2.2 Kuanzishwa kwa Dola ya Kwanza - Utangulizi wa Mfumo wa Uislamu | Quran Course

2.2 Kuanzishwa kwa Dola ya Kwanza - Utangulizi wa Mfumo wa Uislamu | Quran Course

“Murad II alijitofautisha kwa umakini wake katika usimamizi wa haki na kwa marekebisho yake ya maovu yaliyoenea chini ya wafalme wa Kigiriki, na aliwaadhibu bila huruma wale wa maafisa wake waliowadhulumu raia wake wowote.” “Nchini Persia, maisha ya watu yalitawaliwa zaidi na makuhani wa Kizoroasta. Walitumia nafasi zao katika mabaraza ya mfalme na kuwashtaki madhehebu mengine yote ya kidini (nayo yalikuwa mengi) yaliyopinga mafundisho yao. Hii ilijumuisha wafuasi wa dini za kale za Kiajemi, Wakristo, Mayahudi, Wasabai, na madhehebu mengi ambamo mawazo ya Wagnostiki, Wamanikaeo na Wabudha yalijidhihirisha.” “Himaya kubwa ya Persia ambayo kwa karne nne ilikuwa imestahimili nguvu ya Roma na Byzantium ilikuja chini ya utawala wa Kiislamu katikati ya karne ya saba. Tangu hapo, wafuasi wa imani hizi mbalimbali waliweza kupumua tena chini ya utawala uliowapa uhuru wa kidini na msamaha wa utumishi wa kijeshi, kwa malipo ya kodi ndogo. Kwani sheria ya Kiislamu ilitoa uvumilivu na haki ya kulipa jizya si kwa Wakristo na Mayahudi tu, bali pia kwa Wazoroasta na Wasabai, kwa waabudu sanamu, wa moto na wa jiwe.” ﷺ Kuhusu swali la sayansi na fikra za Kiislamu, Montgomery Watt alisema katika *The Influence of Islam on Europe*:

“Murad II distinguished himself by his attention to the administration of justice and his reforms of the abuses prevalent under the Greek emperors and punished without mercy those of his officials who oppressed any of his subjects.” “In Persia peoples lives were mainly governed by Zoroastrian priests. They took advantage of their positions in the councils of the king and prosecuted all other religious bodies (and there were many) that dissented from them. This included adherents of older forms of the Persian religion, Christians, Jews, Sabeans, and the numerous sects in which the speculations of Gnostics, Manicheans and Buddhists found expression.” “The vast empire of Persia that for four centuries had withstood the might of Rome and Byzantium came under Islamic rule in the middle of the seventh century. Thereafter, the followers of all these varied forms of faith could breathe again under the rule that granted them religious freedom and exemption from military service, on payment of a light tribute. For the Islamic law granted toleration and the right of paying jizyah not only to the Christians and Jews but to Zoroastrians and Sabeans, to worshippers of idols, of fire and stone.” On the question of Muslim science and thinking, Montgomery Watt said in The Influence of Islam on Europe :

"Wakati mtu anapofahamu kwa ukamilifu upeo wa majaribio ya Waarabu (yaani Waislamu), fikra za Waarabu na uandishi wa Waarabu, anaona kwamba bila Waarabu, sayansi na falsafa ya Ulaya isingeendelea kama ilivyoendelea wakati ilipoendelea. Waarabu hawakuwa wapokezi tu wa fikra za Kigiriki, bali walikuwa wabebaji halisi, ambao walihifadhi taaluma walizofundishwa na pia kupanua wigo wake. Karibu mwaka 1100, Wazungu walipoanza kwa dhati kupendezwa na sayansi na falsafa ya maadui wao Wasaracen, taaluma hizo zilikuwa zimefikia kilele chake; na Wazungu walilazimika kujifunza kila walichoweza kutoka kwa Waarabu kabla hawajaweza wenyewe kupiga hatua zaidi." Kama Waislamu wengi leo wanavyohisi hali ya kujiona duni wanapokabiliwa na Magharibi, historia inaonyesha kwamba nafasi hiyo ilibadilika kabisa Wazungu walipowatazama Waislamu. Watt pia alisimulia: "Hisia ya kujiona duni ambayo Ulaya Magharibi ilikabiliana nayo ustaarabu wa Kiislamu ilikuwa na pande mbalimbali. Teknolojia ya Kiislamu ilikuwa bora kuliko ya Ulaya katika mambo mengi, na anasa zaidi zilipatikana kwa Waislamu matajiri; lakini hilo pengine lilikuwa sababu ndogo. Kijeshi, Wasaracen walikuwa wakiogopwa zamani, lakini sasa mashujaa wa Norman walikuwa wakithibitisha kuwa sawa nao. Upana wa utawala wa Kiislamu, hata hivyo, ulikuwa mkubwa mno. Mwanzoni mwa karne ya kumi na mbili, watu walidhani dunia inaundwa na sehemu tatu, Asia, Afrika na Ulaya. Kubwa kati ya hizi, Asia, lilidhaniwa kuwa karibu lote ni la Kiislamu, na sehemu kubwa ya Afrika vilevile, huku si Ulaya yote ikiwa ya Kikristo. Kwa njia hii ilidhaniwa kwamba karibu theluthi mbili ya dunia ilikuwa ya Kiislamu. Kwa Mkristo yeyote aliyewahi kukutana na Waislamu, hisia yao isiyoyumbishwa ya ubora wao lazima ilikuwa ikimsumbua. Kwa ujumla, hisia za Wazungu wa Magharibi dhidi ya Uislamu hazikutofautiana sana na zile za tabaka duni katika taifa kubwa." H.G. Wells katika kitabu chake The Outline of History alisema:

“When one becomes aware of the full extent of Arab (i.e. Muslim) experimenting, Arab thinking and Arab writing, one sees that without the Arabs, European science and philosophy would not have developed when they did. The Arabs were no mere transmitters of Greek thought, but genuine bearers, who both kept alive the disciplines they had been taught and extended their range. When about 1100, Europeans became seriously interested in the science and philosophy of their Saracen enemies, those disciplines were at their zenith; and the Europeans had to learn all they could from the Arabs before they themselves could make further advances.” Just as many Muslims today have a feeling of inferiority when they are confronted by the West, the history shows that the role was entirely reversed when the Europeans looked at the Muslims. Watt also narrated, “The feeling of inferiority with which Western Europe confronted Islamic civilisation had various facets. Islamic technology was superior to European at many points and more luxuries were available to wealthy Muslims; but this was probably a minor factor. Militarily the Saracens had been feared in the past, but now the Norman knights were proving a match for them. The extent of Islamic rule, however, was formidable. In the early twelfth century, men regarded the world as consisting of three parts, Asia, Africa and Europe. The largest of these, Asia, was thought to be almost entirely Muslim, and so was much of Africa, while not the whole of Europe was Christian. In this way it was supposed that nearly two-thirds of the world was Muslim. For any Christian who had come in contact with Muslims, too, their unshakeable sense of superiority must have been disturbing. In general the feelings of western Europeans against Islam were not unlike those of an underprivileged class in a great state.” H.G. Wells in his book The Outline of History, said :

"Uislamu umeunda jamii iliyo huru zaidi kutokana na ukatili ulioenea na dhuluma za kijamii kuliko jamii nyingine yoyote iliyowahi kuwepo duniani hapo kabla." Norman Cantor katika kitabu chake, The Sacred Chain, aliandika kuhusu historia ya Wayahudi chini ya Dola ya Kiislamu: "Katika karne ya kumi na moja, wafanyabiashara na wanazuoni waliokuwa wakiongoza jamii za Kiyahudi huko Sephard kwa kawaida walikuwa na uhusiano mzuri na watawala wa Kiislamu. Hata hivyo, starehe na ustawi wa Wayahudi, pamoja na umahiri wao unaoendelea kukua katika lugha ya Kiarabu, fasihi, falsafa na sayansi, haukupunguza kujitolea kwao kwa sheria ya kale ya Kiyahudi na mafundisho ya Talmud. Walikuwa na hamu ya kuhifadhi utamaduni wa Halakia wakati huo huo walipofurahia, katika karne ya kumi na moja, faida za utawala na uchumi wa Waarabu." Kwa bahati mbaya, mafanikio haya ya ajabu ya Umma wa Kiislamu na Dola ya Kiislamu, ingawa yalidumu zaidi ya milenia moja, hayakukusudiwa kuendelea milele. Macho ya makafiri yalitazama kwa wivu matunda yaliyofunguliwa kwa Waislamu, na kasi ya kutisha ambayo Dola ilikuwa ikipanuka, nao wakapanga njama ya kulimaliza.

“Islam has created a society more free from widespread cruelty and social oppression than any other society had ever been in the world before.” Norman Cantor in his book, The Sacred Chain wrote about the history of the Jews in under the Islamic State, “In the eleventh century, the merchants and scholars who headed the Jewish communities in Sephard were normally on good terms with the Muslim rulers. Yet the Jews’ ease and prosperity, their developing mastery of Arabic language, literature, philosophy, and science, did not detract from their devotion to ancient Jewish law and Talmudic lore. They were keen to preserve Halakic culture at the same time that they enjoyed, in the eleventh century, the benefits of Arab government and economy.” Sadly, this remarkable success of the Muslim Ummah and the Islamic State, although it lasted for well over a millenium, was not destined to continue forever. The eyes of the kuffar looked jealously upon the fruits that were opened up to the Muslims, and the alarming pace at which the State was expanding, and they conspired to to put an end to it.