For Pakistan to be model Riasat-e-Medina, our focus must shift beyond theology
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It may come as a surprise to many western nations that the first written social contract that contained every aspect of running a state was the Charter of Medina. Authored by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 622 CE, it was also the first written constitution of the Islamic World. It consisted of 47 clauses, out of which 23 dealt with the relationship between Ansars and Muhajireens, while the remaining 24 dealt with the relationship of Muslims with non-Muslims. This charter formed the philosophical basis for the Riasat-e-Madina, the first Islamic civilisation which acted as a model for many other empires that followed. It was accepted wholeheartedly by the people of Medina and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) faced no oppositions to it.
Based on the Quran and Sunnah, the Charter is not only the first Islamic Constitution, it is also the first document to provide classic examples of human rights, including women’s rights and inheritance rights. It was designed keeping in mind the plurality of Medina at the time, where people of different backgrounds resided. The charter allowed peaceful practice of all religions and stressed on the importance of maintaining peace in society and averted the economic crisis that faced Ansars and Muhajireen at the time.
For a country like Pakistan, which aims to become the model Riyasat-e-Madina and the pinnacle of Islamic prosperity, it is important that the focus be shifted to the superior knowledge gained through the study of philosophy and logic that goes beyond theology. For this, the state must encourage natural scientists, who are the inventors of modern-day technology development, and economists, anthropologists, sociologists and scholars to take up the study of philosophy. Meanwhile, the dominant area of theology can continue to be explored by the clergy, whose main duty is to carry out religious rituals and focus on theology. We must go back to our Islamic roots and explore thinking and debate in Islamic philosophy as the very first Muslims did.
The leadership of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the comprehensiveness of the Quran and Sunnah in laying down guidelines for all matters of society, including politics, governance, administration, justice system, welfare, trade and foreign affairs to list a few, became the reason Riasat-e-Medina was introduced as a model socio-political and economic model for other civilisations in the world. At the time, there existed the Byzantine and Persian empires with their own governance models but Riyasat-e-Medina outclassed both. Before the rise of Riyasat-e-Medina, knowledge was spread from Greeks to Romans, then Romans to Muslims but remained in the domain of Muslims for the following 5-6 centuries which can be classified as the “golden” age of mankind.
We must go back to our Islamic roots and explore thinking and debate in Islamic philosophy as the very first Muslims did.
Iftikhar Durrani
Between the 7th and 12th century, numerous Muslim scholars such as Ibn-e-Sina and al-Farabi, were produced who promoted a superior system based on the teaching and debating of Islamic philosophy. Islamic philosophy has remained an integral part of Islamic intellectual life and one that can be traced back to the very beginning of Riyasat-e-Medina. Until Halagu Khan’s capture of Baghdad in 1258 AD, Islamic philosophy was also being taught in European Universities and being worked on by the Ottomans as well. This “golden” era for Muslim scholars created the superior knowledge of sociology, politics and governance that was later adopted by Western states through which they were able to prosper.
An important distinction is to be made between theology and philosophy, where the latter focuses on wisdom and knowledge without limits, and created scientific knowledge which serves as the foundation for the current day technological advancement while the former applies logic to presuppositions about God and the world. The decline of the Muslim world and its dominance over knowledge can be attributed to studies largely being confined to theology of religion. The room for philosophy, logic and debate shrunk over time and in the modern world, there is very little research conducted on Islamic philosophy or philosophers. A lone example can be given of the contemporary poet, Allama Iqbal, who is studied by most students in Pakistan. However, a deeper analysis of such scholars is necessary in order to understand the essence of Riyasat-e-Medina.
Islamic philosophy is seen by the west as part of its own intellectual tradition and usually referred to as Arabic philosophy due to a large amount of literature being in Arabic. According to the west, Islamic philosophy died with the scholar Ibn-Rushd, however for over seven centuries, Islamic philosophy has been taught in places like Paris, Bologna, Louvan and Padua as part of Western intellectual history and philosophy. In recent years, scholars have begun to accept that Islamic philosophy forms the basis of most medieval and modern philosophy taught in the West.
- Writer is a PHD in Government and Public Policy and can be reached at @DuraniIftikhar
