Islamic Wisdom: The Wisdom of Muhammad and The Wisdom of the Koran
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The Wisdom of Muhammad: This compelling examination of the life and sayings of Muhammad offers the modern reader a guide to the history and principles of the world’s second largest religion. Covering a diverse range of topics, from marriage and civic charity to the individual’s relationship to God and the afterlife, the Prophet’s words dispel misconceptions about Islam and its teachings.
The Wisdom of the Koran: Representing the ultimate authority on almost every issue in Muslim life, the Koran’s lessons and parables offer moral and spiritual guidance to the faithful. In this essential guide, readers learn about key chapters such as “The Night Journey” and “The Cave” as well as several stories from Judeo-Christian history.
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Islamic Wisdom - Philosophical Library
Islamic Wisdom
The Wisdom of Muhammad and The Wisdom of the Koran
Philosophical Library
CONTENTS
THE WISDOM OF MUHAMMAD
The Sayings
The Prophet Muhammad
IslĀm
The Sayings of Muhammad:
Of Abstinence
Of Adultery
Of Aged Persons
Of Alms-Giving
Of Animals And Duties Owed Thereto
Of Backbiting
Of Beauty
Of Begging
Of The Two Benefits
Of Charity
Of Chastity
Of Christians And Jews
Of Cleanliness
Of Compassion
Of Conscience
Of Contentment
Of Control Of Self
Of Courtesy
Of Crimes
Of Cultivation Of Land
Of The Dead
Of Death
Of Debt
Of Deliberation
Of The Disposition to Good
Of Disputation
Of Divorce
Of The Duty Of Believers
Of Eloquence
Of Envy
Of Experience
Of Forgiveness
Of Gentleness
Of God
Of God’S Forgiveness
Of God’S Kindness
Of Good Works
Of The Heart
Of Heaven And Hell
Of Hospitality
Of Humility
Of IslĀm
Of Kindness
Of The Kur’Ān
Of Labour
Of Learning
Of Man’s Growth
Of Marriage
Of Meanness
Of Mishaps
Of Modesty
Of Monopolies
Of Mothers
Of Muhammad The Prophet
Of Muhammad The Prophet’s Kindness
Of Muhammad The Prophet’s Mission
Of Muhammad The Prophet’s Prayers
Of Neighbourliness
Of Omens
Of Orphans
Of Parents
Of Peacemaking
Of Poetry
Of Poverty
Of Prayer
Of Pride
Of Progress
Of Prophecies
Of Punishment
Of Purity
Of Reason
Of Relatives
Of Repentance
Of Reverence
Of Riches
Of Seemliness
Of Self-indulgence
Of Servants
Of The Sick
Of Silence
Of Sin
Of Truth
Of Understanding
Of Usury
Of Widows
Of Wives
Of Women
Of The World
THE WISDOM OF THE KORAN
The Chapter of the Night Journey
The Chapter of the Cave
The Chapter of Mary
The Chapter of T.H
The Chapter of the Prophets
The Chapter of the Pilgrimage
The Chapter of Believers
The Chapter of Light
The Chapter of the Discrimination
The Chapter of the Poets
The Chapter of the Ant
The Chapter of the Story
The Wisdom of Muhammad
Original Dedication
To
MY MOTHER
tahHeaven lieth at the feet of
mothers. —MUHAMMAD
tahAn excellent pattern have ye in the Messenger
of God.—KUR’ tahz N, xxxiii. 21.
FOREWORD
I HAVE read Sir Abdullah Suhrawardy’s collections of the sayings of the Prophet with much interest and profit. They are among the treasures of mankind, not merely Muslims.
I am a believer in the truth of all the great religions of the world. There will be no lasting peace on earth unless we learn not merely to tolerate but even to respect the other faiths as our own. A reverent study of the sayings of the different teachers of mankind is a step in the direction of such mutual respect.
EDITORIAL NOTE
THE object of the Editor of this series is a very definite one. He desires above all things that these books shall be the ambassadors of goodwill between East and West. He hopes that they will contribute to a fuller knowledge of the great cultural heritage of the East, for only through real understanding will the West be able to appreciate the underlying problems and aspirations of Asia today. He is confident th at a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Eastern thought will help to a revival of that true spirit of charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour.
J. L. CRANMER-BYNG
50, ALBEMARLE STREET,
LONDON, W.I.
PREFACE
THE compiler and translator of these sayings, Allama Sir Abdullah al-Mamun al-Suhrawardy, Barrister-at-Law, MA., Ph.D., D.Litt, LL.D, Iftakhar-ul-Milla, Kt., Commander of the Order of Medjedie, was born at Dacca in 1882, and died at Calcutta on the 13th January, 1935. The obituary notice in the London Times of 14th January, 1935, gives many details of his life and work, but it does not mention this little book The Wisdom of Muhammad, than which none of his works was nearer his heart. There is also no reference to the fact that Abdullah was an extraordinarily brilliant student, winning a number of stipends and scholarships throughout his school and college career. He graduated with honours in Arabic, English and Philosophy, obtaining a first class in his special subjects and standing first of his year both in the BA. and MA. examinations of Calcutta University. He was also the first to obtain the Ph.D. degree of the Calcutta University. While studying for the Bar, he took his MA. degree from the London University, and used to add to his slender allowance from India by lecturing on Arabic letters and jurisprudence, subjects to which he contributed in his later writings and teachings much of value and freshness.
In February 1905, when his Wisdom of Muhammad was first published, Abdullah was a young man burning with zeal for Pan-Islamism and dedicating his extraordinary energy and talent to a vision he had of uniting into one cultural and economic, if not political, whole lands which were under Muslim rule, or had a large Muslim population. The Pan-Islamic Society of London, of which he was the founder and first secretary, was at that time an extremely active and vigorous body preaching Islam, converting British and continental Christians, and carrying on intense propaganda for Pan-Islamic unity The Wisdom of Muhammad was one of the Society’s publications.
Containing as it does some of the finest Sayings of the Prophet, it attracted the attention of minds widely removed from the ranks of orthodox Isl tah m. It was quoted from in many books and journals, and parts of it were translated into several European languages. An interesting testimony to its success was the correspondence which was initiated after its publication between my late brother and Leo Tolstoy and which continued till the Count’s death. He had come to appraise the real personality of the Prophet through this volume, and I am told by a nephew of mine on the authority of one of his daughters whom he had met in Russia that a copy of this book was found in the large overcoat in which he had wrapped himself before setting out on that last walk of his to die in the fields he used to till.
The book had long been out of print, and I had a great deal of difficulty in obtaining it. An old friend of our family ¹ sent me his copy from Scotland, and in 1938, with the help of Mr. N. Mukherjee, Proprietor of the Art Press, Calcutta, a reprint was brought out.
For the purpose of the present edition, Professor L. F. Rushbrook Williams, C.B.E., has, at my request, very kindly classified and indexed the ‘Sayings’ in alphabetical and logical order under various headings, to facilitate reference and comparison. Mr. Mahmood R. Zada, First Secretary of the Royal Legation of Saudi Arabia in London, has compared the ‘Sayings’ with the original Arabic, and helped me to translate them into simple English. Out of the 451 ‘Sayings’ in the original publication, we have retranslated 150 and deleted 35 of which we failed to find the original Arabic. I have revised the chapter written by my brother on the Prophet Muhammad, and I have entirely re-written the chapter on Isl tah m, replacing the original very brief sketch.
I earnestly trust that this modest volume will serve in some degree to remove misconceptions as to the meaning and message of our religion, particularly with regard to tolerance in Isl tah m and the status of women.
I would like to express my thanks for the courtesy and help which I have received from Sir John Murray in arranging for the publication of the ‘Sayings’ in the ‘Wisdom of the East Series’, and to Mr. Cranmer Byng, the veteran Editor, who has rendered such remarkable service ‘as an ambassador of goodwill and understanding between East and West, reviving that true spirit of charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour’.
Any profits which may accrue to me from the sale of this book will be devoted to augment the funds of ‘The Servants of Humanity Society’, 3 Suhrawardy Avenue, Calcutta.
HASSAN SUHRAWARDY
THE ATHENAEUM,
PALL MALL, LONDON, S.W.I.
January 1941.
¹ The late Mr. W. R. Gourlay, C.S.I., C.I.E., of Kenbank, Dairy, near Castle Douglas, Scotland.
Image Gallery
df4The following images are reflective of the life of Muhammad and the holy places of Islam.
Muslims consider Muhammad the restorer of an uncorrupted original monotheistic faith of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other prophets. As the messenger of God, Muhammad received messages that would eventually become The Kur’ tah n, but at the time his words were met with some resistance. Muhammad delivered verses that condemned paganism and his fellow Meccan tribesmen who engaged in polytheism. After many struggles, including his migration to Medina, he reclaimed the Ka’aba shrine from idol worship, made it the focal point of Islamic prayer life, and united the nomadic Arab tribes under a new faith.
df5From Die Ausstellung von Meisterwerken muhammedanischer Kunst in München, 1910; by M. van Berghem, M. Dreger, E. Kühnel, C. List und S. Schröder. Photomechanical print; Courtesy of The New York Public Library. www.nypl.org
A sheet of The Kur’ tah n, the sacred book of Islam. Muslims believe it contains the word of God as revealed through the archangel Jibril (Gabriel) to the Prophet Muhammad.
df6A Muezzin Calling from the Top of a Minaret the Faithful to Prayer; Print from A Collection of the Works of J. L. Gérôme. (New York: S.L. Hall, 1881), Jean Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), Artist. Edward Strahan (1838-1886), Editor. Courtesy of The New York Public Library. www.nypl.org
A muezzin is a Muslim male reciter or declaimer who proclaims the call to prayer (adh tah n) on Friday for the public worship and the call to the daily prayer (sal tah t) five times a day, at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. The tradition dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, when Bilal ibn Ribah walked the streets and called out the faithful to prayer.
df7Die Ka’ba
from Mekka, 1889; by Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje. Photograph; Courtesy of The New York Public Library. www.nypl.org
The Ka’aba (literally the cube
in Arabic) is considered the center of the Muslim world. Located inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is an ancient stone structure that is a unifying focal point among the Islamic people. All Muslims around the world face toward the Ka’aba during prayers, no matter where they are.
Façade of the Mosque el-Aksa
from Jerusalem Explored, being a description of the ancient and modern city, with numerous illustrations consisting of views, ground plans, and sections, 1864; by Ermete Pierotti. Tr. by Thomas George Bonney. Print; Courtesy of The New York Public Library. www.nypl.org
The Al-Aqsa Mosque (also spelled El-Aksa, Distant Mosque
) is the most important mosque in Jerusalem. Located on the Haram esh-Sharif (the Sacred Noble Sanctuary
) or Temple Mount along with the Dome of the Rock, it is the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.
From Picturesque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt, 1884; John Douglas Woodward (1846-1924), Artist. Sir Charles William Wilson (1836-1905), Editor. Print; Courtesy of The New York Public Library. www.nypl.org
The Platform of the Dome of the Rock, showing one of the arcaded entrances on the north side, with Mount Scopus in the distance. The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, constructed over the site of the Second Jewish Temple. This important shrine was completed in 691–692, making it the oldest existing Islamic building in the world.
INTRODUCTION
Muhammad, revered as the true prophet and founder of the Islamic faith, is most often referred to by Muslims as the Messenger of God. From the age of forty until his death at sixty-three in 632 A.D. he received revelations from God, which were collected into chapters and form The Kur’ tah n. During his lifetime the spread of Islam united most of the Arab tribes of the Saudi Arabian peninsula, bringing about tremendous religious, social, moral and economic changes to that region of the world. Islam is seen not only as a religion but as a way of life by its followers, who also look to the sayings and practices of Muhammad (known as The Sunnah) for guidance in all things.
Controversial at its inception, Islam remains fairly inscrutable to modern western culture. The Islamic faith is a mystery to many because within the religion, different Muslim denominations, sects and fundamentalist groups have disparate ideologies. Without an internal structure that creates a central religious leader who communicates a common Islamic view to the rest of the world, the actions and beliefs of various Muslim countries and ruling factions define Islam in diverse ways. While some seek friendship, others seek enemies. Interpretations differ on how to incorporate Islamic beliefs into political life. For an outsider, how is it possible to understand what Islam is truly about?
In today’s global approach to just about everything, whether the subject is the economy, information, religion, the environment, world news, technology or the latest viral video on YouTube, our sense of what has come before is too easily replaced by what is current. We see images from around the globe seconds after they happen, with little explanation from who knows who, and as an audience we are momentarily transfixed. Eyewitnesses, government officials and so-called experts weigh in and keep our attention until we are distracted by the next instant news alert. We move on before really understanding the context of what took place. Is this now the way history repeats itself, and are we doomed for not paying enough attention as the world rushes by?
It is a challenge in these days of blogs and Web feeds to put on the brakes and examine any issue at length. Knowing the latest breaking story
takes precedence over an in-depth investigation of one. Even as the barriers between cultures are broken down by the connecting strands of the Web, the line separating opinion and fact blurs with every additional commentator on a subject. In this so-called Information Age, when anything we want to know is just a click away, are we accepting the truth at face value from the first pundit or Web site that pops up? Anyone with an Internet connection can state an opinion, whether informed or not, by instantly posting his or her comments. With an overload of voices speaking in this open forum, it matters whom we listen to—and we need to make a conscious effort to choose well.
The political, economic and cultural differences that tend to divide people make up the majority of what constitutes discussion today: this group is outraged; that faction is against it; our society will not tolerate it. Things that could bring us together, such as common traditions and beliefs that bring hope and meaning to our lives, are filtered through a prism of disagreements, grievances and feuds. Religious faith has always engendered great passion among people from the earliest origins of belief, with the emphasis throughout history falling on the differences among religions. Even as Jews, Christians and Muslims have sacred sites in the same Holy Land and strive to follow the word of God, finding common ground and mutual respect continues to prove elusive, especially with the political climate we find ourselves in today. But for the sake of future generations, we must attempt to find it.
Going back to the beginning, to the divine words themselves, to the wisdom of Muhammad as he revealed it, can remind us of the values and principles that people of many faiths have in common. It may also allow for alternative ways of thinking about the religion of Islam, where fear and closed-mindedness have shut down any opportunity for communication. For example, what did Muhammad say about the spiritual equality of men and women in Islamic society? However cultural perceptions or Islamic civic laws have interpreted the words, it is important to consider what the prophet first revealed:
Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be ye male or female. Ye are members one of another, of the same human status … I will blot out their iniquities, and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, a reward from God—the nearness of His presence is the best of rewards.
—KUR’ tah99 N, iii. 194.
Rather than feeding on an informational stream of what others say is true, we have the power to go to the original source and create a foundation for making up our own minds.
The Sayings of Muhammad are said to encapsulate all the religious guidance a person needs, as they contain the sum of Islamic law within these four precepts. They are concerned with the goodness of one’s heart, and the importance of peaceful coexistence in the world. A straight reading of them shows how clearly.
Actions will be judged according to intentions. This is an acknowledgement that as human beings we do not always do what is best, but our motivation for what we do counts. There is room for mercy in this scheme of things, if one’s heart is in the right place. Man’s law does not often take intentions into consideration when passing judgment; the Prophet’s law, in God’s name, does.
The proof of a Muslim’s sincerity is that he payeth no heed to that which is not his business. This addresses numerous temptations people face to interfere, gossip, be drawn into another’s fight, or profit at the expense of others. An honest person is not concerned with any of that and keeps the peace.
No man is a true believer unless he desireth for his brother that which he desireth for himself. The familiar golden rule
is alive and well in Islam. We all have the same needs and desires, and wanting others to achieve the same happiness as we do should keep us talking and working together.
That which is lawful is clear, and that which is unlawful likewise, but there are certain doubtful things between the two from which it is well to abstain. Here we have the realities of everyday living: between legally clear and clearly illegal are many actions and choices that require a decision on our part as to what is right and what is wrong. The choice is ours, but