Fatwa Dr Taha Jabir Merujuk Fitnah Keatas Anwar Ibrahim

Terjemahan Ustaz Zainuddin Hashim

Soalan

Telah berlaku satu isu yang menggemparkan banyak pihak di Malaysia baru-baru ini, berhubung mantan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang dituduh terlibat dengan perlakuan liwat, pihak berkuasa Malaysia berusaha untuk memanggil kedua-dua individu yang menuduh dan dituduh agar melakukan angkat sumpah untuk membuktikan pihak yang benar dan salah.

Apa pandangan Islam berhubung tindakan angkat sumpah berkenaan, apakah pihak yang dituduh perlu berbuat demikian bagi membersihkan dirinya daripada fitnah atau tuduhan itu seperti sumpahan orang yang terlibat dalam kes pembunuhan?

Jawapan Dr Taha Jabir al-‘Ulwani:

Menurut Imam Ibnu Al-Qaiyim Al-Jauziyah dalam kitabnya At-Turuq Al-Hukmiyyah dan beberapa pandangan ulama, mereka menolak dakwaan atau tuduhan yang datang daripada seorang yang dilihat tidak berlaku adil, khususnya daripada setiap tindakan, cara hidup terhadap orang yang mempunyai kedudukan baik dalam masyarakat, di mana dakwaan seumpama itu disifatkan sebagai ‘Qazaf’ dengan membawa empat orang saksi, ia bersandarkan kepada ayat 4, Surah an-Nur maksudnya:

4. “Dan orang-orang yang melemparkan tuduhan (zina) kepada perempuan yang terpelihara kehormatannya, kemudian mereka tidak membawakan empat orang saksi, maka sebatlah mereka delapan puluh kali sebat; dan janganlah kamu menerima persaksian mereka itu selama-lamanya; kerana mereka adalah orang-orang yang fasik;

Firman Allah lagi menerusi ayat 11-19, Surah an-Nur maksudnya:

“11. Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang membawa berita yang amat dusta itu ialah segolongan dari kalangan kamu; janganlah kamu menyangka (berita yang dusta) itu buruk bagi kamu, bahkan ia baik bagi kamu. tiap-tiap seorang di antara mereka akan beroleh hukuman sepadan dengan kesalahan yang dilakukannya itu, dan orang yang mengambil bahagian besar dalam menyiarkannya di antara mereka, akan beroleh siksa yang besar (di dunia dan di akhirat).

Sepatutnya semasa kamu mendengar tuduhan itu, orang-orang yang beriman – lelaki dan perempuan, menaruh baik sangka kepada diri (orang-orang) mereka sendiri. dan berkata: “Ini ialah tuduhan dusta yang nyata.

Sepatutnya mereka (yang menuduh) membawa empat orang saksi membuktikan tuduhan itu. oleh kerana mereka tidak mendatangkan empat orang saksi, maka mereka itu pada sisi hukum Allah, adalah orang-orang yang dusta.

Dan kalaulah tidak kerana adanya limpah kurnia Allah dan rahmatNya kepada kamu di dunia dan di akhirat, tentulah kamu dikenakan azab siksa yang besar disebabkan kamu turut campur dalam berita palsu itu; –

Iaitu semasa kamu bertanya atau menceritakan berita dusta itu dengan lidah kamu, dan memperkatakan dengan mulut kamu akan sesuatu yang kamu tidak mempunyai pengetahuan yang sah mengenainya; dan kamu pula menyangkanya perkara kecil, pada hal ia pada sisi hukum Allah adalah perkara yang besar dosanya.

Dan sepatutnya semasa kamu mendengarnya, kamu segera berkata: “Tidaklah layak bagi Kami memperkatakan hal ini! Maha suci Engkau (Ya Allah dari mencemarkan nama baik ahli Rumah Rasulullah)! ini adalah satu dusta besar yang mengejutkan”.

Allah memberi pengajaran kepada kamu, supaya kamu tidak mengulangi perbuatan yang sedemikian ini selama-lamanya, jika betul kamu orang-orang yang beriman.

Dan Allah menjelaskan kepada kamu ayat-ayat keterangan (hukum-hukumNya); kerana Allah Maha Mengetahui, lagi Maha Bijaksana.

Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang suka terhebah tuduhan-tuduhan yang buruk dalam kalangan orang-orang yang beriman, mereka akan beroleh azab siksa yang tidak terperi sakitnya di dunia dan di akhirat; dan (ingatlah) Allah mengetahui (segala perkara) sedang kamu tidak mengetahui (yang demikian).”

Sesungguhnya sejarah gerakan Athisme dan Komunisme di dunia Arab secara khusus melatih perkaderan di peringkat akar umbi untuk menonjolkan akhlak yang songsang yang dilemparkan terhadap pimpinan ahli agama Islam yang komited dengannya, ia adalah cara untuk memburukkan nama baik dan imej mereka kepada umum (kerana mahu meraih kepentingan tertentu) agar umum tidak lagi percaya dan memberi sokongan kepada ahli-ahli agama, inilah yang pernah dilakukan oleh pengikut Komunis di Iraq satu ketika dahulu di kalangan parti Ba’ath (Kebangsaan Arab).

Justeru, kita amat rasa sedih apa yang sedang berlaku di Malaysia sekarang ini di mana para pemimpin kerajaan bertindak serupa dengan apa yang pernah berlaku di Iraq, mereka lakukan itu adalah semata-mata untuk kepentingan politik kotor mereka dan menyekat kemaraan pengaruh lawan dengan apa sahaja cara sekali pun walaupun melibatkan harga diri seseorang.

Mereka ini bukanlah pemimpin kerajaan yang baik yang boleh menjaga kebaikan dan kemaslahatan negara, tetapi untuk diri mereka semata-mata, tapi bagaimanapun tindakan mereka itu akan dibalas, kalau pun tidak pada diri mereka, mungkin isteri serta anak-anak mereka.

Apa yang umum hingga di peringkat global mengetahui, bahawa Saudara Anwar Ibrahim sejak masa mudanya dilantik sebagai ketua gerakan belia di Malaysia (ABIM), pernah mengurus kira-kira 25 buah sekolah beraliran agama khusus buat remaja lelaki dan perempuan (sekolah alternatif) di seluruh tanahair, tidak kedengaran pada usia remajanya atau ketika memimpin gerakan belia, sesuatu yang menjatuhkan harga diri atau maruahnya dengan tindakan yang menyalahi ajaran agama Islam. Jika pada usia begitu beliau disenangi, dipercayai dan dihormati sebagai seorang pemimpin yang baik, bagaiman mungkin pada usia yang mencecah 60 akan terlibat dengan perlakuan kaum Lut?.

Beliau sekarang ini terdedah kepada pelbagai ancaman, konspirasi, provokasi, bagi mengekalkan amalan politik kotor sekali gus mengajak manusia seluruhnya untuk menentang Allah SWT.

Isu akuan bersumpah sebenarnya tidak dibahaskan panjang lebar oleh kalangan fuqaha’  melainkan pada keadaan bila wujudnya pembunuhan antara dua kampung hingga tidak dapat dikenal pasti siapa pembunuh sebenar, maka menurut sebahagian mereka: Akuan bersumpah hendaklah dilakukan oleh 50 orang ahli setiap kampung bagi membersihkan diri daripada sebarang tuduhan, tetapi ia bukan dalam isu yang sedang dibincangkan iaitu “Qazaf”.

Ini kerana apa yang sedang disaksikan ialah isu antara seorang penuduh fasiq lagi zalim tidak diterima kesaksiaannya dan seorang yang teraniaya dan bersih daripada tuduhan tetapi tidak diberi haknya untuk membebaskan diri daripadanya.

Isu ini serupa apa yang pernah berlaku kepada pemimpin gerakan Islam Iraq al-marhum Syeikh Muhammad Mahmud as-Sowaf dan Syeikh Abdul Aziz al-Badri yang dilemparkan oleh pengikut Komunis dengan pelbagai dakwaan dan tuduhan hingga kedua-dua mereka tidaK dapat membela diri untuk membersihkan nama baik dan maruah.

Isu Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang pernah cemerlang dalam kepimpinannya ketika menerajui Kementerian Belia dan Sukan dan Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda Umno beberapa tahun, tidak kedengaran suara-suara sumbang daripada golongan remaja, belia bersamanya dahulu menyebut tentang perlakuan sumbang beliau, tetapi bagaimana sejak akhir-akhir ini terdapat kecenderungan pihak tertentu dengan rasa tidak malu dan takut kepada Allah melemparkan tuduhan negatif itu.

Saya menyeru pihak terbabit secara jujur, bertakwalah kamu kepada Allah, takutkan akan Dia Yang Maha Bertindak Balas ke atas hamba-hambaNya di akhirat, ingatlah ketegasan Allah dalam al-Quran : Sesungguhnnya hari tersebut (kiamat) tidak akan memberi manfaat harta dan anak-pinak, melainkan mereka yang datang menemui Allah dengan hati yang selamat (dari sebarang penyakit hati yang merbahaya).

Secara peribadi selaku seorang muslim, harapan dan seruan saya kepada Kerajaan Malaysia, agar bertakwa kepada Allah dalam mengurus negara dan rakyat, khususnya orang Melayu/Islam, berakhlaklah dengan nilai akhlak Islam yang murni, dengan tidak melebihkan politik daripada akhlak, jangan bertindak sesuatu yang boleh melucutkan harga diri seseorang atau rakyat hilang keyakinan para pemimpin yang memerintah negara sekarang ini, kerana setiap sesuatu yang zalim itu adalah jalan kegelapan, yang rosak itu akan membawa kepada neraka yang membakar.

Kita bermohon kepada Allah agar Dia memelihara negara dan rakyat di bawah naungan-Nya. 

 ©Harakah.

Treachery of Great Magnitude

Sayyid Qutb

In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Most Merciful

He brought down from their strongholds those of the people of earlier revelations, who aided them, casting terror in their hearts: some you slew, and some you took captive.

And He passed on to you their land, their houses and their goods, as well as a land on which you had never yet set foot. God has power over all things. [The Confederates, Al-Ahzab: 33: 26-27]

This only left the Quraizah, the third major Jewish tribe in Madinah. As we now know, they too had sided with the confederate tribes against the Muslims, this at the instigation of the Al-Nadir chiefs, particularly Huyay ibn Akhtab. This treachery by the Quraizah, in violation of their treaty with the Prophet (peace be upon him), was a much harder test for the Muslims than the external attack they faced from the confederates.

To be absolutely sure of this new situation, the Prophet sent four of his companions — Saad Ibn Muadz, the chief of the Aws, Saad Ibn Ubadah, the chief of the Khazraj, Abdullah Ibn Rawahah and Khawat Ibn Jubair — to the Quraizah to ascertain their position: “If you find out that the intelligence we have received is true, give me a hint which I will understand. Try to avoid affecting the Muslims’ morale. If, on the other hand, you find that the Quraizah remain faithful to their treaty with us, make the news known to everyone.” This shows how seriously he expected the news of treachery to affect the Muslim community as a whole.

The delegation went to the Quraizah and met the people there, calling on them to maintain their peaceful relations and to confirm their alliance with the Prophet. However, they found that the Quraizah had adopted a worse position than what they had heard about. Defiantly, they said: “You want us to confirm the alliance now, when we have been weakened by the departure of the Al-Nadir. Who is God’s Messenger? We do not know him. We have no treaty or agreement with Muhammad.”

The Muslim delegation then left the Quraizah, returning to the Prophet with the bad news that the Jews no longer recognized their peace treaty with him. On arrival, they found the Prophet with a group of his companions. Following his advice, they gave him a clear hint of the Quraizah’s treachery rather than deliver the fact publicly. The Prophet was not perturbed. On the contrary, he said: “God is supreme. Rejoice, you Muslims, for the end will be a happy one.”

In his report of these events, Ibn Ishaq says: “This test was too hard for the Muslims: fear mounted; the enemy came upon them from the front and the rear; the Muslims’ thoughts went in all directions; hypocrisy was now in the open, etc.”

When God gave the Prophet His support so as to make his enemies withdraw without gaining any advantage, sparing the believers the need to fight, the Prophet returned to Madinah victorious. People put down their arms. Back in his wife, Umm Salamah’s home, the Prophet was washing himself after the long ordeal. Jibril, the angel, came to him saying: “The angels have not put down their arms yet. I have just come back from chasing the enemy.” He then said to him: “God commands you to march to the Quraizah.” Their quarters were a few miles away from Madinah. This was after the Dzuhur prayer. The Prophet issued an order to all his companions: “He who obeys God must not pray Asr except at the Quraizah.” People started marching. On the way, the Asar prayer became due. Some of them stopped to offer it arguing that the Prophet had only wanted them to start marching immediately. Others said they would prefer to delay it until they had arrived, taking the Prophet’s order at face value. Neither party blamed the other.

The Prophet marched behind them, having asked Ibn Umm Maktum, his blind companion, to deputize for him in Madinah. He also gave the banner to his cousin Ali Ibn Abi Talib. The Prophet laid siege to the Quraizah quarter for 25 days. When they were in despair, they sent word to the Prophet saying that they would accept the judgment of Saad Ibn Muadz, the chief of the Aws tribe of the Ansar, as he was their ally in pre-Islamic days. They felt that he was bound to be lenient toward them just like Abdullah Ibn Ubayy had been lenient toward the Qainuqa Jews when he sought their release by the Prophet.

When the Quraizah Jews intimated that they would accept Sa’ad’s judgment, the Prophet gave instructions for him to be brought in. His tribesmen, the Aws, tried to persuade him to be lenient. They said: ‘Be kind to your allies. The Prophet has chosen you to judge them in order that you be kind to them.’ Sa’ad first chose to be silent. When he was tired of their insistence, he said: “It is time for Saad to disregard all criticism when it comes to something through which he hopes to please God.” His tribesmen realized then that he would not be lenient. Sa’ad gave his ruling which is referred to in the Qur’anic verse as the execution of a group of them and enslavement of others. This verdict was carried out. That day not only marked the humiliation of the Jews but also the weakness of hypocrisy. Thereafter, the hypocrites were reluctant to continue with their earlier trickery. Moreover, the idolaters no longer thought of attacking the Muslims in Madinah. In fact it was the Muslims who were now able to go on the offensive. Events thus moved in such a way as to lead to the fall of the two main cities in Arabia, Makkah and Taif, to Islam. It may be said that the actions of the Jews, the hypocrites and the idolaters were interlinked, and that the expulsion of the Jews from Madinah put an end to such affiliations. The whole episode thus marked a totally new stage in the history of the Muslim state.

This was the practical development to which the Qur’anic verses refer. The phrase, “a land on which you never yet set foot,” can refer either to a land that the Quraizah owned outside their quarters, and which the Muslims took over along with the rest of their property, or it may refer to the fact that the Quraizah surrendered their land without fighting. In this second sense, the Arabic phrase tata’u, meaning, “to set foot,” indicates fighting, which involves taking land by force.

“God has power over all things.” This comment is taken from what takes place in reality. It refers all matters to God. The surah’s presentation of the battle and its commentary on events are altogether consistent with this. It attributes all matters and actions to God, so that this essential truth is firmly rooted in the hearts of all Muslims. We see how God establishes it in people’s hearts using first the actual events and then the Qur’an as it makes a record of these events. Thus it takes its place at the center of the overall Islamic concept.

In this way, the events become the subject matter of education, and the Qur’an a manual and guide for life and all that relates to it. Values are well established and hearts reassured, using both the practical test and the Qur’an as the means.

[Via Arab News]

The Unnecessary Hostility

Sayyid Qutb 

In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Most Merciful

God turned back the unbelievers in all their rage and fury; they gained no advantage. He spared the believers the need to fight. God is Most Powerful, Almighty. (The Confederates Al-Ahzab: 33: 25)

When the Muslims arrived in Madinah, the Jews there maintained peaceful relations with them for only a short period. Shortly after his arrival in Madinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took step to sign a treaty with them with mutual obligations of sustaining support against outside enemies and clear conditions that they would never be in breach of their commitments, or aid any enemy, or take any hostile action against the Muslims.

The Jews, however, soon felt that Islam represented a threat to their traditional position as followers of the divine faith. Indeed they enjoyed much respect by the people of Madinah on account of this fact. Moreover, they felt that the new social system Islam established in Madinah under the leadership of the Prophet also constituted a threat to their position. Previously, they had very cleverly exploited the conflict between the two main Arab tribes in Madinah, the Aws and the Khazraj, to ensure that they themselves had the upper hand. The Prophet united the two tribes in a new social system, which deprived the Jews of the chance to sow discord between them.

Perhaps the last straw that broke the camel’s back for them was that the rabbi they considered to be their master and leading scholar, Abdullah Ibn Sallam, converted to Islam with all his family members. However, he feared that should he announce his conversion to Islam in public, the Jews might level false accusations against him. Therefore, he requested that the Prophet ask them about him and his standing among them before telling them that he had become a Muslim. When the Prophet asked the Jews as Abdullah had requested him, they said: “He is our master as his father was; and he is our rabbi and leading scholar.” It was at this point that Abdullah came out to tell them that Islam was God’s message to mankind and he asked them to follow his example and become Muslims. They immediately turned against him, speaking ill of him and warning all the other Jews against him. Clearly they felt that Islam represented an imminent threat to their religious and political standing. They were determined to scheme against God’s Messenger allowing him no respite. This, then, was the beginning of the war between Islam and the Jews, which has never subsided.

At first, the war started as a cold war, as we say these days. That is to say, it began as propaganda against both Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islam. The tactics they employed varied from raising doubts about the message and the new faith, to sowing discord and creating division between the Muslims, as between the Aws and the Khazraj one day and between the Muhajirin and the Ansar another day. They also spied on the Muslims for their idolater enemies, and befriended a group of hypocrites who pretended to be Muslims manipulating them to create trouble within the Muslim community. Ultimately, they openly urged other groups to unite against the Muslims, as happened in the encounter with the confederate tribes.

The major Jewish groups in Madinah were the tribes of the Qainuqa, Al-Nadir and Quraizah. Each had its own ongoing situation with the Prophet and the Muslim community.

The Qainuqa tribe, who were the best fighters among the Jews, begrudged the Muslims their victory at Badar. Therefore, they started to exploit little events against the Muslims, so demonstrating that they had little respect for their treaty with the Prophet, fearing that he would soon gather strength and gain mastery over them. They once said to the Prophet after his victory over the Quraish in the Battle of Badar: “Muhammad! Do not take it as something great that you met people who have no knowledge of war and fighting and that you got the upper hand against them. Should we fight you, you will learn that we are the true fighters.”

Ibn Hisham also reports on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Jaafar: “Behind the problem of the Qainuqa was an Arab woman who had brought some milk and sold it in the Qainuqa market. She then sat at a jeweler’s shop. People there wanted her to uncover her face, but she refused. The jeweler took the edge of her dress and tied it to her back, without her noticing. When she rose, her bottom was exposed and people laughed at her. She shouted for help. A Muslim attacked the Jewish jeweler and killed him. The Jews then attacked the Muslim and killed him. His people shouted for other Muslims to come and help. The Muslims were very angry and trouble so erupted between them and the Qainuqa clan.”

Ibn Ishaq continues this report of the events: “The Prophet laid siege to them until they agreed to accept his judgment. Abdullah Ibn Ubayy (the chief of the hypocrites who was still accepted as a Muslim) tried hard to intercede on their behalf until the Prophet accepted his intercession, provided they agreed to leave Madinah, taking their property with them, but not their weapons. Thus Madinah was rid of a powerful Jewish section.

As for the Al-Nadir tribe, the Prophet went to their quarters in the fourth year of his migration to Madinah, after the Battle of Uhud, seeking their help in raising funds to pay the blood money for two people killed accidentally by one of his companions. According to the provisions of the agreement between them and the Muslim state, they were bound to make such a contribution. When he explained his purpose, they said: “Yes, we will certainly make a contribution.” He sat with his back to the wall of one of their houses. Then they consulted among themselves, and some suggested: “You will never again find this man in such a vulnerable state. Who can get to the roof of this house and throw a large rock to rid us of him?”

So they set about carrying out their wicked plot. The Prophet was informed of what they were planning; so he returned to Madinah. Once there, he ordered his community to prepare to fight the Jewish tribe of Al-Nadir. They retreated to their forts. Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the chief of the hypocrites, sent them word to remain steadfast promising to give them his full support. He added: “We will never let you down. If war is waged against you, we will fight alongside you; and if you are made to leave, we will go with you.” The hypocrites, however, did not fulfill their promise to the Jews. Instead, God struck fear into the hearts of the Al-Nadir and they surrendered without a fight. They asked the Prophet to spare their lives in return for their departure. He agreed and allowed them a camel load each of their property, provided they surrendered any arms.

They thus left Madinah, most settling in Khaibar, whilst others went further north to Syria. Among their leaders were Sallam Ibn Abi Al-Huqayq, Kinanah Ibn Al-Rabi Ibn Abi Al-Huqayq and Huyay Ibn Akhtab, the three who had played a leading role in forging the alliance between the Quraish and Ghatafan and so forming the confederate tribes that sought to exterminate Islam and the Muslims.

[Via Arab News]

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama At Final Primary Night

Congratulations to Senator Barack Obama and his campaign team as well his entire fans around the world.

Obama is the first African-American Presidential Nominee for the Democratic Party in 200 years since the end of the slave trade. He fought a brilliant campaign to defeat the early favourite, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Change will come to America and change is also coming to the world.

Obama’s success is indeed a reminder that in an open and upward mobile society, everything is possible. For the Senator from Illinois, he is living the American Dream. He will now face the Arizona Senator John McCain of the Republican Party in the November 2008 US Presidential Elections.

His speech is gracious, unifying and measured, despite the hard fought and at times trenchant primaries. This is politics at its best. The text of his speech in St. Paul is as follows:

[Via AP]– Tues, June 3, 2008, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

 

Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end.

Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been travelled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said — because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign — through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls. And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for President.

At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for this office. I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, and as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better. They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.

That is particularly true for the candidate who has travelled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she’s a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she’s a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.

We’ve certainly had our differences over the last sixteen months. But as someone who’s shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning — even in the face of tough odds — is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children’s Defence Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fuelled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency — an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be. And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honour to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time. There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn’t just about the party in charge of Washington, it’s about the need to change Washington. There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation.

All of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply. But at the end of the day, we aren’t the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard. You didn’t do that because of me or Senator Clinton or anyone else. You did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — we cannot afford to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We owe our children a better future. We owe our country a better future. And for all those who dream of that future tonight, I say — let us begin the work together. Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America.

In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St. Paul with a very different agenda. They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically. I honour that service, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine. My differences with him are not personal; they are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign.

Because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign.

It’s not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush ninety-five percent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year.

It’s not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college — policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.

And it’s not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians — a policy where all we look for are reasons to stay in Iraq, while we spend billions of dollars a month on a war that isn’t making the American people any safer.

So I’ll say this — there are many words to describe John McCain’s attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush’s policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them.

Change is a foreign policy that doesn’t begin and end with a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged. I won’t stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq, but what’s not an option is leaving our troops in that country for the next hundred years — especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.

We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in – but start leaving we must. It’s time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future. It’s time to rebuild our military and give our veterans the care they need and the benefits they deserve when they come home. It’s time to refocus our efforts on al Qaeda’s leadership and Afghanistan, and rally the world against the common threats of the 21st century — terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. That’s what change is.

Change is realizing that meeting today’s threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy — tough, direct diplomacy where the President of the United States isn’t afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what we stand for. We must once again have the courage and conviction to lead the free world. That is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Truman, and Kennedy. That’s what the American people want. That’s what change is.

Change is building an economy that rewards not just wealth, but the work and workers who created it. It’s understanding that the struggles facing working families can’t be solved by spending billions of dollars on more tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs, but by giving a the middle-class a tax break, and investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and transforming how we use energy, and improving our schools, and renewing our commitment to science and innovation. Its understanding that fiscal responsibility and shared prosperity can go hand-in-hand, as they did when Bill Clinton was President.

John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy — cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota — he’d understand the kind of change that people are looking for.

Maybe if he went to Iowa and met the student who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can’t pay the medical bills for a sister who’s ill, he’d understand that she can’t afford four more years of a health care plan that only takes care of the healthy and wealthy. She needs us to pass health care plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it and brings down premiums for every family who needs it. That’s the change we need.

Maybe if he went to Pennsylvania and met the man who lost his job but can’t even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one, he’d understand that we can’t afford four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators. That man needs us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future — an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced. That’s the change we need.

And maybe if he spent some time in the schools of South Carolina or St. Paul or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans, he’d understand that we can’t afford to leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind; that we owe it to our children to invest in early childhood education; to recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support; to finally decide that in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American. That’s the change we need in America. That’s why I’m running for President.

The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a debate I look forward to. It is a debate the American people deserve. But what you don’t deserve is another election that’s governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon — that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize. Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.

Despite what the good Senator from Arizona said tonight, I have seen people of differing views and opinions find common cause many times during my two decades in public life, and I have brought many together myself. I’ve walked arm-in-arm with community leaders on the South Side of Chicago and watched tensions fade as black, white, and Latino fought together for good jobs and good schools. I’ve sat across the table from law enforcement and civil rights advocates to reform a criminal justice system that sent thirteen innocent people to death row. And I’ve worked with friends in the other party to provide more children with health insurance and more working families with a tax break; to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and ensure that the American people know where their tax dollars are being spent; and to reduce the influence of lobbyists who have all too often set the agenda in Washington.

In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.

So it was for that band of patriots who declared in a Philadelphia hall the formation of a more perfect union; and for all those who gave on the fields of Gettysburg and Antietam their last full measure of devotion to save that same union.

So it was for the Greatest Generation that conquered fear itself, and liberated a continent from tyranny, and made this country home to untold opportunity and prosperity.

So it was for the workers who stood out on the picket lines; the women who shattered glass ceilings; the children who braved a Selma bridge for freedom’s cause.

So it has been for every generation that faced down the greatest challenges and the most improbable odds to leave their children a world that’s better, and kinder, and more just.

And so it must be for us.

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment — this was the time — when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.

Thank you, God blesses you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Qualities of an Exemplary Leader

By Imam Zaid Shakir 

“Owing to Mercy from God, you were gentle in dealing with them [your companions]. Were you harsh [and crude], hard of heart; they would have fled from you. Therefore, pardon their abuses, seek [God’s] forgiveness for them, and consult them in the affair. Once you have resolved on a course of action [be decisive] and trust in God. Surely, God loves those who trust in Him.” [Al-‘Imran, 3:159]

This verse contains a wealth of instruction to guide those who are leaders, and as Muslims we should all be leaders. The Prophet mentioned, “All of you are shepherds, and each of you will be asked concerning his flock.” [Al-Bukhari No.893] Let us examine some of the implications of the verse relevant to leadership.

Owing to Mercy from God… God is reminding His prophet, peace upon him, that the mercy he displays, in fact all of the virtues or favours that he enjoys are all from God. This is a critical point for any leader to realize, because of the propensity of those in positions of leadership to assume that they are in those positions because of something they have done. While it is certainly true that in many instances, hard work and perseverance have assisted a particular individual in his or her rise to the top, even the possession of those qualities is due to God.

Acknowledging this at the very beginning of our affair is one of the keys to real power as it helps to render us humble, and humility before people unlock for that person the power of God. The Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, mentioned in that regard, “No one humbles themselves for the sake of God except that God elevates him.” [Al-Tirmidzi, No.2029]

Those who doubt the efficacy of such an approach-forgetting this was the way of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of God upon him-should consider the insights offered by Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great. He mentions what he calls Type 5 Leaders. They are those exceptional leaders who lead companies in their transition from being good to great. [Jim Collins, Good to Great (New York: Harper Collins, 2001), 17-40] They combine personal humility, which is essential for gentleness in one’s dealings, with intense will. This unique combination of virtues is the essence of the message this verse is presenting to us, as we shall see.

Recognizing that everything comes from God is also one of the keys to gaining an increase in good things, for we cannot give thanks for a blessing we do not recognize. In recognizing God for blessing us with the qualities that may have helped us to become capable leaders, we are able to thank Him for those blessings. Hence, we are subject to a rule He has established to govern our etiquettes in responding to a blessing, if you give thanks [for my blessings] I will increase you in them… [Ibrahim, 14:7]

Recognizing that everything comes from God also helps us to realize our limitations. We come to understand that we must work hard to accomplish our goals. However, at the end of the day, we do not control the outcomes of our strivings. As soon as we can accept that fact we instantly gain peace of mind, for we do not Endeavour to burden ourselves with things beyond our control. Furthermore, when in positions of leadership, we are less likely to look for oftentimes innocent parties to blame for failures that occur. This helps to create a healthier and more productive work environment for everyone.

…you were gentle in dealing with them [your companions]. “Gentleness does not exist in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it defiles it.” [Abu Dawud, No.2477] In many instances when we are in a leadership position we try to impose our authority on others. In some instances this only engenders stubborn rebellion and opposition. In others it brings about grudging compliance. Neither situation is healthy. Gentleness, on the other hand encourages willing compliance.

Were you harsh [and crude], hard of heart; they would have fled from you. Here God is telling His prophet, peace upon him, that despite your charisma, your concern for the believers and all of your other positive characteristics, were you harsh and hard-hearted, your companions would have left you. Therefore, you must avoid those characteristics. This is a lesson for us in terms of how we should approach leadership and positions of authority.

 People who are harsh in their leadership styles oftentimes demand respect. They should be mindful of the fact that respect that is demanded is seldom lasting, and it is never sincere. People who are gentle in the appropriate situations, compassionate, empathetic and magnanimous command respect. Respect that is commanded is sincere and lasting.

Leaders who are fair and gentle attract talented individuals, while those that are harsh are usually intimidated and threatened by talented people and generally repulse them. Their insecurity is sensed by talented people who are secure within themselves. This leads to them shying away from harsh individuals. This in turn leads to a corrupt or incompetent inner circle developing around leaders who demand respect through harsh treatment and crude mannerisms. The Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, mentioned that when God desires good for a leader He gives him a good circle of advisers. The opposite is also true. [Al-Bukhari, No.198]

In the long run, magnanimity will always trump tyranny. Tyranny may achieve temporary victories, but the fruit of those victories is bitter and the season of its harvest is very short. This is true in interpersonal relations as well as in relations between nations. We have to strive to be people who at every level are committed to being open-hearted and magnanimous in our character.

Therefore, pardon their abuses… We should be quick to pardon others, where our rights are involved, or where the transgressions we observe arise from ignorance. One of the greatest lessons we enforce upon ourselves when we are quick to pardon is that perfection is God’s alone. Recognizing that, we do not expect perfection from ourselves, nor do we expect it from others. We do strive for perfection and constant improvement. However, we realize that perfection is simply not our lot in life. When our parents, spouses, children, employees, co-workers, and others understand that they have room for error in their dealing with us they are more relaxed and therefore less likely to err. This is a simple yet unappreciated truth.

Also, we have to understand that when we are merciful and forgiving, we invite God’s mercy and forgiveness into our life. God mentions in the Qur’an, O believers! Verily, among your spouses and children are those that are enemies unto you. If you pardon them, overlook their faults and seek forgiveness for them; then you should know that God is Oft Forgiving and Most Merciful [to you]. [Taghabun, 64:14]

Our Prophet reminded us, “The merciful people are those God will show mercy to…” [Al-Tirmidzi, No.1924] This tradition involves a promise and a principle. It is especially relevant for leaders, for those leaders, who show no mercy, will be shown no mercy-neither by God, nor by those they oppress if they ever gain the upper hand over them. One rare exception is the mercy our Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, showed to the members of his tribe, Quraish, once he was given authority over them.

Seek God’s forgiveness for them… When we seek God’s forgiveness for someone we are acknowledging that there is only so much we can do for them. After that we are implicitly saying that we are deputing their affair to God, who can do so much more for them. We are also letting them know that we are concerned for their ultimate wellbeing and salvation.

When this message is conveyed to our subordinates we will find them most happy and committed, ready to serve, for they understand that we do not just see them as an asset to be exploited, rather we see them as a servant of God who we can help along on the road to salvation.

And consult them in the affair. Mutual consultation is one of the pillars of social relations in Islam. As the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one.” The more people we can involve in a project or decision, the more thorough our approach to that project or decision will be. Islam has high respect for the idea of due diligence in public decision-making methodology. We should deliberate and consult before making what will sometimes be far-reaching decisions. One of the reasons for our contemporary weakness is that we have gotten away from this idea.

Here the Prophet, peace upon him, who is divinely guided in religious affairs, in the broadest sense of religion, is encouraged to consult his companions because he is laying the foundation for effective rule and leadership to guide those succeeding him. However, we will only be the beneficiaries of the wisdom he bequeathed to us if we implement those teachings in our lives. This area of endeavour is no exception.

We should also understand that a team will always accomplish more than a single individual. These instructions will help us to build strong teams. We should also understand that “good” can always be “better.” One of the first things mentioned by Abu Bakar, may God be pleased with him, upon assuming the Caliphate, was, “If I do well help me to do better.” Abu Bakar, may God be pleased with him, was sending out two messages. The first was that I can always do better but only with your help. The second was an invitation to get involved. Good leadership does not wait for involvement to happen, it actively encourages it.

Once you have resolved on a course of action [be decisive]… Once a course of action has been chosen it must be accompanied by decisiveness. Great leaders are decisive, after due diligence has been exercised. The greatest of all leaders, the five great prophets, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad are described as Ulul ‘Azim the possessors of decisive resolve. No one will follow an indecisive leader. Decisiveness is a function of will. This is the second quality mentioned by Collins in, Good to Great.

In confronting the challenges before us as Muslims in this country we should understand that resolve is one of the qualities we will need to have. God mentions in the Qur’an, You will surely be tested in your wealth and your lives and you will hear from those given the scripture before you and from the idolaters much abuse. If you patiently persevere and remain mindful of God, [you should know] that is a manifestation of resolve. [Al-‘Imran, 3:186]

As we listen to the defamation of our religion and the slander of our Prophet, peace upon him, we should not allow that to dishearten us or turn us away from the good works we are doing. We should persevere, we should forge on, and we should realize that we are not violating any laws nor transgressing against any of the principles upon which this nation was founded-even thought the nation itself oftentimes does not honour those principles.

And trust in God… God never disappoints. When we trust in Him, we will never be disappointed. People will eventually disappoint us, in real or perceived ways. Although those disappointments usually do not result in any permanent damage to our relationships they can be frustrating. When we place our trust in God we remove this great cause of our frustrations.

When we trust in God, we also are less demanding of people. This is one of the ways to encourage others to do more for us in a spirit of wilful volunteerism. What is given voluntarily is given sincerely. Sincerity is a quality that helps bring blessings to our actions. Ultimately, the value of our actions is associated to the blessings they contain, and not their abundance.

God loves those who trust in Him. If God is for us no one can be against us. As leaders we want God on our side. This is one of the keys in moving from good to great, for when we ally ourselves with God we ally ourselves with the source of all strength and power. Trusting in God is just one of the things we can do to invite His love. He mentions in the Qur’an, Verily, God loves those who do good. [Al-Baqarah, 2:195] Surely, God loves those who turn to Him in repentance. (2:222) …and God loves those who purify themselves. [Al-Baqarah, 2:222] God loves those conscious of him. [Al-‘Imran, 3:76] God loves those who manifest excellence in their faith. [Al-‘Imran, 3:134] God love those who are patient. [Al-‘Imran, 3:146] Verily, God loves those who rely on him. [Al-‘Imran, 3:159] God loves those who are just. [Al-Maidah, 5:42)

Hence, trusting in God, being good and excellent in all of our affairs for His sake, turning to him in repentance, being conscious of Him, purifying ourselves, patiently persevering and being just, these are all qualities and actions that invite God’s love into our lives.

When we are beloved to God then, as He mentions in a sacred tradition (Hadith Qudsi), “I become the hearing with which he hears, the sight with which he sees, the hand with which he grasps and the feet that convey him. [In this state] if he were to ask anything of Me, I would grant it. And were he to seek my protection, I would protect him.” [Al-Bukhari, No.6502] This does not mean that God becomes a part of us. However, it does mean that He will bless us to use all of our faculties in ways that are pleasing to Him.

What could be better or more beneficial for us than this?

® NID