Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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68 Islam means submission. It instructs adherents to follow a certain way of life compatible with what is
revealed in the Korna and the way the Prophet did in practice. Unlike, Jesus who preached Christian
teachings in a few years that ended in tragic turmoil which ended his teaching tenure, Mohammad lived
long enough, 63 years, out of which 23 years was in actual prophethood.
69 Though not immediately after death. According to the Prophet's teachings, once the corpse is buried
his/her sole returns to body. Depending on the person's conduct on earth, the grave will be either a
piece of heaven or one of torment.
70 Only in terms of self-aggrandizement and material sense. This is clear from the Hadeeth in which the
Prophet was quoted saying" Work for your life (e.g. in terms of prolonging good deeds and
maximizing good conduct as laid in Islamic teachings) as if you would live for ever, and work for your
second life as if you would die tomorrow." On the other hand, in another Hadeeth, he said," if the day
of judgement has been engaged while you holding a seed, go ahead and plant it."
71 It was narrated that the Prophet once said: "Ad-dunia is cursed [by Allah], whatever in it, save what has
been done for the sake of Allah."
72 Only when the popes of Rome, in their attempts to rejuvenate the Christian faith, had embarked upon a
campaign to embellish Rome to attract and mesmerize the faithful. In 1300 following the debacle of
the last crusade expeditions, indulgences were sold to stimulate Christian enthusiasm and to assist in
the financing of the embellishing of Rome. A.E. J. Morris, History of Urban Development: Before
the Industrial Revolutions (New York: Jhon Wiley & Sons, 1986), 140. They opted rationally ordered
urban forms emphasizing a system of broad, straight avenues conforming to gridiron based districts and
the closing of vistas by the careful placing of monumental structures and statues. Buildings are
integrated with the surrounding open spaces in geometrical perfection.
73 A counter argument may hold that it also had to do with technology. Still, the technology of the
Medieval city was little improved, if not similar to that prevailed in the Greek and Roman cities, which
opted and utilized orthogonal layout in the construction of their cities and outposts, such as the castra,
the Roman fortified legionary camps.
74 Abdullh Schleifer, "Islamic Jerusalem as Archetype of a Harmonious Urban Environment." In the
Middle East City: Ancient Traditions Confront a Modern World, edited by A. Saqqaf (New York:
Paragon House. 1987), 171.
75 See K. Brown (1986b), 74.