رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ

Perhaps the most well kept of secrets, from the Muslim Ummah today, is the purpose behind its creation.

‘We have made you the (أُمَّةً وَسَطًا ) just and best nation, so that you may be witnesses [to the Truth] before all mankind, and the Messenger may be witness [to it] before you (2: 143).

The Quran tells us that this Ummah was raised up by Allah (SWT) to discharge a specific duty, to be ‘witnesses (to the Truth) before mankind.’ What does this mean? It means that in our person, we look Muslim and act Muslim and as an Ummah we live under Allah’s Sharia and invite the rest of mankind to live by this guidance too. This position of being witness to the truth before all mankind amounts to the Muslim ummah being vested with the leadership of mankind. But to take on this role the Ummah must first establish a state ruled by Allah’s law, that then proceeds to convey Islam to the rest of mankind so that Allah’s Deen prevails over all other systems of life. Not many of us know that this duty has the status of a covenant with Allah.

To prepare the Ummah for shouldering this heavy duty, Allah (SWT) in His infinite Mercy, provides us with the example of Bani Israel. They were the Muslim Ummah before ours. Allah (SWT) brings Bani Israel alive for us in the pages of the Quran, so that we can learn from their example.        

 Like our Ummah they too had been chosen,

‘O Children of Israel! Remember My favor wherewith I favored you and how I preferred you to (all) creatures.’ (2:47)

Allah (SWT) ‘preferred’ them over all of mankind to receive His guidance, to live by it and to invite others to live by it. But they ended up breaking their covenant with Allah,

‘And (remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying), Hold firmly to what We have given you and hear (Our Word). They said, We have heard and disobeyed.’  (2:93)

One episode of their history, in particular, lingers in the mind; no doubt for its topical overtones. When the Children of Israel finally manage to conquer the city of Jerusalem, Allah commands them to enter the gates of the city prostrating in humility, thankful to Allah for their victory saying ‘Hittah’: relieve us of our sins. But they enter the city creeping on their behinds, rather than prostrating, saying ‘Hintatun’: seed. Their disrespect and disobedience brings on,           

‘…  a plague from heaven (رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ), for that they infringed (Our command) repeatedly.’ (2:59)

A plague that killed 24,000 of them in an hour. Some say 70,000…

Had they obeyed, Allah would have been Merciful and Generous towards them,

‘…We shall forgive you your sins and shall increase (reward) for the good-doers.’ (2:58)

The endless favors and repeated trials fail to have the desired effect on Bani Israel. They fail to turn back to God and become His grateful, obedient servants. For flouting Divine guidance and losing sight of the duty they had been entrusted with, Allah chose to replace them with a new group of people.

And so the leadership of mankind was transferred to Prophet Mohammad (saw) and his followers,

‘It is He who has chosen you…’ (22:78)

They were chosen for this position because of their sincere obedience to Allah. The Prophet (saw) and his followers moulded themselves into personalities pleasing to Allah and conveyed the message of Islam to their people. They worked tirelessly, endeavouring to replace the man- made laws of their society with Allah’s command, finally managing to establish an Islamic state in Madina; a state that enjoined the ‘maruf’ and forbade ‘munkar’ and invited the rest of mankind to live by its standards. Their persons and their community, characterized by righteousness and justice, bore witness to the Truth. They fulfilled their covenant with God and were honoured by Him (SWT),

‘We have made you the (أُمَّةً وَسَطًا ) just and best nation… (2: 143).

‘You are the (خَيرَ أُمَّةٍ ) best community …’ (3:110)

What does this mean for us today?

Since we belong to the Ummah of Mohammad (saw), this duty, of witnessing the truth, individually and collectively, falls on us too. So, what kind of witnesses are we? Do we look and act Muslim? Only you can answer this. You know yourself best. Umar (ra) said,

‘Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable (on the Day of Judgement).’

What of our nation? Do we live by Allah’s law and invite other nations to live by this law? Clearly this is not the case. We are not governed by the Law of Allah, rather we live under the western capitalist system; and how can we invite other nations to Islam, when we have no State to discharge this duty. We have abandoned the very Law that came to liberate man from being subservient to other human beings; that came to take him from the oppression of other religions and systems to the justice of Islam. And,

‘Allah is not at all heedless of what you do.’ (2:85)

Another episode from the history of Bani Israel comes to mind. After Bani Israel escape the army of Pharaoh, Allah commands them to enter the Holy land by fighting against the Canaanites dwelling there. They refuse to do so,

They said: “O Musa! We shall never enter it as long as they are there. So go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here.” (5:24)

For their disobedience and lack of tawakkul, they are made to wander, aimlessly, in the desert of the Sinai peninsula for 40 years.

‘in distraction they will wander through the land.’(5:26)

That whole generation passes away in the desert and a new generation, under the leadership of Prophet Yusha bin Noon, conquers the city of Jeruselum. Whenever a people do not support Allah’s deen and strive to establish His Law, than Allah can replace them with some other people. ‘And that is not difficult for Allah.’ (14:20)

‘If you were to turn away, He would just replace you with another people, who will not be like you.’ (47:38)

Like Bani Israel we can ignore or refuse to discharge this obligation, but we cannot escape Allah (SWT). Our Quran teaches us how Allah deals with nations and communities: those who were grateful and lived by the commands of Allah ‘enjoyed blessings from the heavens above and the earth below their feet’(5:66), but those who were ungrateful were punished,

‘If you be grateful I will increase My favors on you, and if you be ungrateful (you should know that) My chastisement is severe indeed!’ (7:14)

Allah has honored and blessed this Ummah with the noblest of Messengers and the noblest of Laws, and He has chosen us to take up the role of world leadership. If we abandon this duty then what is the point of our existence?

Isn’t it about time we familiarise ourselves with how to go about fulfilling it?