Duties and Responsibilities of the Islamic Ummah

By: Muhammad Ali Rabbani
Taken from Al-Tawhid Quarterly Journal. Vol 15, No. 3, Autumn 1999.
The Twelfth International Conference for Islamic Unity was recently convened in Tehran. The Ulama and intellectuals form all over the world gathered here and discussed issues around the main theme of the conference which was "Islam and the Islamic Umma in the Next Century Among the sub-topics of the discussions, "The Problems of the Islamic World at the Threshold of the 21st Century and "Duties and Responsibilities of the Islamic Umma at the Threshold of the New Millennium were the most attractive ones.
Judging by the type of the selected topics of discussions, we can conclude that this year's gathering of the Ulama and leaders of the Islamic schools of thought has given such gatherings an unprecedented sensitivity.
The Islamic community can benefit from such gatherings only if the participants could honestly apply the outcomes in their own societies in order to solve the problems of the world's Muslims. The prevailing conditions at the international scenes and the critical conditions of the Islamic World dictate the necessity of taking more practical advantages of such gatherings, while strengthening and promoting their positive and constructive aspects.
Considering the new types of hegemony in the modern world and taking a glance at the recent global developments and comparing them with the deep gaps among Muslims that tend to get deeper and the serious challenges faced by the Islamic Umma that seem to increase every day, reveal the fact that trying to bring closer the minds of the world's Muslims should no longer be merely viewed from the theoretical point jurisprudence discussions of view and limited to
Talking about unity in these tough conditions calls for devising practical shared strategies according to realistic facts of the Islamic countries that would Muslims to solve their problems using their own minds.
In order to reach that end, exchanging viewpoints among Muslim intellectuals in order to form a strong united front to defend Islamic thoughts against the threats of Western modernism and the existing controversial conflicts within the Islamic societies themselves can be very helpful.
By decreasing the gap among various Islamic schools of thought and trying to find shared solutions, particularly in cultural fields, a tremendous amount of capabilities may emerge and huge joint projects may be realized. The blessed final result of all these moves will be realization of Islamic unity that is an old dream come true.
It is also a chance to think about finding practical solutions for the social, cultural and intellectual problems that the Islamic Umma is faced with nowadays.
The real differences over which we can not compromise, the major part of which is due to allowed differences of jurisdictional interpretations, which is even encouraged in religion and there is nothing wrong with it, the bulk of the beliefs of the various Islamic sects and schools of thought, both the fundamentals and the secondary codes, are the fruits of joint works of great Muslim clergies and are unanimously agreed upon. For instance, the endless capability of the Islamic Shari' a in answering the critical modem world requirements of a Muslim is both amazing and a good cause for promotion of cooperation and joint works of Muslim intellectuals of various schools of thought. The importance of this point would be fully understood if we realize how important it is for the world Muslims today to get together and find shared answers to the controversial questions that have left the human society desperately in need of acceptable answers.
As the human beings' needs get more and more complicated, the global developments accelerate beyond control, cultural invasion of the West against the Islamic communities finds numerous new dimensions, different societies turn towards religion as a final answer to their needs, the Muslims of the world get more alert and conscious about their identity and tens of other alarming factors take shape in our world and around us, we realize that the Muslims and their intellectuals have no choice but unity and all- sided cooperation in order to survive.
Moreover, the very sensitive and important issues that are brought up today in religious, cultural, social, economic and even political fields, call for joint work, shared views and unity of the Islamic World's Ulama and intellectuals.
It is, on the other hand, impossible to stand against the poisonous storms of corruption of the invading cultures in mental, ideological and ethical fields, unless the Muslims of the world and the Ulama of various sects and schools of thought unite.
Therefore, the clergies and intellectuals that take part in such gatherings should have search for the root of the social and cultural problems of the Islamic communities in order to devise strategies that would lead to the strengthening and elevating of Islamic values and principles They should also focus their attention on upgrading the world Muslim's beliefs and convincing them that unity among Muslims is a must in the present chaotic world and it can have lasting benefits for every Muslim.
Such an important goal cannot be achieved unless the participating clergies feel committed to eliminate the obstacles in the way of achieving a united Umma, white strengthening the shared ethical, religious and cultural beliefs.
Today, in the age of communications, and the inevitable encounter of civilizations, we have to admit that an international system has been formed which has influenced social, economic and cultural developments in Islamic countries, inflicting on them deep and complicated developments.
Therefore, being equipped with a stagnant understanding, based on personal judgments alone, that is unable to perceive the developments of the modem world is the greatest obstacle in the way of achieving sects. It deprives solidarity and unity among the various Islamic the Muslims of having a dynamic mind that is needed for figuring out practical confront the crises through solutions for helping the Muslims and challenges which they have faced. It is having a realistic understanding of these necessities and concerns that we can assuredly claim that the concept of a united (Ummat-un- Wahida) that is based on a solid set of inseparable thoughts, beliefs, sciences, arts and social and religious traditions can come true.
Such solidarity already and potentially exists among the Muslims, but it will become more tangible for all through mindedness, joint and vast consultations among Muslims different schools of thought, of understanding of each other's concerns and interests, promotion of greater tolerance, particularly when facing those who have different opinions, and freeing of minds from thoughts that create obstacles in the way of achieving unity. One-dimensional thinking and factionalism that bear no fruit but bitter ones should be seriously avoided when we are treading on such a glorious path.
Both the flourishing and decay of the Islamic civilization are direct results of the internal and external interactions of the individuals within the Umma. It all depends on their success or failure in overcoming the factional and sectarian quarrels differences.
The next step would be arranging for active cultural interactions. Cultural give and takes among Muslims, as well as utilizing the positive and praiseworthy aspects of the other civilizations, has always been a fine characteristic Muslim community.
The most glorious era in the civilization history of Islam was when broad-minded Muslim leaders succeeded to set the Umma broad- and of the foundation stones patience in dealing and understanding of this great civilization through observing with Muslim thinkers across the Islamic World of the viewpoints of others with great tolerance.
It was the very same approaches become the founders of many theological schools of thought, and where these thoughts were both across the Islamic World.
The global societies in general in particular have benefited from that enabled the Muslims to scientific, philosophical and founders of academic centers taught and further flourished and the Muslim communities outcomes of such endeavors, and will benefit from them as long as they exist.
Some good examples of such services rendered by Muslims to the world culture include Imam Sadiq's (a.s) brilliant and disciplined discussion sessions in Medina, that had attracted tens of thousands of lovers of knowledge; the theological schools supervised by such great Shia scholars as Sheikh Mufid and Sheikh Tousi in Baghdad; the famous Bayt-ul-Hikma school of theology and scientific disciplines during the Abbassid era; Nizamiyya School of Baghdad; Al Az-har University of Egypt and dozens of other such outstanding academic centers across the Islamic World. The establishment and democratic method of management of each of these schools is good proof for the Muslims' peaceful efforts for transferring their scholarly achievements to all interested individuals and other cultures, free from any racial, religious, ethnic or geographical biases.
Many outstanding and great personalities in the history of mankind have emerged from these centers, who are themselves fruits of peaceful cultural interactions and have played their important role in the development and flourishing of human sciences and the glorious Islamic culture and civilization. That provides further proof for the necessity of peaceful cultural interactions among the various Islamic communities, schools of thought.
During the course of our Islamic history, sects and through full awareness of the Muslim leaders, the crises that often emerged as a result of sectarian differences and baseless struggles among them have often been defused. Great Muslim intellectuals and bright-minded leaders of different Islamic sects have spent incessant efforts aimed at bringing closer the general outlooks of the world Muslims despite waves of objections by the enemies. They have honestly and selflessly led reformist and revolutionary movements and strived for unity among world Muslims.
Great reformists of the 13th and 14th centuries (A.H) took long and lasting strides towards the realization of unity among Muslims in Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, and other parts of the Muslim world.
Apart from Seyyed Jamaleddin Assadabadi and his students' efforts aimed at the achievement of Islamic unity of the Umma, perhaps we can refer to the Egyptian Daar-ut-Taqrib (House of Unity) as a successful contemporary ecumenical movement that took shape in the course of the recent century. It succeeded intaking practical steps toward bringing closer the viewpoints of different sects, particularly that of the Shi'a and Sunni sects.
Intending to achieve mutual understanding and unity among the world Muslims, who were going through a seriously chaotic and difficult era following the collapse of the last symbol of Islamic Caliphate, the Ottoman Empire. and in order to achieve readiness to ward off the hegemonistic policies of the Western colonialists in economic and cultural fields, and thanks to efforts of an Iranian Shi'a reformist, Allameh Qomi, the Daar-ut-Taqrib was founded about 60 years ago in Egypt. It called upon the world Muslims to unite during the last years of the rule of Malik Farouq, the Egyptian monarch.
Despite all the obstacles and objections with its formation and later activities of this Islamic organization, which had the motto of "A United Umma, the Daar-ut-Taqrib managed to gather a large number of great Muslim leaders of different schools of thought in a short period. This move led to the cooperation of different Islamic sects. The sympathy that was achieved among them through this cooperation bore unprecedented sweet fruits for the Islamic Umma.
Some of the great personalities and Muslim intellectuals that emerged from this organization and offered their services to the Muslims include Sheikh Abd-ul-Majid Salim, the former head of the Al-Az-har University, Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout, an eminent Muslim scholar and then head of the Al Az-har University, Sheikh Hassari al-Banna, the first brotherhood leader of Islamic organization, the Ikhwan ul-Muslimin Muhammad Au Alawiyya Pasha and Ahmad Ali Alawiyya Pasha, two of the period's prominent scientific figures and clergies, Sheik Muhammad Abd-uI-Latif and Mostafa Abdur-Razzaq, two of the senior professors of Al Az-har
University, Sheikh al-' Anani, the head of the Hanafite Sheikh al-Manoun, head of the Shafe' ie Sunni sect, Sunni sect, Seyyed Ali Mu' ayyad, representative of the Zaydi Shi' as of Yemen, Sheikh us- Sekki, representative Deen al-Qulaybi, of the Maleki a prominent Sunni Tunisian sect, Sheikh Mohi-yed scholar, Mowlana Seyyed Abd-ul-' Aleem, the great Alim of the Indian Muslims, Kheif, professor Sheikh of jurisprudence and fundamentals of Islam Al Azhar University, Muhammad Farid, who wrote his renowned Islamic Encyclopedia, and some other eminent Islamic personalities.
The pioneer of the great Shia intellectuals who wholeheartedly welcomed the call for Islamic unity made by the Daar-ut- Taqrib of Egypt and was initially the one who encouraged its founder, Allameh Qomi. to take this courageous step was the Grand Ayatollah Haj Hossein Boroujerdi (r.a).
The late Ayatollah Boroujerdi spared no effort in strengthening and seeing to victorious procession of the movement of this religious and reform-oriented organization. His selfless support of this initiative is good proof for the Shi'a leaders' support of the cause of unity among Muslims. Alongside this outstanding Muslim leader, many other sources of emulation and Alims such as the Grand Ayatollahs Sheikh Mohammad-Hossein Al-e Kashif-ulGhita', among the Shi'a sources of emulation based in Iraq, and the Grand Ayatollah Seyed Abd-ul-Hussein Sharafid-Deen Mousavi. the prominent Shia source of emulation in Lebanon and Syria, spent tremendous efforts and led selfless struggles to bring closer the religious viewpoints of various Islamic sects and strengthen the cause of unity among Muslims.
In order to take a closer look at the selfless efforts made by these prominent thinkers and to focus on some of the activities of the Daar-ut-Taqrib of Egypt that sowed the seeds of unity spread by such reformists as Seyyed Jamaleddin Assadabadi, we hereby list a number of this organization's achievements:
- Arranging for sub-committees and extra gatherings in which the Llama, intellectuals and leaders of recognized and reputable islamic sects from various parts of the world would participate. In these gatherings the participants would hold scientific discussions at theoretical as well as practical levels, exchange ideas and try to make the goals of Daar-ut-Taqrib come true by promoting the cause of unity among Muslims worldwide.
Such gatherings play an essential role in helping the various Islamic sects to get to know each others' viewpoints, get rid of the misunderstandings and take long strides toward a unified Umma.
2 - Publication of the magazine Risalat-ul-Jslam, the official periodical of Daar-ut-Taqrib, which was published during years of this organization's activities.
The 60 valuable volumes of this scholarly, religious magazine are good historical documents that remind us of the worthy efforts of these devoted Muslims aimed at Islamic unity. This magazine was later reprinted in the form of a five- volume book by Daar-ut-Taqrib, is in fact a source for studying the best articles and multi-faceted discussions among the highest-level leaders of Muslims of various sects and schools of thought.
Such prominent clerics as Sheikh Abd-ul-Majid Salim and Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout, both heads of the Al Az-har University, Mustafa Abdur-Razzaq, a famous philosophy professor of Al Az-har University, Muhi-yed-Deen al-Qulaybi, a reputable Tunisian intellectual, Muhammad-Farid Wajdi and Ahmad Amin, both of whom renowned Arab authors and some great Shia leaders wrote for this magazine.
After the establishment of the International Center Rapprochement of the Islamic Sects in Iran, the Resalat-ul-Islam magazine has been published by this center and distributed among interested individuals around the world. Sheikh Muhammad Madani, the first editor-in-chief of this publication, was a professor at the Al Azhar University.
3 - Publication and international distribution of some of the source books of the Islamic sects, including books on Shia jurisprudence, like the voluminous Majma -ul-Bayczn interpretation of the Holy Qur'an by Abulfadhl ibn Hassan Tabarsi, a famous
Shia exegetes, published by Daar-ut-Taqrib, upon the request of Sheikh Abd ul-Majid, the head of the Al Az-bar University at the time. Also the Shi'as jurisprudence reference book Mukhtasar-unNafi' was published by the Egyptian Ministry of Owqaf (religious endowment), while the Daar-ut-Taqrib compiled and published a worthy and voluminous set of narrations accepted by all sects. This organization also monitored the publication of the religious books in Egypt and blocked the publication of books that sowed the seeds of discord among various Islamic sects.
4 - Arranging for correspondence among prominent heads of different Islamic sects, including the complete set of technical discussions between Sheikh Abd-ul Majid Salim, the head of the Al Az-har University at the time, who was also the Grand Mufti of the Sunni sect and the Shia Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi and writing letters to different Muslim intellectuals, inviting them to join Daarut-Taqrib's efforts which aimed at reaching unity among Muslims, are two good examples of this organization's activities, which were followed on a large-scale basis.
Regarding the effectiveness of this move, we can refer to their influence on Ahmad Amin, the famous Egyptian author, who had before being attracted to the Daar-ut-Taqrib written a book against Shia Islam (in which he had referred to Shia school as a politically-motivated one influenced by Jewish and Zoroastrian teachings). He was later invited to move in the path of reaching unity, and strengthening of this organization. He changed his mindset and became a permanent writer for the publication of this organization, promoting the move towards a unified Umma.
The late Sheikh Shaltout strengthened the Seat of Comparative Jurisprudential Studies at Al Azhar University to put an end to sectarianism and discords among Islamic schools of thought, particularly the Shi'a and Sunni disputes. Shaltout himself taught a course for the Faculty of Religious Studies in which he discussed the beliefs of all different sects about certain issues. If he found the ideas of a certain sect more authentic regarding a certain issue he considered it as superior in that particular field, free from all sorts of biased inclinations, and then issued fatwas (religious decrees) based on such discussions.
A good example of his invaluable teachings includes his devised set of religious codes for personal and family affairs.
For instance Sheikh Shaltout preferred the Shi'a approach regarding divorce that says the Sunni decree that accepts uttering the divorce statement three times at a single session is unacceptable and only regarded as once, while the husband can still return to his wife after such a divorce.
Among the fruits of such moves, we can refer to the preference of some of the Shi'a codes and beliefs to those of the other sects both at the Al Azhar University and at the religious commissions for surveying religious codes for personal legal questions. However, in the real lives of the Egyptians and at the marriage and divorce bureaus these fatwas (religious decrees), were and still are being used as bases of their functions. They started issuing their civil code documents based on the Shi'a jurisprudence regarding three divorce utterances, suspension divorces and other complicated marriage codes following Sheikh Shaltout's revolutionary decree. In addition, Sheikh Shaltout preferred the Shi'a reasoning and codes regarding breast-feeding and whether the child is regarded as a woman's child just by being breast-fed by her once or does this have to be repeated a certain number of times before such a rule could be applied.
There are several other cases in which this realist and truthseeking Egyptian clergy has issued religious verdicts bias-free and merely by observing that a certain sect's reasonings are stronger in some particular cases. By adopting this approach he set the cornerstone of setting aside sectarian zeal and move toward inter- sectarian dialogues aimed at reaching Islamic unity among Muslims, which is his valuable heritage for us.
5 - His historic decree in which he has permitted the Sunnis to follow the complete set of the Imamiyya Shi'a jurisprudence is a spectacular practical move towards rapprochement of the religions and unity of the Islamic Umma.
It is in fact the greatest achievement of Egypt's Daar-ut Taqrib which left its tremendous constructive and lasting effects in bringing closer the hearts and minds of the followers of the Shi'a and Sunni sects.
In this decree, issued on 17th of Rabi'-ul-Awwal of the year 1378 AH, Allama Sheikh Mahmoud al-Shaltout has answered the question of a group of Muslims who had inquired about a religious answer regarding permission or lack of permission to follow the 12- Imamite Shi' a jurisprudence and whether this sect is all in all regarded as an Islamic school of thought or a deviation from the right path. The text of his historic reply to this sensitive question reads: "The religion of Islam has not urged any of its followers to follow any certain sect. On the contrary, each Muslim individual is free to follow the sets of religious codes that are authentically compiled in any school of Islamic thought in the books of that sect, and the followers of the four established [Sunni] sects can freely convert to following the codes of other authentic sects, whatever they might be.
In this decree, he also directly refers to the legality of following the Ja'fari sect, which is also known as the 12-Imam (Ithna Ashari, reiterating, "The Muslims should realize the important fact that they must avoid having a bias against a certain sect, because God's religion and his Shari' a is not following [specific] sect, and it is not [to be] monopolized by any specific school.
At the end of this very important decree, Allama Shaltout stresses:
"All the sources of emulation in various sects have existed, and are reliable and Allah, the Most Exalted, [hopefully] approves of them, so those who have not reached the level to find answers to all their religious questions by themselves can follow them and act according to their decrees both in performing their religious rituals and in their business interactions.
Upon Sheikh Shaltout's own request this decree was kept as an official document of the Daar-ut-Taqrib, published in the periodical of this organization and sent to the Muslim world's theological schools, research centers, clerics and intellectuals.
Although the Daar-ut-Taqrib could not proceed with its blessed efforts more than two decades due to mounting political and other pressures and difficulties, during the same short period it managed to take great strides toward the promotion of brotherhood and unity among members and leaders of various Islamic sects, which was an old dream of the Islamic Umma come true.
With accelerating trend of Islamic awareness throughout the Islamic World and following the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, led by a great revolutionary thinker, Imam Khomeini (r.a), we once again witnessed inclination of the Islamic Umma towards unity among Muslims.
The late Imam Khomeini (r.a) always stressed on the need to eliminate the racial, lingual, tribal and geographical barriers out of the way of the progression of the global Islamic revolution. He always remained faithful struggle against nationalism and prejudiced moves in the Islamic any to his communities. By stressing the Shi'a-Sunni unity he played historic role on the path of realization of a unified Umma.
After the sad departure of Imam Khomeini (r.a), current Leader of the Islamic Revolution, based on a religious belief and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a strategic need, and in order to continue the movement in the glorious path paved by the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, and feeling the world Muslims' need to reach a unified stand in the course of the dramatic world events, took another practical step in this regard.
He founded the International Council for Among Islamic Sects Proximity (ICPVIS) as another long towards closer cooperation among Muslims of various stride schools thought and more disciplined and regular interactions among intellectuals, clerics and leaders of the Islamic world. This move was also aimed at foiling the plots of the common enemies of the Muslims including the poisonous cultural invasion of the West against the Islamic Umma while strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation among them.
During its twelve-year life, the ICPVIS has arranged annual international conferences on Islamic unity during the Unity marking the glorious birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), published and distributed books promoting the cause of unity among Muslims around the world, reprinted and distributed the 15 volumes of the Resalat-ul-Islam, the periodical publication of Egypt's Daar-ut-Taqrib, published its own periodical, the Risalat-ut-Taqrib regularly, the publicationof Majma'-ut
Taqrib, sent cultural and religious delegations on multilateral exchange basis, and founded the Islamic Sects University as samples of its vast, unity-oriented activities, all aspect of which call his the Views of Week, for lengthy and detailed discussions which would not be within scope of this article.
Today, considering the global enthusiasm for President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami' s wise proposal of dialogues among civilizations, the Muslims' ideological commitment to strengthen the religious camp, the expansion and globalization of spiritual and humane values, there remains no doubt that dialogues among various Islamic sects and schools of thought aimed at the elevation and promotion of the Islamic values, culture and civilization is of utmost importance. Such dialogues would set the foundation stone for introducing Islam, as the last monotheist religion, and bringing it to the focus of world attention once again to find its proper stance as the ultimate answer to the spiritual and worldly needs and questions of human beings and societies in the modern world.
This calls for the need to tremendous and selfless efforts by the Muslim intellectuals and Ulama, aimed at reaching a unified stance and a common language with which to communicate on whole Islamic Umma in the forthcoming dialogue among civilizations.
Let us hope the previously convened International Conference for Islamic Unity has been able to take tangible practical steps toward Islamic unity, the Umma in warding off the problems of and devising common strategies for encountering the intellectual and cultural challenges with which the world Muslims are currently faced, as well as those they will encounter during the next century.
References:
1. Risalat-u i-Islam, reprinted by International Council Proximity of Views Among Islamic Sects (ICPVIS)
2. Lumha anil-Majina -ii- Alatni Lit-Ta qrih Bayn-al-Madhahibal-Islam ~ya, published by international Council for Proximity of Views Among Islamic Sects (ICPVIS)
3. Collection of Speeches Delivered by Secretary General of international Council for Proximity of Views Among Islamic Sects (ICPVIS),