High
established His Covenant with Abraham (‘alaihi
al-Salam) making him the Imam or leader of mankind:
“I will make thee an Imam (leader) of
mankind”
(Qur’an,
al-Baqarah, 2:124).
When Allah Most High spoke these words
to Abraham (‘alaihi al-Salam) he responded by asking whether Imams/Prophets
would also arise from his seed:
“and also (Imam) from among my
offspring”
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:124).
Allah Most High responded by implicitly
confirming that Prophets would emerge from Abraham’s seed, but He went on to
warn that His Covenant would exclude those whose conduct was wicked:
“My Covenant will not include the wicked (from your
offspring).”
(Qur’an,
al-Baqarah 2:124)
By the time of the birth of Nabi
Muhammad (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) the majority of the Jewish people had committed numerous acts of
wickedness, and Allah Most High recounted in the Qur’an some of those acts of
wickedness:
“…We commanded them: Transgress not in the
matter of the Sabbath,” and we took from them a solemn covenant. (They have
incurred divine is pleasure) in that they broke their Covenant; in that they
rejected the signs of Allah; that they slew the Messengers (of Allah) in defiance
of right; that they said: “Our hearts are enfolded in covers (which preserve
Allah’s Words – We need no more); nay, Allah has set a seal on their hearts
because of their blasphemy, and little is it they believe; that they rejected
faith; that they uttered against Mary a terrible false charge; that they said
(in boast) “We killed the Messiah Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah
… Because of the wickedness of the Jews We have made unlawful for them (many)
good things which previously had been lawful for them. (We have done this also)
because they obstructed (and led astray) so many from the Path of Allah. And
(because) they took usury (Riba) although they were prohibited from doing so;
and because they cheated people of their wealth…”
(Qur’an,
al-Nisa 4:154-161)
It was because of that wickedness which
had defiled the descendants of Isaac (‘alaihi al-Salam) that Allah Most High had to turn to the descendants of
Ishmael (‘alaihi al-Salam) for the last Prophet. Abdullah Ibn
Salam (radiallahu
‘anhu) was able to
swallow pride and embrace the Divine verdict against the Jews when he
recognized Muhammad (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) as the Prophet of Allah. The Qur’an affirms that the Jews, also,
were all able to recognize that which their Rabbi affirmed:
“The people of the Book know this (that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah) as they know their own sons”
(Qur’an,
al-Baqarah, 2:146)
What they could not swallow was the fact that
he was not a Jew but an Arab. Had he been a Jew they would have accepted him.
Although this, also, was not certain, since both John and Jesus were
Israelites, and they were both rejected.
When Abdullah Ibn Salam (radiallahu
‘anhu) took the Shahadah and recognized Muhammad (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) as the Prophet of Allah, he asked the Prophet to conceal the information
until the Jews had been questioned concerning his status. The Prophet acceded
to his request and kept the information secret. He then questioned the Jews
concerning Abdullah Ibn Salaam. They
replied: “He is our Rabbi, the most learned and respected of us all.” Then
Abdullah came before them and announced that he had recognized Muhammad (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam), the Arab, as the Prophet of Allah. The Jews responded by cursing
their Rabbi and insulting him. They poured out all their pent up and concealed
hatred for the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam). They resorted to such tactics of deception against the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) to which even pagan Makkah had never resorted. They sent some of their
Rabbis to feign conversion to Islam so that they could penetrate the ranks of
the Muslims and plant from within their ranks the seeds of doubt and suspicion
concerning the Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam). They also sent a young Jew to recite the events of the Day of Bu’ath when the Aws defeated the Khazraj. The
youth performed so well that he succeeded in arousing the old tribal passions
and very soon the two tribes were facing each other ready for armed conflict.
It was the timely intervention of the
Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) which averted what would have been a great tragedy. Allah
responded to Jewish acts of wickedness, including the targeting of Muslim
solidarity described above, with revelations which condemned them in very harsh
language. We quote the Qur’an at length so that readers may study these verses
and so clearly recognize the great divine anger against the Jews:
And whenever there came unto them a
[new] revelation from Allah, confirming the truth already in their possession –
and [bear in mind that] afore-time they used to pray for victory over those who
were bent on denying the truth: whenever there came unto them something which
they recognized [as the truth], they would deny it. And Allah’s rejection is
the due of all who deny the truth.
Vile
is that [false pride] for which they have sold their own selves by denying the
truth of what Allah has bestowed from on high, out of envy that Allah should bestow
aught of His favour upon whomsoever He wills of His servants: and thus have
they earned the burden of Allah’s condemnation, over and over. And for those
who deny the truth there is shameful suffering in store.
For when they are told, “Believe in what
Allah has bestowed from on high,” they reply, “We believe [only] in what has
been bestowed on us” – and they deny the truth of everything else, although it
be a truth confirming the one already in their possession. Say “Why, then, did
you slay Allah’s prophets afore-time, if you were [truly] believers?”
And
indeed, there came unto you Moses with all evidence of the truth – and
thereupon in his absence, you took to worshipping the (golden] calf, and acted wickedly.
And, lo, We accepted your solemn pledge, raising
Mount Sinai high above you, [saying,] “Hold fast with [all your] strength unto
what We have vouchsafed you, and hearken unto it!” [But] they say, “We have heard,
but we disobey” – for their hearts are filled to overflowing with love of the
[golden] calf because of their refusal to acknowledge the truth. Say: “Vile is
what this [false] belief of yours enjoins upon you – if indeed you are
believers!”
Say: “If an afterlife with
Allah is to be for you alone, to the exclusion of all other people, then you should
long for death – if what you say is true!” But never will they long for it,
because [they are aware] of what their hands have sent ahead in this world: and
Allah has full knowledge of evildoers.
And thou wilt most certainly find that
they cling to life more eagerly than any other people, even more than those who
are bent on ascribing divinity to other beings beside Allah: every one of them
would love to live a thousand years, although the grant of long life could not
save him from suffering [in the hereafter]: for Allah sees all that they do.
Say [O Prophet]: “Whosoever is an enemy of Gabriel” – who verily, by Allah’s
leave, has brought down upon thy heart this [divine writ] which confirms the
truth of whatever there still remains [of earlier revelations], and is a guidance
and a glad tiding for the believers:
“whosover is an enemy of Allah and His
angels and His message-bearers, including Gabriel and Michael, [should know
that,] verily, Allah is the enemy of all who deny the truth.”
For, clear messages
indeed have We bestowed upon thee from on high; and none denies their truth
save the iniquitous. Is it not so that every time they made a promise [unto
Allah], some of them cast it aside? Nay, indeed: most of them do not believe.
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:89-100)
Allah Most High also warned the Prophet
(sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) and the Muslims concerning the Jews:
“Hence, judge between the followers
of earlier revelation in accordance with what Allah has bestowed from on high,
and do not follow their errant views; and beware of them, lest they tempt thee
away from aught that Allah has bestowed from on high upon thee. And if they
turn away [from His commandments], then know that it is but Allah’s will [thus]
to afflict them for some of their sins: for, behold, a great many people are
iniquitous indeed”.
Do they, perchance, desire [to be ruled by] the law of
pagan ignorance? But for people who have inner certainty, who could be a better
law-giver than Allah?
(Qur’an, al-Maida,5:49-50)
It was shortly after this, in the month
of Shaban in the year 2 A.H., after
the Muslims had prayed in the direction of Jerusalem for seventeen months that
Allah Most High sent down the revelation ordering the Muslims to pray in the direction
of the Ka’aba in Makkah. Allah ta’alah explained the purpose of the change in Qiblah, that the whole question of the orientation
in prayer was intended by Him to shift the true believers from the apostates and
those engaged in deceptive conduct:
“And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle
way, so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all
mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you. And it is
only to the end that We might make a clear distinction between those who follow
the Apostle and those who turn about on their heels that We have appointed [for
this community] the direction of prayer which thou [O Prophet] hast formerly
observed: for this was indeed a hard test for all but those whom Allah has
guided aright. But Allah will surely not lose sight of your faith – for, behold,
Allah is most compassionate towards man, a dispenser of grace.
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:143)
And it was in that same month of Shaban (just one month before Ramadhan) that Allah Most High also revealed the verses which
promulgated the compulsory fast of Ramadhan for
the Muslims.
Henceforth whenever a Muslim turned in
prayer towards Makkah instead of Jerusalem, and fasted from dawn to sunset during
the month-long fast of Ramadhan
rather than from sunset to sunset as
prescribed in the Torah, his direction of prayer and his new fast symbolized
his separation as a Muslim from the community of Jews with which Muslims had previously
combined in a single Ummah.
The institution of Naskh (i.e., divine abrogation and cancellation
of revelation and its replacement with that which is better or similar) was
used to create a new religious community with a separate identity from the
communities of Jews and Christians. Hence every Ramadhan should
witness a renewal of Muslim resolve to recover and preserve their own Muslim
identity separate and different from Jews and Christians and from the rest of
mankind. Modern western civilization has done everything it could possibly do
to try to destroy that separate Muslim identity. The western weapon used in
that attack is the secular model of society. Nothing has been more frustrating
for Singapore, for example, than its failure to create a new Singaporean
identity for Singapore’s Muslim community that would eclipse and super-cede
their unique Muslim identity. The glorious fast of Ramadhan has played, and continues to play. a crucial role in
ensuring that failure.
