Documents of the Right Word

civilization that fills libraries worldwide, have attacked Islam’s
steel fortress with popguns, so to speak, and they have all
disgraced and routed themselves.
7- “Those who caused the decline in the economy took
advantage of the circumstances by suggesting that everyone be
content with a fatalist morsel and only a coat. This demonstrates
the intoxicating effect of the religion. Civilization means to aspire
for more economic prosperity and to struggle for this. But religion
broke and benumbed these movements for the development of
society with such expressions as contentment with fate, the next
world and spirituality,” he says.
Answer: Here is another living picture of toadying, which we
have portrayed in the preceding paragraph! What a great lie it is
to say that Islamic fighters, who immigrated over three continents
in thirty years, defeated the armies of Persia and Rome (the two
greatest empires of that time and especially brought the whole
Persian Empire to an end), and who won the love of every nation
owing to their justice and beautiful morals, were benumbed,
drowsy people who were given opium! One who knows even a
little history will only sneer and become disgusted at this ignoble,
base slander. Islam commands people to work and make progress
and promises Paradise to those who become rich and help the
poor. If this writer had seen the works of Islamic art, which
Europeans and Americans marvel at, and their articles praising
Muslim accomplishments in knowledge and science, he would
have perhaps been ashamed to scribble these lines. We say
‘perhaps’ for it is a virtue to bear the feeling of shame, and it is out
of place to expect shamefulness from a non-virtuous person.
Islam commands Muslims to work and to develop.
Contentment does not mean to be content with “only a coat” and
sit idly. Muslims are not this way at all. Contentment means to be
content with one’s own earnings and not to cast covetous eyes on
others’ earnings. It was Islam which brought civilization to
Europe, for Islam shows the way to economic prosperity and
commands people to work to attain it. The following hadîths, as
well as many others, show that the above-quoted words are gross
fabrications: “The benevolent, the highest of people are those who
are more useful to others”; “The best of favours is to give alms”;
“The most benevolent of you is the one who supplies people with
much nourishment,” and “The most benevolent among you is the
one who does not expect anything from others but works and
earns his living.”
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