Muslim fundamentalists waging war against non-Muslims are going directly against the core Muslim teachings of the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad.
New interpretations of the Qur’an should mean peace and not war between religions. Academics should take their work away from religious or political activist agendas. A model for “global common space” and “peaceful co-existence and mutual respect” which leads to security, stability, and prosperity. Islamicjerusalem should be an “open” region and a 21st century model for multiculturalism.
Those are among the challenging conclusions in a new book written by one of the UK’s leading academics in the Study of Islam and Muslims, Professor Abd al-Fattah El-Awaisi.
Professor El-Awaisi, who is Principal and Vice Chancellor of the Al-Maktoum Institute in Dundee, introduced the new field of Islamicjerusalem Studies five years ago. In his book “Introducing Islamicjerusalem,” published by Al-Maktoum Institute Academic Press, he is trying to address some of the sensitive key issues and promote intellectual and academic debate with new lines of explanation.
One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of the book is how Professor El-Awaisi supports his central arguments by referring to the core Muslim sources but with new interpretations.
The book presents his explanation of what is meant by this new term and concept by looking at three key elements: its geographical location, its people and its inclusive vision for the area to be a model of multiculturalism. In his book Professor El-Awaisi says the area that covers Islamicjerusalem is not a city but a region with many cities, towns and villages ranging over an area more than 250 square miles.
Within its boundaries lie the cities of Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho and Hebron. Over the years Muslims, Christians and Jews have fought over and made claims to the land but the author maintains that Islamicjerusalem should be regarded as a “land for everyone.”
The basis for this conclusion is a new study of “Umar’s Assurance of Safety to the People of Aelia,” a more detailed re-examination of text from the Qu’ran to gain an improved literal and inside translation from Arabic into English and a conclusion by the author that one established translation of Umar’s Assurance is in fact a fake.
Umar Ibn al-Khattab, was the second Caliph after Muhammad, and his conquest of the region Aelia in the 7th century, now known as Islamicjerusalem, and his Assurance of Safety to the people of all religions and none who lived in the area at the time is presented by Professor El-Awaisi as the foundation of multiculturalism and a model for conflict resolution today.
He goes on to argue, using text from the Qu’ran, that Adl (the concept of justice) means Muslims must deal with non-Muslims justly. (Qur’an 5:8) He uses the words of the Prophet Muhammad to denounce Muslim fundamentalists by quoting Muhammad who said:” He who hurts a non-Muslim hurts me, and he who hurts me hurts Allah.”
Professor El-Awaisi also presents an interesting account about the Najran Christian delegation that came and visited Prophet Muhammad in Medina.
Muhammad not only welcomed them in his Mosque but also allowed them to say their prayers there.
“During their visit, they used to pray in one part of the Prophet’s Mosque while the Muslims performed their prayers in another part”.
Professor El-Awaisi argues that closer study of the history of Islamicjerusalem and better translation of the Qu’ran shows Muslims should believe that all humans are from the one family and despite different races and cultures should treat everyone, especially non-Muslims, in the same way they’d treat their parents, with Birr (love and passion Qur’an 60:8-9) He argues that the Qur’an also requests followers of Islam to solve conflict through argument in the “most beautiful and polite” manner and not through violence. (Qur’an 16:125)
He also takes issue with some academics who present their works as part of a political or religious agenda and calls for a separation between political and religious activism and scholarship.
He goes on to argue that Umar’s historical Assurance is a lesson from the past that should be adopted in the 21st century. “Our understanding of Islamicjerusalem as a model for multiculturalism could be seen as the twenty-first century’s contribution to establishing a new agenda and new frame of reference for safety, peace, stability, security, progress, development and prosperity in the region. Umar was trying to resolve a local conflict with an international approach in other words he was ‘thinking globally’ and ‘acting locally.’ Umar’s Assurance of Safety not only rejected the notion of the supremacy of one people or race over others but also presented Islamicjerusalem as a model both for multiculturalism and for conflict resolution. It presents a model for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect and offers a way for people from different religious and cultural backgrounds to live together in an environment of multiculturalism and religious and cultural diversity and tolerance. This is a lesson which is vital for us to learn in today’s world, especially after the 7th of July London bombings”.
Professor El-Awaisi concludes that Islamicjerusalem should now be regarded as a “global common space” where the human family could live together in peaceful co-existence.
The book will be launched on January 30 at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Its conclusions will also be discussed at an international academic conference being held at the Al-Maktoum Institute in Dundee later this year.
