“Islam has produced a model for the normal society; and stressing on one and only code of conduct for the whole world is illogical,” said well-known Islamic scholar and economist, Professor Nejatullah Siddiqi, while presiding over an extension lecture on “Muslim Civilization under Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be to him)” organised by Idara-e-Tahqiq-o-Tasneef-e-Islami in Aligarh on December 30, 2010.
Prof. Siddiqi said the period of four rightly guided caliphs should be mentioned in our discussion on the Muslim Civilization of early period to create a clear picture of Muslim society. It should be kept in mind that Islam produced a model for the normal society, he emphasised.
The rigid behaviour of so-called Salafism is not applicable especially in European countries. Prof. Siddiqi urged researchers to locate those fields of Muslim Civilization also which have not so far been brought under the ambit of research.
Speaking on the main subject, Ex-Chairman of Department of Islamic Studies of Aligarh Muslim University, Professor Yasin Mazhar Siddiqi drew attention of the audience particularly towards the fact that the Seerah of the Blessed Messenger is being undertaken in its very old perspective resulting that so many aspects of the Seerah are unknown till now. Hence it is being propagated that the cultural values of the Muslim Civilization are far away from the modern civil society. It is being publicised that poverty and bankruptcy were the model characteristics of the Muslim Civilization. Unfortunately, some Muslim historians have also become victim of this misconception, although the correct perspective of the history stands much against it.
Professor Yasin Mazhar also proved in the light of historic facts that the Islamic society, during the period of the Blessed Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be to him) was not in every field fully dependent on Syria, Iran, Yemen and other neighbouring countries. He gave many examples of good dresses, various types of meal, meat of different animals, arrangements of various types of banquet, evolvement of leather industry, etc. He also quoted the lifestyle of prosperous companions of the Blessed Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be to him). He gave many examples of business establishments of Madina. There was a tradition of requisitioning some commodities from other countries and this practice remained intact in all civilizations. He also cited an occasion in which Abu Ayyub Ansari offered the upper storey of his house to the Blessed Messenger who accepted the ground floor.
The learned speaker had strong reservations against the rigid attitude of not permitting male Muslims to use gold ring and silk dress as the Blessed Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be to him) himself had used these things. He pointed out that the society of the Blessed Messenger was a combination of poor, rich, and middle men.
Secretary of the Institute, Dr. Safdar Sultan Islahi thanked the participants who attended the programme and stated that the Messenger’s Seerah should be used as an instrument to develop the belief in addition to study it. Dr. Ziauddin Malik Falahi convened the programme.