[IYF2012]: Islamic Civilization (part I)

Islamic Civilization

 

When we talk about Islamic Civilization, we should not just talk about "history, as it is written", rather "history, and how we can learn from it." Therefore, when we talk about Islamic Civilization, we should look at it as learning points for our ummah to regain out honor and dignity, as what was achieve by the pioneer society, as what was said in the Holy Quran:

 

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ ۚ مِنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If only the People of the Book had faith it were best for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors.

(Ali Imran, Chapter 3 verse 110)

 

Therefore, we should look at the Islamic Civilization from eight different periods or eras. The eight periods/ eras in Islamic Civilization are:

 

                  i.            The Jahiliyyah Era

                ii.            Mecca Era

               iii.            Medina Era

             iv.            The Caliphs Era

               v.            The Umawiy Age

             vi.            The Abbasiy Age

            vii.            The Othmaniy Age

          viii.            The Muslim World Today

 

The Jahiliyya Era was a dawn to mankind. Jahiliyya is always refered to "uncivilized" despite the political and economical stability obtain by the Arabs. Meaning, the word "civilization" itself does not refer to the modernization growth of a country or society, rather the social growth of the society, especially the Islamic awareness from the people and how they become stabilize when they know and pleasure their One God. The Holy Quran mentioned;

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ

It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom― although they had been, before, in manifest error

(Al-Jumu'ah, Chapter 62, verse 2)

 

Therefore, the Jahiliyya Era ended as Islam entered the world. Therefore, without Islam, we can acknowledge that the society is similar to that society prior from the revelation.

 

So, the Islamic Civilization actually started at Mecca. To understand the responsibilities and duties one need to do, they first need to reflect the Islamic movement during the early days of the Mecca era.

 To be continued…

 

(This paper is specially written for the upcoming IYF event)