We once ruled this world

Well, sometimes we get mesmerized and overwhelmed with some other nations civilizations, wondering, how it can be that they are that surprisingly developed and civilized while we’re so in our deep profound bottomless ignorance. Actually sometimes I do that myself when I watch a noticeably excellent-directed American movie, or see the brand new luxurious Mercedes fasting beside me in the street.

It’s so depressing really that the world has reached now an age where technological and economical massing has been greatly more than any other age before, yet, us, the Egyptians, Arabs, and the Muslims are still considered one of the third-party countries, but unquestionably that is our own fault, our own delay not Egypt’s or Islam’s. I don’t mind us being inspired and showing respect to those other nations, on the contrary, I think we strongly should, but it’s also so important that we always remember that we had our times, when we had our own great civilizations, and that once, and more than once the whole world looked upon us the way we do now at the most developed countries, we the Egyptians had our time when we had our Great Kings over thousands of years ago, but only when we had worked hard and used our minds, and we the Arabs and Muslims had our greatest civilizations back in time, but only, and only when we held to our religion and followed our Beloved Prophet’s Footsteps, may peace and blessings be upon him.

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Well, the following story happened in the Golden Era of the Islamic Khaliphate, that was the age of Amir al-Mu'minin, Khalifa Omar Ibn Abd Al-Aziz. Please read it, maybe you would see what I feel:

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We once ruled this world

Every year, at a certain month, the Zakat money is collected from all over the Islamic Empire. This money is partitioned and spent over certain populace who are in the most need for it, as specifically mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.

Generally, the age of Khalifa Omar Ibn Abd Al-Aziz is known to be the most economically flourishing ages among all the Islamic history, but in a specific year the Zakat money was collected, massive amounts of Zakat money, more than any other year. So Omar Ibn Abd El Aziz ordered “Spend it over the fields of Zakat, give it to the poor and the needy.”

So the ones responsible for spending the zakat went, and searched for those who should receive the money. The Islamic Empire was so enormous limiting all over the world, so, they spent here, and spent there, they gave more and more needy people, and then they come back and still the majority of the Zakat money has remained, how come that? Because there isn’t enough poor nor needy people in the Muslim state at that time because of the flourishing state of the economy.

So Omar Ibn Abd Al-Aziz orders “Then we use the remaining money prepare the Muslim forces, go spend it over the weapons, the soldiers, and the army.”, so they leave, but no sooner they come back and tell the khalifa that the Muslims owns the whole world, and that the Muslim armies are fully equipped and all totally set at the seaboards and along the borders of the world.

So Omar Ibn Abd El-Aziz decides: “Then whoever of the Muslims is owed a debt pay it for him from this money.”. And paid are the debts of the owed, all over the Islamic land and still does remain a plenty of money. So says Omar Ibn Abd El Aziz “Then whoever of the Jews and the Christians is owed a debt pay it for him.”. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine such religious tolerance we had when we once ruled this world, while meantime now we’re in the age where the wheat is dumped into oceans for to be still elevated its cost and be a weapon to pressure the poor third world nations by? Can you imagine that in an age where Muslims are called fascists, by fascists.

And paid are the debts of the Christians, and paid are the depts that of the Jews, and still, believe it or not, remained the money. So says Omar Ibn Abd El Aziz orders again: “Whoever of the youth wants to get married then wed him from the zakat money.”. And the youth are paid to wed, and the money is spent over their weddings, and astonishingly remains still much of zakat money. Can you imagine the economic power, can you believe such a strong financial era where industrial achievements not even one tenth of what we experience today has been made, and like no other county even the most economically saturated now in the 21st century.

So Omar Ibn Abd El Aziz thinks, and rethinks. It was known by this time that all the zakat money has to be spent every year to permit the continuing of the financial development in the state.

After much consideration, Omar Ibn Abd El Aziz decides, so he gathers his economical advisers and says his great memorable words:

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"اشتروا بهذهِ النقود حبوبا،ً و انثروها على رؤوسِ الجبال؛ لتآكل الطير من خير المسلمين"

“You buy with these money grains, and spread it over the peaks of mountains for the birds to eat from the grants of Allah to the Muslims”

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Well, there is something I listened to on a cassette for Amr Khaled that really touched me so much. This is a bit weak translation of one of the greatest Arabic poems ever, I don’t know the name of the poet, but I only know the words, you can see the magnificent Arabic words in the picture posted with this article:

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"We once ruled this world"

We ruled this world for ages,

And our ancestors yielded it so courageous,

And we wrote and carved pages of lights,

Time will never forget those days and nights.

Nevertheless time passed by us,

And glory no longer was ours

And we became no longer seen in that high crowd

Though for years we had it all in our hands

And it aches me, and it aches every free man

Every once the times wonders “O Muslims, where are thou?”

O would this sweet past come back once again?

O how I’m missing that past glory"

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"ملكنا هذهِ الدنيا"

ملكنا هذهِ الدنيا قروناً

و اخضعُها جدودٌ خالدونَ

وسطّرنا صحائِفَ من ضياءٍ

فما نسىَ الزمان و ما نسينا

و ما فتئ الزمانِ يدور حتى

مضى بالمجدِ قوماً اخرونَ

واصبح لا يُرى فى الركبِ قومى

و قد عاشوا ائمتهُ سنيناً

و الَمنى و المَ كلَ حر

سؤالُ الدهرِ اين المسلمونَ

تُرى هل يرجِع الماضى فإنى

اذوبُ لذلكَ الماضى حنيناً

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Sure, the past will come back, sure the Ummah will rise once again, but Allahu - subhanaho w ta'ala - said in the his Holy Book:

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بسمِ اللِه الرحمنِ الرحيمِ

" أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ

ٱلْبَأْسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَلاۤ إِنَّ نَصْرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ"

البقرة: 214

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"إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ"

الرعد: 11

صدق اللّهُ العظيم