A passage by Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad on the state of Iraq during World War II, which is relevant to today and ISIS as well: “The current unrest in Iraq is a cause of great anxiety for the Muslims of the whole world and for the Indians. Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, its port, Basra and the centre of its oil wells, Mosul are places that Muslims are fully acquainted with from their childhood. The achievements in the arts and sciences by the government of Banu Abbas [the Abbasid Caliphate] are a happy memory for all Muslims…I can speak for myself and definitely state that in my childhood Baghdad and Basra were far more alluring and charming than London and Paris because they were familiar to me right from the start. [In relation to the heroes of Iraq that I held] as I grew a bit older the study of Hadith introduced me to Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Islamic Jurisprudence to Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Yusuf, Sufism to Junaid of Baghdad, Shibli and Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, History to Ibn Qayyim, Art of Lecturing to Nizam Uddin Toosi, Literature to Mubrad, Sibuya, Jarir and Farzooq, Politics to Haroon, Mamoon and Malik Shah. These men, who were and still are peerless in their own disciplines, were introduced to my senses one by one in such a way that contemplating their excellences filled my heart with hopes and expectations and occupied my mind in sublime thought. The appearance of unrest in the land of Iraq with its charming sites, which produced these phenomenal oceans of excellence, should only fill the hearts of Muslims with sadness. Can the possibility of the bombardment of the tombs of thousands of these revered men, who are attached to us not physically but spiritually, leave us indifferent? Iraq houses the sacred places of the saints of both the Sunnis and the Shias. In status also, it is placed at the heart of the Islamic world. Hence, its peace and security is the concern of every Muslim. Today that peace is under threat and the Muslims of the world cannot remain silent and they are not silent...The courtyards of our mosques and the enclosures of the tombs of our revered saints will be its target. (Al-Fazl, 27 May 1941, pg 2)
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:36:44 +0000
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