ISLAM

US founding fathers’ view of Islam

WESTERN VIEW

* There have been thousands of Muslims in the United States in 1976

* John Locke insisted that Muslims and others who believed in God he tolerated in England

* Washington suggested a way for Muslims to obtain relief

Many Muslims feel unwelcome in the United States in the aftermath of September 11, according to newspaper reports. Anecdotal evidence suggests that substantial numbers of Americans view their Muslim neighbours as an alien presence outside the limits of American life and history. While other minorities-African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans-were living within the boundaries of the present United States from the earliest days of the nation, Muslims are perceived to have had no part in the American experience.

Readers may be surprised to learn that there may have been hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Muslims in the United States in 1776-imported as slaves from areas of Africa where Islam flourished. Although there is no evidence that the Founders were aware of the religious convictions of their bondsmen, it is clear that the Founding Fathers thought about the relationship of Islam to the new nation and were prepared to make a place for it in the republic.

In his seminal Letter on Toleration (1689), John Locke insisted that Muslims and all others who believed in God be tolerated in England. Campaigning for religious freedom in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson followed Locke, his idol, in demanding recognition of the religious rights of the “Mahamdan,” the Jew and the “pagan.” Supporting Jefferson was his old ally, Richard Henry Lee, who had made a motion in Congress on June 7, 1776, that the American colonies declare independence. “True freedom,” Lee asserted, “embraces the Mahomitan and the Gentoo (Hindu) as well as the Christian religion.”

In his autobiography, Jefferson recounted with satisfaction that in the struggle to pass his landmark Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1786), the Virginia legislature “rejected by a great majority” an effort to limit the bill’s scope “in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan.” George Washington suggested a way for Muslims to “obtain proper relief” from a proposed Virginia bill, laying taxes to support Christian worship.

On another occasion, the first president declared that he would welcome “Mohometans” to Mount Vernon if they were “good workmen”. Officials in Massachusetts were equally insistent that their influential Constitution of 1780 afforded “the most ample liberty of conscience E. to Deists, Mahometans, Jews and Christians,” a point that Chief Justice Theophilus Parsons resoundingly affirmed in 1810.

Other, more influential observers had a different view of Muslims. In 1783, the president of Yale College, Ezra Stiles, cited a study showing the great importance of Mohammadan” morals .” Another New Englander believed that the “moral principles that were inculcated by their teachers had a happy tendency to render them good members of society.” The reference here, as other commentators made clear, was to Islam’s belief, which it shared with Christianity, in a “future state of rewards and punishments,” a system of celestial carrots and sticks which the Founding generation considered necessary to guarantee good social conduct.

“A Mahometan,” wrote a Boston newspaper columnist, “is excited to the practice of good morals ; he is afraid to commit murder, adultery and theft, lest he should be cast into hell, where he must drink scalding water and the scum of the damned.” Benjamin Rush, the Pennsylvania signer of the Declaration of Independence and friend of Adams and Jefferson, applauded this feature of Islam, asserting that he had “rather see the opinions of Confucius or Mohammed inculcated upon our youth than see them grow up wholly devoid of a system of religious principles.”

That ordinary citizens shared these positive views is demonstrated by a petition of a group of citizens of Chesterfield County, Va., to the state assembly, November 14, 1785: “Let Jews, Mehometans and Christians of every denomination enjoy religious liberty. It is men’s labour in our Manufactures, their services by sea and land that aggrandize our Country and not their creeds. Chain your citizens to the state by their Interest. Let Jews, Mehometans, and Christians of every denomination find their advantage in living under your laws.”

The Founders of this nation explicitly included Islam in their vision of the future of the republic. Freedom of religion, as they conceived it, encompassed it.

Adherents of the faith were, with some exceptions, regarded as men and women who would make law-abiding, productive citizens. Far from fearing Islam, the Founders would have incorporated it into the fabric of American life.

Stress and depression:

Results of not abiding by the religion

Negative effects of stress on the human body

* Anxiety and Panic: A feeling that events are spiralling out of control Constantly increasing

perspiration

* Voice changes: Stammering, trembling speech

* Hyperactivity: Sudden explosions of energy,weak diabetic control

* Sleeping difficulty: Nightmares

* Skin diseases: Spots, acne, fever, psoriasis and eczema

* Gastrointestinal indications: Indigestion, nausea, ulcers

* Muscular tension: Grinding or locking teeth, aches in the jaw, back, neck and shoulders

* Low intensity infections: Colds etc.

* Migraine

* Palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure

* Kidney imbalances, holding water

* Respiratory disorders, shortness of breath

* Allergies

* Joint pains

* Dry mouth and throat

* Heart attack

* Weakening of the immune system

* Shrinkage in the brain region

* Feelings of guilt and lack of self-confidence

* Confusion, inability to analyse correctly, poor thinking ability, weak memory

The failure of irreligious people in submitting themselves to God causes them to be in a constant state of ill-ease, anxiety and stress. As a consequence, they are afflicted by various psychological illnesses which reveal themselves in their physical selves. Their bodies wear down more quickly, and they age rapidly and degenerate.

As a result of physical or psychological stress, the individual’s adrenal gland (the gland above each kidney) secretes large amounts of glucocorticoid hormones. These hormones increase the energy level of muscles, and temporarily halt such activities as growth-which are inessential at that moment. In cases of extreme physical and chronic psychological stress these hormones, which are otherwise of vital importance, can give rise to stress related disorders, such as high blood pressure, obesity, bone erosion and stomach ulcers.

However, since believers are psychologically healthy, they do not fall prey to stress, or despondence, and their bodies are ever fit and healthy. The positive effects of their submitting to God, their trust in Him and fortitude, looking for the good in all things, and accepting what happens with the hope of His promise, are reflected in their physical selves.

Common problems

Of course, they may fall ill and eventually grow old, but this natural process does not involve the psychological breakdown it does in others. Stress and depression, regarded as the diseases of our time, not only cause psychological harm, but also manifests themselves in various physical defects.

The common stress and depression-related problems are some forms of mental illness, drug addiction, insomnia, skin, stomach and blood pressure disorders, colds, migraines, a number of bone diseases, kidney imbalances, respiratory difficulties, allergies, heart attacks, and brain swelling. Of course, stress and depression are not the only causes of these, but it has been scientifically proven that the origins of problems such as these are usually psychological.

Stress, which afflicts so many, is a state of mental anxiety caused by such feelings as fear, insecurity, overexcitement, worry and other pressures, that damages the body’s equilibrium. When people become victims of stress, their bodies react and sound the alarm, and various biochemical reactions in the body are initiated: The level of adrenaline in the bloodstream rises; energy consumption and bodily reactions reach their maximum levels; sugar, cholesterol and fatty acids are deposited into the bloodstream; blood pressure rises and the pulse accelerates. When glucose is sent to the brain, cholesterol levels rise, and that all spells trouble for the body.

Because chronic stress, in particular, alters the normal functions of the body, it can cause serious harm. Due to stress, adrenalin and cortisol levels in the body rise to abnormal levels. Long-term increases in cortisol levels lead to the premature appearance of disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, ulcers, respiratory diseases, eczema and psoriasis. The effects of high cortisol levels may even include the killing off of brain cells. The disorders caused by stress are described as follows in one source:

There is an important relationship between stress and the tension and pain it gives rise to. The tension caused by stress leads to narrowing of the arteries, disruption of the flow of blood to certain regions of the head and a reduction in the amount of blood flowing to that region.

If a tissue is deprived of blood this leads directly to pain, because a tense tissue on one side probably requiring greater amounts of blood and on the other side already having insufficient blood supply stimulates special pain receptors. At the same time substances such as adrenaline and norepinephrine, which affect the nervous system during stress, are secreted. These directly or indirectly increase and accelerate the tension in the muscles. Thus pain leads to tension, tension to anxiety, and anxiety intensifies pain.

Effects of stress

However, one of the most detrimental effects of stress is heart attacks. Research shows that aggressive, nervous, anxious, impatient, competitive, hostile and irritable people have a much higher incidence of heart attacks than people less inclined to these traits. The reason for this is that extreme stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, initiated by the hypothalamus, also causes excessive secretion of insulin, and therefore the accumulation of insulin in the blood. This is a matter of vital importance. Because, none of the conditions that lead to coronary heart disease play such a definitive and harmful role as excess insulin in the blood.

Scientists have recognized that the higher level of stress, the more the positive effects of the red cells in the blood are weakened. According to an experiment developed by Linda Naylor, head of the Oxford University’s technology transfer company, the negative effect of stress levels on the immune system can now be measured. There is a close relationship between stress and the immune system. Physiological stress has an important effect on the immune system and results in its deterioration. When under stress, the brain increases production of the cortisol hormone in the body, which weakens the immune system. To put it another way, there is a direct relationship between the brain, the immune system and hormones.

Studies on psychological or physical stress have revealed that at times of intense stress there is a fall in immunity response linked to the hormonal balance. It is known that the emergence and strength of many illnesses including cancer is linked to stress.In short, stress harms a human being’s natural equilibrium. Constant exposure to this abnormal condition impairs the body’s health, and leads to a wide variety of disorders.

The fact that those who fail to abide by religious moral values experience “stress” is revealed by Allah in the Qur’an: “But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one...” (Qur’an, 20:124)

In another verse, Allah has revealed that “... the earth became narrow for them, for all its great breadth, and their own selves became constricted for them and they realised that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him...” (Qur’an, 9:118)

This “dark and narrow” life, or stress, to give it the current name, is the outcome of non-believers’ failure to abide by the moral values imparted by faith. Today, doctors maintain that a calm and self-assured composure are essential for protection from the effects of stress. A calm and peaceful disposition is only possible by living according to the religion.

Indeed, it has been revealed in many verses of the Qur’an that Allah imparts “serenity” upon the believers. (Qur’an, 2:248, 9:26, 40, 48:4, 18) .Our Lord’s promise to the faithful has been revealed as follows: Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Qur’an, 16:97)

Praying often accelerates the treatment of sick

Examples of the prayers mentioned in the Qur’an

And Ayyub when he called out to his Lord, “Great harm has afflicted me and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful,” We responded to him and removed from him the harm which was afflicting him and restored his family to him, and the same again with them, as a mercy direct from Us and a Reminder to all worshippers. (Qur’an, 21:83)

And Dhu’n-Nun [Yunus] when he left in anger and thought We would not punish him. He called out in the pitch darkness: “There is no god but You! Glory be to You! Truly I have been one of the wrongdoers.” We responded to him and rescued him from his grief. That is how We rescue the believers. (Qur’an, 21:87-88)

And Zakariyya when he called out to his Lord, “My Lord, do not leave me on my own, though You are the Best of Inheritors.” We responded to him and gave him Yahya, restoring for him his wife’s fertility. They outdid one another in good actions, calling out to Us in yearning and in awe, and humbling themselves to Us. (Qur’an, 21:89-90) Nuh called out to Us and what an excellent Responder We are! (Qur’an, 37:75) As has already been stated, prayer must not only be for alleviation of sickness, or other mundane problems.

A sincere believer must always pray to Allah and accept whatever comes from Him. The fact that the benefits of prayer revealed in many verses of the Qur’an are now being recognised scientifically, once again reveals the miraculous nature of the Qur’an. If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided. (Qur’an, 2:186)

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Your Lord says, “Call on Me and I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell abject.” (Qur’an, 40:60)

According to the Qur’an, prayer, meaning “calling, giving expression, requesting, seeking help,” is a person’s turning sincerely to Allah, and seeking help from Him, the Almighty, the Compassionate and Merciful, in the knowledge that he is a dependent being. Illness is one of those instances when a person feels this dependence most and draws closer to Allah. Furthermore, sickness is a test, devised in His Wisdom, that takes place by His Will, and is a warning to remind people of the transience and imperfection of this life, and is also a source of recompense in the hereafter for the patient and submissive.

Those without faith, on the other hand, imagine that the way to recovery is through doctors, medicines or the advanced technological capabilities of modern science. They never pause to think that it is Allah Who causes their physical system to function when they are in good health, or Who creates the healing medicines and doctors when they are ill.

Many turn only to God when they arrive at the opinion that doctors and medicines are inadequate. People in such situations seek help only from Allah, realising that only He can free them from their difficulty. Allah has revealed this mindset in a verse:

When harm touches man, he calls on Us, lying on his side or sitting down or standing up. Then when We remove the harm from him he carries on as if he had never called on Us when the harm first touched him. In that way We make what they have done appear good to the profligate. (Qur’an, 10:12)

The fact is, however, that even in good health, or without tribulations or other difficulties, a person must pray and give thanks to Allah for the comforts, good health and all the other blessings He has imparted.

One very important aspect of prayer is this: In addition to praying out loud, it is also important for a person to make every effort to pray through his or her deeds. Prayer by action means doing everything possible to attain a certain wish. For example, in addition to praying, a sick person may also have to visit an expert doctor, use medicines that will be of benefit, and receive hospital treatment if necessary, or some other form of special care. Because, Allah has linked everything that happens in this world to specific causes. Everything in the world and in the universe happens in accordance with these causes.

Therefore, the individual must take the requisite measures in accordance with these causes, and yet await the outcome from Allah, with humility, submission and patience, in the knowledge that it is He Who brings about their results.

The positive effect of faith and prayer on the sick and the way these accelerate treatment is a matter that has attracted the attention of and is recommended by doctors. Under the heading “God and Health: Is Religion Good Medicine? Why Science Is Starting to Believe,” the November 10, 2003, edition of the famous magazine Newsweek took the curative effect of religion as its cover story. It reported that faith in God raised people’s morale and helped them recover more easily, and that science had also begun to believe that people with religious faith recover more easily and quickly.

According to a Newsweek survey, 72 percent of Americans say they believe that praying can cure someone and that prayer facilitates recovery. Research in Great Britain and the USA has also concluded that prayer reduces patients’ symptoms and accelerates the recovery process.

According to research conducted at Michigan University, depression and stress are observed to lesser extent in the devout. And, according to findings at Rush University in Chicago, the early death rate among people who worship and pray regularly is some 25 percent lower than in those with no religious convictions. Another study conducted on 750 people, who underwent angiocardiography, proved scientifically the “curative power of prayer.” It was established that the death rate among heart patients who prayed decreased by 30 percent within a year after their operations.

Compiled by Latheef Farook email [email protected]

Great Masjid of Djenne in Mali

Largest mud brick building in the world:

Maria Shaban

The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali, lanklocked country in West Africa, is the largest mud brick building in the world. The mosque is located in the city of Djenn‚ in Mali on the flood plain of the Bani River. It is one of the most famous landmarks in Africa. Along with the ‘Old Towns of Djenn‚’ it was dubbed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.

The date of construction of the first mosque in Djenn‚ is unknown but dates as early as 1200 and as late as 1330 have been suggested. The walls of the Great Mosque are made of sun-baked mud bricks called ‘ferey’, a mud based mortar, and are coated with a mud plaster which gives the building its smooth, sculpted look.

The walls are between 16 and 24 in (0.4 to 0.6 m) thick.